Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

One of the top arms in the 2019-20 international class, Lara signed with the Nationals for $1.25 million in July 2019 and moved stateside to Florida for the lost pandemic season a year later. He joined the full-season ranks in 2022 for his age-19 season and posted a 5.51 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 101 1/3 innings that summer for Single-A Fredericksburg. The right-hander jumped to High-A Wilmington for 2023 but saw his strikeout rate crater (66 in 98 1/3 frames), and he returned to the South Atlantic League to begin this season with much better whiff numbers.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander was sitting closer to the low-90s with his sinking fastball last year, down a bit from this 2022 velocity, but considering he’s still only 21, there’s still hope that he can be more in the mid-90s as he continues to mature. He averaged 95.5 mph in a short Spring Breakout stint, for instance, and he's been 92-94 at Double-A Harrisburg following an in-season promotion. Lara’s mid-80s slider has helped drive his return to K form in ’24. The pitch stands out more for its vertical drop than its sweep, and Lara can consistently wear out the gloveside corner to get whiffs below opposing bats. His upper-80s changeup doesn’t show a ton of separation from the fastball but shows enough running armside action to make it a possible average offering.

Lara’s actions on the mound look free and easy, and while he’ll fight the occasional wildness, walks aren’t his biggest issue. He needs to keep missing bats to regain his standing in the system, and getting a third pitch would further help fight off early splits issues against lefties in ’24. Lara was unprotected and unpicked during the Rule 5 process last offseason but has already made a stronger 40-man case with his rebound this year.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

The Venezuela native has been one of the most promising arms in the Nats system since signing for $1.25 million in July 2019. He spent the lost 2020 season in Florida and made his organizational debut in fall instructs later that year. After a more meaningful trip to the Florida Complex League in 2021, the right-hander stayed at Single-A Fredericksburg for the entire 2022 campaign, finishing with a 5.51 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 101 1/3 innings. His 3.89 ERA over seven starts in August and September was cause for hope that the then-teenager needed time to grow into his first full-season level.

The 6-foot-4 hurler has projection and a simple delivery on his side when projecting as a potential Major League starter. He’s been closer to the low-90s with the heater in 2023, but can still touch the mid-90s on occasion, and there could be room for another tick or two of velo as he gets deeper into his 20s. The development of his breaking ball has been a question since his signing. The pitch has a slurvy shape but acts more like a slider in the upper 80s and flashes average. A changeup around similar velocity is also a work in progress, and its lack of consistency leads to some split concerns against lefties.

While there don’t seem to be many mechanical issues at play, Lara doesn’t always hit his spots regularly at this stage of his development, though that could come with more 100-plus-inning seasons of experience. The Nationals believe the acquisition of fellow hard-throwing righty Jarlin Susana may have lit a fire under Lara -- the joy of competition in a rebuilding farm system -- but he'll need to start racking up strikeouts again at High-A for him to get back on course toward being a Major League starter.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Washington has had high hopes for Lara since signing him for $1.25 million out of Venezuela on July 2, 2019. The organization brought him stateside early in 2020, and he stayed in Florida during the canceled Minor League season and participated in instructional league play that fall. After using that year to find his footing in the U.S., Lara posted a 4.54 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 13 walks in 39 2/3 innings in the Florida Complex League. He earned a brief, but meaningful two-outing move to Low-A Fredericksburg to end his age-18 season.

Pitching out of a 6-foot-4 frame, Lara has a fairly simple and easy delivery, giving him the look of a quality starter. He throws his fastball in the mid-90s already, and while it can lose some steam deeper into outings now, that should be less of a concern as he matures. It’s still an open question on where his breaking ball will land. He spins and locates it well right now, but he might need to transition more into a slider shape eventually if he can’t lock in a consistent curveball look. As is the case with many pitchers his age, a changeup remains a work in progress. But the makings are there for an average pitch with decent sink.

Lara walked eight in 8 2/3 innings at Fredericksburg, but that should soon prove an anomaly. He has a history of throwing strikes, and the smoothness of the delivery will likely keep that from being a problem. The pieces are in place for Lara, who will be 19 for the entire 2022 season, to feature in the middle of a Washington rotation in the years to come.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 16 international prospect during the 2019-20 period, Lara signed with the Nats for $1.25 million that July 2. In less than two years since that time, he already has experience stateside after spending almost all of 2020 as one of the Venezuelan players Washington kept in Florida for the duration of the summer. He also pitched in instructional league play at the end of what would have been his age-17 season.

The 6-foot-4 Lara has a fairly easy delivery for someone his size, and the Nationals are happy with how well he has already filled out as a teenager. The fastball sits in the mid-90s these days with good spin, and there could be more velocity as he continues to get stronger with age. The Nats hesitate to call his breaking ball either a curve or slider because of its two-plane break, though scouts have written it down as the deuce in the past. He shows feel for a changeup with some sink, but that pitch will need development as he gains Minor League experience for the first time. The right-hander struggled some with control at instructs last fall, but that was chalked up to youth and the end of a strange year. He should find the zone with average regularity in time, as he'd shown that ability in his amateur and early pro days.

The size and building blocks are there for Lara to be a Major League starter, and it’s going to take time and innings for him to reach that ceiling. As he gains that experience, he could end up as just as an effective Major League pitcher as those ranked above him at the start of 2021.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

The Nationals viewed Lara as the top pitching prospect in the 2019-20 international class and made the Venezuelan right-hander their top target. Needless to say, the club was thrilled to land the promising hurler at the outset of the signing period, inking him for $1.25 million on July 2, 2019. Lara completed a basic throwing program after signing and then offered a glimpse of his high ceiling during the organization’s fall and Dominican instructional leagues.

Lara is physically advanced for his age, with a strong frame, long arms and good delivery that all bode well for his future development. His fastball can touch 95 mph and already hovers in the 92-94 mph range, with the potential for more velocity as he adds strength. Lara complements his fastball with a hard, slurvy breaking ball that should be at least above average, and he shows feel for turning over a promising changeup with sinking action. 

Beyond the quality of his stuff, Lara has some deception in his delivery and knows how to attack hitters with an aggressive approach. He also receives high marks for his competitiveness and edge on the mound. He’ll need time to learn how to harness his energy and power arm, but the final product could be that of a high-end big league starter. 

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/19/2024	Washington Nationals selected the contract of RHP Andry Lara from Harrisburg Senators.
	05/14/2024	RHP Andry Lara assigned to Harrisburg Senators from Wilmington Blue Rocks.
	05/14/2024	Harrisburg Senators activated RHP Andry Lara.
	03/07/2024	Washington Nationals Prospects activated RHP Andry Lara.
	04/06/2023	RHP Andry Lara assigned to Wilmington Blue Rocks from Fredericksburg Nationals.
	03/30/2022	RHP Andry Lara and assigned to Washington Nationals.
	09/07/2021	RHP Andry Lara assigned to Fredericksburg Nationals from FCL Nationals.
	06/28/2021	RHP Andry Lara assigned to FCL Nationals from DSL Nationals.
	04/25/2021	Nationals Organization activated RHP Andry Lara. ABS test.
	02/14/2020	RHP Andry Lara assigned to DSL Nationals.
	07/02/2019	Washington Nationals signed free agent RHP Andry Lara to a minor league contract.