The Harrisburg Senators are set to kick off their season in just two weeks and will take on the Altoona Curve in Altoona, Pa.
The Senators are the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals and are a great way to see rising MLB talent before they make it to the show. Notable alumni from the Senators include Vladimir Guerrero, Cliff Lee, Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper.
The Senators finished dead last in their conference last year with a record of 42 wins and 72 losses. It was a tough season for the team, but they do play in a competitive conference.
Altoona also struggled last year, but still was able to get 16 more wins than the Senators. Altoona came in second to last, so the Senators were far behind the rest of the field. But these two teams should make for a good opening day matchup.
The Senators currently have two major prospects in the Nationals organization, both of whom are young pros looking to make it all the way to the Nationals. Left-hand pitcher Matt Cornin played some of 2021 with the Senators and is expected to start the season as a relief pitcher, possibly even a closer. Cronin did have a high Earned Run Average of 5.56 while with the Senators but has an overall professional ERA of just 2.08. Cornin was the closer for the Arkansas Razorbacks and had 91 strikeouts,52 while in college. Cornin was drafted in the fourth round by the Nationals in 2019.
Additionally, the Senators’ shortstop Jackson Cluff is a top prospect in the organization. Cluff joined the Senators in 2019, but a thumb injury set him back nearly two years. He was sent down to the Single-A affiliate of the Nationals before rejoining the Senators in 2021. Cluff got off to a slow start in professional baseball, as he struggled in 2019, but bounced back last year and finished the season batting .214. Cluff is still only 25 and has lots of time to prove himself to the organization.
If you want to see the Senators in action, you’ll have to wait till April 12, when they host their home opener and take on the Portland Sea Dogs. The Sea Dogs finished second in their conference last year and are expected to be a strong team again this year. This series will be the Senators’ first big test of the season.
