This Under-the-Radar Nationals Pitcher Could Push for Opening Day Roster Spot

He highlighted how Cornelio seems to be following down the path laid out by Brad Lord last year, who came into camp with a higher rate of velocity and ultimately couldn't be denied from being given a place on the big league roster.

"This story really is so similar to Brad Lord. Both came into camp coming off breakout years, but were on the outside looking in. Last year Lord showed up with better stuff and won a roster spot. Based on his first outing, it looks like Cornelio could do the same," Sallick wrote.

Cornelio, a seventh-round pick of the 2022 draft, has had one outing this spring. He pitched two innings where he gave up just one hit and struck out three. While this is still a preseason period and is nothing to write home about from an overall results standpoint, what has stood out regarding his profile is that his fastball sat in the mid-to-upper 90 mph range.

Adding that velocity to his heater is important for Cornelio. His best pitch is his slider, which generated five whiffs during that outing. Speeding up opposing hitters before dropping the off-speed pitch will only help him become an effective major league arm.

What role he'll have in the bigs when that time comes is anyone's guess, though. Washington has brought him up the ranks as a starter, with 74 of his 75 minor league appearances being in that capacity. He's produced a 4.46 ERA in that role, but there is an argument to be made that he's better suited for the bullpen.

If he's going to make this year's Opening Day roster, then it'll likely come as a reliever. The Nationals need relief arms, and if Cornelio can continue this level of production, then it'll be hard to not give him a spot.