Nationals’ Lucas Giolito targets making the major leagues this season

VIERA, Fla. — Lucas Giolito had a story for a man who has a story for everything.

When Giolito was around 4 or 5 years old, he met Dusty Baker. Giolito’s father was working for Electronic Arts at the time. The company was collaborating with Baker. Little Lucas, far from the 6-foot-6 elite pitching prospect he is now, provided a past with the man who could be his first manager in the major leagues.

Baker meets a lot of people. A day after Baker’s son asked if he had met Giolito yet, the manager and prospect were introduced. Giolito told Baker his tale, hopeful he would remember him. He didn’t. That was a long time ago.

“You start feeling old after a while,” Baker said. “He [was] 6 years old, now he’s 6-6.”

Giolito, ranked No. 5 in Baseball America’s list of the top 100 prospects in minor league baseball, is in his first big-league camp. The Washington Nationals invited him to Viera this spring to get a sense of how things operate at the highest level.

Washington is still protective of the 21-year-old who had Tommy John surgery in 2012. He was limited to 117 innings pitched last season. That number should grow this summer, most likely in the minors. Something dramatic would have to happen for Giolito to break camp with the Nationals.

So, he’s using the six weeks with the big club to absorb coaching and what veterans can show him.

“I’m going to try to be a little bit of a fly on the wall,” Giolito said. “Just keep my ears open. I don’t want to annoy anybody.”

His fastball command is a priority. Giolito said he wants to work both sides of the plate for better fastball strikes. He felt his mid-90s fastball was left over the middle too often last season.

Giolito arrived a few days earlier to become acclimated. He settled into his apartment and was dressed Saturday morning, the first day of official workouts, almost too soon. He huddled with teammates, then waited by his locker, letting the clock head toward the start of his first big league camp.

Giolito said he was excited as opposed to nervous. His end game for this year was clear.

“My goal is to definitely reach the big leagues,” Giolito said. “There’s certain aspects — baseball’s a business. At the same time, I feel like if I continue to progress the way I want to, then I’ll have a good shot.”