Another Tomlin in Washington Nationals’ system... Quade Tomlin follows in father’s footsteps

WASHINGTON – Quade Tomlin was just seven years old when his father, Randy, began the 2009 season as the pitching coach for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators.

The younger Tomlin and his siblings would spend some of the summer taking in games at City Island – the Eastern League home of the Nationals’ affiliate – and that continued through the 2011 season as the elder Tomlin was a pitching coach in Washington’s system.

Now Quade Tomlin, 18, hopes to eventually work his way up the Nationals’ minor league ladder as a player.

The infielder from Lynchburg, Virginia was signed as a non-drafted free agent this summer as he turned down a chance to play in college at Division I Liberty in his hometown.

“A young, lefty-hitting infielder from a family we know well,” Mark Scialabba, assistant general manager, player development, told Federal Baseball.

“Our scouts stayed in touch with him.”

Tomlin was signed by Bobby Myrick, a long-time Washington scout based in Colonial Heights, Virginia.

“Another player we are thrilled with. He is a high school sign with an upside. He has a knack for hitting,” Scialabba noted. “It was difficult to sign high school kids” this year.

The MLB draft was just five rounds this year after going 40 in 2019.

The pandemic cut short the 2020 college and high school season and could have an impact on the colleges and minor leagues in 2021 as well.

Randy Tomlin was born in Maryland, grew up near Lynchburg and was drafted by the Pirates out of Liberty University in 1988.

The lefty (30-31, 3.43 career mark) pitched for Pittsburgh from 1990-94, was a pitching coach at Single-A Potomac and Harrisburg and is now a high school baseball coach in Virginia at Lynchburg Christian Academy – where Quade played for his father.