Whether he has allegiance to the Mets, Phillies or Yankees, or another team, Princeton, New Jersey native Eric Arnesen won't say. He's just that polite.
But to look at him, you'd be pretty intimidated.
At 6'3, his size belies his warm and enthusiastic personality.
His growth on the mound is evident this season. He's 6-5 with a 3.48 ERA. Though his base on balls percentage is a bit high (he's walked 22) he leads the team in strikeouts with 74.
"I used to throw a curveball, a slider and a changeup, he said. "Now I'm throwing a fastball, a hard breaking ball and a cutter. Continuing to develop control has made me more effective."
When asked if mixing up his pitches is something he feels he's gotten better at, he's confident.
"I'm comfortable throwing all my pitches, in pretty much any count."
Catcher Luke Montz who's spending his first season catching Arnesen, sees his strengths and weaknesses.
"He attacks the strike zone," Montz said. "He has that goal mentality on the mound. He can make better quality pitches when he's ahead of batters, is really the main thing he needs to work on."
Being a part of the Eastern League, Arnesen's able to enjoy the closeness of kin.
" This is a place I used come and watch games," he said before Sunday's game at Waterfront Park. "It's great to be in this area playing. My friends come up, my family comes to see me play. I grew up just a little north of here. The chaplain here is actually a guy that went to church with me growing up."
Playing affiliated ball for a team that is reestablishing itself and trying to grow still, is a good source of fuel for the 25 year old righty.
"They want to be a winning organization," he said of the Nats. "They're taking those steps, but it's a growing process. It's definitely something I'd like to be a part of."
Back to that allegiance thing (to which he laughed and responded, "I'm not sure I'm allowed to say."): is it possible that where he came to see games is a hint?