Wild Things sign first baseman

With Mark Samuelson having recently retired after two seasons with the Wild Things, Washington has been in the market for a first baseman for the 2014 season.

The Wild Things might have found their replacement for Samuelson in William Beckwith , who has signed with the Frontier League team after playing four seasons in the Atlanta Braves’ system.

Beckwith, 23, was drafted by the Braves in the 21st round in 2010 out of Walters State Community College. With Atlanta, the 6-2, 220-pound Crawford, Miss., native reached the high-Class A level, playing last season with Lynchburg of the Carolina League.

He has played in 238 minor-league games over the four seasons, hitting 37 home runs and driving in 171 runs. Beckwith’s best season was 2012, when he played for Rome (Ga.) in the low-Class A South Atlantic League. He batted .291 with 15 home runs, 78 RBI and 19 stolen bases.