Midseason Prospect Report Cards: A look at the first half of the Nats’ top-30 prospects

As we’ve hit the All-Star Break, I’m sure most readers have a pretty good idea of how the big league Nationals have fared this season. However, today I’m going to examine how each of the Nationals’ top-30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com, has performed this season. Of course in a few weeks, these rankings will change drastically after they reseed with the new draft prospects, graduations from prospects to rookies happen, and new evaluations move the player rankings around.

#1: Travis Sykora, RHP, Age: 21, Current Level: AA

Sykora has been the brightest spot in the Nationals’ farm system so far this season. The flame-throwing right-hander has overpowered hitters at three levels of the minors so far this year. After throwing 29.2 innings in High-A ball to a 1.21 ERA, he received the well-deserved promotion to Double-A Harrisburg, where he continued to overpower hitters in his first start but was done in by some walk troubles. A couple of weeks ago, he was pulled from his start in Harrisburg, and it was announced he’ll miss 2-3 weeks due to lower right tricep soreness. Assuming he’s back on the mound for Harrisburg in the next couple of weeks, it’ll be exciting to watch him get adjusted to the higher level of competition on his path to hopefully being the future ace of the Nationals.

#2: Jarlin Susana, RHP, Age: 21, Current Level: AA

This one is a little more perplexing. We haven’t seen the Nats’ other young flame thrower pitch since May 4th. Susana was placed on the 7-day IL back in May with a Grade 1 UCL sprain, and as we know, any injury to the UCL of a pitcher is a very scary situation. Luckily, the Nats believe he’s avoided any injury that requires Tommy John surgery, but have announced no firm timetable on when we can expect to see him again. Before the injury, he threw 26 innings in Double-A to a 4.15 ERA, but most notably, he had a much higher walk rate than last year in High-A. Hopefully his recovery process is swift and we can see him back on the mound before the end of the season.

#3: Brady House, 3B, Age: 22, Current Level: MLB

House, the long-awaited third baseman of the future for the Nationals, finally made his big league debut last month. After playing 65 games in Triple-A this season and putting up a .304 batting average with 13 home runs, he was brought up to the bigs, where, in 23 games, he’s hitting .258 with two homers and five doubles. House has been a breath of fresh air for the Nationals at third base, he’s displayed an excellent defensive game in his early big league days and this past Saturday we finally saw the power displayed, as he hit his first two major league homers in the same game against Milwaukee. If House continues to show growth and development at the big league level, he’ll go down as one of the brightest parts of this season.

#4: Seaver King, SS, Age: 22, Current Level: AA

The Nationals’ 2024 first-round pick is making steady progress up the organizational ladder. He started the season in High-A Wilmington, where he put up a .263 batting average and three home runs in 45 games before receiving the promotion to Harrisburg. In his first 33 games at Double-A, King has had some struggles, hitting just .228 with two home runs and just a .580 OPS. I think we knew the power may be the last part of his game to arrive, but thus far in Harrisburg, he’s not lived up to the first-round hype that some of the prospects taken around him have. I’m not by any means giving up on him, it’s way too early for that, but I was not a fan of the pick when it happened, and it’s one of those situations where I really want to be wrong. Hopefully King can find a groove in the second half and quiet those who doubt him.

#5: Alex Clemmey, LHP, Age: 19, Current Level: A+

Clemmey has been excellent this season in his first year of High-A ball, posting a 3.34 ERA thus far over 64.2 innings with Wilmington. Having watched a number of his starts, the stuff is very real, and the command has been much improved so far this season. Clemmey has shown that when he takes 1-2 ticks off of his fastball for an outing, he’s been much more effective in terms of strike throwing and though he’s pitching to more contact, he’s still averaging over a strikeout an inning. These signs of growth along with the fact he’s only 19, gives me a lot of hope for what’s to come for the top lefty in the Nats’ system.

#6: Luke Dickerson, SS, Age: 19, Current Level: A

The Nationals swung for the fences last season, taking Dickerson 44th overall in the draft right out of high school. Since then, he’s just begun his journey through the minor leagues but has shown signs of the promise that the Nationals’ front office saw when they took him. After starting the season in the FCL (Florida Complex League), he was quickly sent to Single-A Fredericksburg, where he’s played 47 games this season. It’s been a little bit of an adjustment period for Dickerson so far, as he’s hitting only .218, but has shown a real extra-base hit ability. Though he’s only homered twice, Dickerson’s 13 doubles and one triple have been a glimpse into the kind of hitter he could be once he gets adjusted to professional pitching.

#7: Cade Cavalli, RHP, Age: 26, Current Level: AAA

Folks, welcome to the biggest head scratcher in the Nats’ minor league system (with the possible exception of Elijah Green). Cavalli has long been viewed as the next starting pitcher to join the Nats’ rotation, but year after year, it just hasn’t happened. The major injury that held him out for so long has finally passed, but as Nats fans sit and wait to see him back in the majors, he’s having serious struggles in Triple-A Rochester. He’s had a golden opportunity to take the step and become a major leaguer this year; instead, he’s stuck with a 5.80 ERA in 49.2 innings in Rochester. The disappointing season has been characterized by major ups and major downs, but his time may come, whether he’s ready or not, with the fifth spot in the rotation being somewhat unclear as of right now.

#8: Caleb Lomavita, C, Age: 22, Current Level: A+

Lomavita was taken 39th overall in last year’s draft with the pick the Nats got from the Royals in the Hunter Harvey trade. It was a big step for the Nationals to try and address the catcher position, which may be the biggest weakness in the Nats’ organization. There’s a lot of hope that he could develop into the next big league catcher in DC, as a potential partner or replacement to Keibert Ruiz. In his first year of High-A ball, Lomavita has been excellent in 73 games with Wilmington. He’s posted a .281 batting average, paired with a .733 OPS and 18 extra-base hits over the first half of the season. The Nationals have been struggling to find big league depth at the catcher position for quite awhile, and while it may take Lomavita a few years to be ready, he’s the most promising solution the Nats have right now in their system.

#9: Daylen Lile, OF, Age: 22, Current Level: MLB

The Nats’ youth movement has hit the big league level, and Lile has been a major part of it. For all the hype that guys like Wood, Crews, House, and Hassell have had, Lile was seemingly flying under the radar throughout his tremendous minor league journey. Since getting his first chance at the big league level, Lile has hit .234 in 33 games with two home runs, while showing a very promising glove in right field. At one point in the recent weeks, his 14-game hitting streak was even the longest such streak in all the major leagues. He and Hassell were called up a day apart, with Lile remaining in the majors for now while Hassell was sent back to Rochester, but the question will be whether Lile can play well enough to get to stay in the bigs once Dylan Crews returns from injury and the Nats will have to send an outfielder down.

#10: Cayden Wallace, 3B, Age: 23, Current Level: AA

Wallace was acquired last season in the aforementioned Hunter Harvey trade, originally seen as a massive home run for the Nationals, and while it still could end up that way, Wallace has had his share of struggles since joining the Nats’ system. After struggling in his short stint with Harrisburg at the end of last season, those struggles have continued in his 73 games with them so far this season. Wallace is hitting just .208 with five home runs, 11 doubles, and three triples. The concerns over Wallace aren’t as loud as they’d be if it weren’t for Brady House being a pleasant surprise in his first month in the majors, as the Nats believe they may already have their third baseman of the future. It would still be a big disappointment if Wallace can’t find some consistency at the plate in the closing months of the season, tainting what was once seen as a major victory for the Nats’ front office.

#11: Robert Hassell III, OF, Age: 23, Current Level: 23

Hassell was given his first taste of big league baseball earlier this season, but after hitting just .218 in 21 games, he was sent back to Rochester in favor of fellow rookie Daylen Lile. Hassell showed promise in his short time in the majors, making some highlight reel plays in the field and showing a developing eye for major league pitching. In Triple-A this year, he’s hitting .291 with eight homers and 11 doubles, proving that he’s determined to make it hard on the Nats’ leadership to keep him from the big league squad. If he continues his excellent play in Rochester, it’ll be interesting to see if we get another look at him on the big stage this year.

#12: Yohandy Morales, 1B/3B, Age: 23, Current Level: AAA

Morales has been a top performer throughout the Nats’ minor league system in the two years since he was taken in the second round of the 2023 draft. The man seen by some as the first baseman of the future started this season in Double-A, where he played 33 games and hit a tremendous .315 with four home runs. That was enough to see him promoted to Triple-A Rochester, where his numbers haven’t yet been at the level he’s been at in other stops, but he has shown promise. In 41 games with Rochester, he’s hit .230 with five homers and an OPS of .699. The adjustment to Triple-A pitching can take a bit of time, so these numbers shouldn’t alarm anyone. If he can continue to progress at that level, we could potentially see Morales starting at first base for the Nationals as early as next season.

#13: Kevin Bazzell, C, Age: 22, Current Level: A

Bazzell was the second catcher taken by the Nationals in the first three rounds of last year’s draft, but unlike Caleb Lomavita, Bazzell has had quite the struggles in his first year of pro ball. He’s been in Fredericksburg for the entirety of the season, where he’s batting just .200 over 55 games with just six extra-base hits and a rough OPS of .538. The good news is he’s struck out only 18 times in 190 at-bats, but he’s also walked just four times. Bazzell appears to be putting the ball in play at a good rate, but just hasn’t found the solid contact or power that the Nats are hoping to see him develop. If he can turn it around and bring those numbers up in the second half of the season, it will be a big lift to the Nats’ future outlook of the catcher position.

#14: Tyler Stuart, RHP, Age: 25, Current Level: AA

Stuart was acquired at the trade deadline last season from the Mets in the deal for Jesse Winker. The 6’9 righty has a wide arsenal of weapons, which has made him an intriguing prospect for the Nationals’ future starting rotation. Last season he looked like the next guy up.

Unfortunately, this season hasn’t gone how he or the Nats have planned so far. Last season, he was promoted to Triple-A after throwing 21.2 innings with a 2.08 ERA in Harrisburg, but after struggling to finish the season strong in Rochester, he was assigned back to Harrisburg this year. He’s been slowed for a little bit of time by injury this season, and now his season is over with a 60-day IL stint. He hasn’t found the success he had last year at the Double-A level, going into the break with a 6.05 ERA in 19.1 innings so far in Harrisburg. As for the causes of this rut, it could be related to his injuries. His strikeout rate is down very significantly from what it was last season, and his walk rate has risen. One of those occurring can be quickly fixed, but having to deal with both of those issues can be really difficult, so let’s hope for a strong turnaround in his final months of this season.

#15: Angel Feliz, SS, Age: 18, Current Level: Rookie Ball (FCL)

Feliz was signed by the Nationals in January of 2024 and immediately placed in the Dominican Summer League, where he was a major standout across the 2024 season. His development was so encouraging, he was brought stateside this season to play in the FCL, the final level of rookie ball before a player goes off to Single-A. While his numbers this season aren’t at the level of what they were in the DSL, he’s still played a solid year, batting .269 in 48 games with a .723 OPS. The Nats are still waiting on the 18 year old to grow into a more powerful frame, which is sure to come with age, and the home runs (he hasn’t hit one yet in the FCL) are sure to follow. The way to overcome that lack of power? Be great at putting the ball in play and fast enough to wreak havoc on the base paths and that’s exactly what he’s done this year. A lot to look forward to with this young player, especially if he can find some power in his swing.

#16: Andry Lara, RHP, Age: 22, Current Level: MLB

Lara very recently made his major league debut, and in a very small sample size, has posted a 2.45 ERA over 3.2 innings so far in the bigs. His call-up to the majors was a bit of a head-scratcher for some, first off, since he’d been a starter for all of his minor league time, secondly because he’s been battling injury for a portion of this season, and thirdly because he’s struggled mightily in multiple levels of the minors this year. In a somewhat small sample size, his ERA in Double-A this year is above 10, and in 16.1 innings in Rochester, he’s posted a 10.47 ERA as well. So you can imagine the surprise when he stepped in and threw three nearly perfect innings in relief against the Tigers in his big league debut. Lara will likely be moved back to Triple-A in the coming weeks, where the hope is that he can return to the form he had last season in what was his breakout season for the Nats’ system.

#17: Jake Bennett, LHP, Age: 24, Current Level: A+

Bennett missed all of 2024 due to recovery from Tommy John surgery, but in his first season back, the lefty has been excellent. In 23.2 innings with High-A Wilmington this year, he’s sporting a 1.90 ERA and a WHIP of just 1.06. He’s a guy who the Nationals took in the second round of the 2022 draft, and has displayed tremendous control and above average strikeout stuff in his early professional experience. Time will tell if he can return fully to the version of himself he was before the surgery, but early returns have been great and he’s a guy we may potentially see in Harrisburg later this year. There’s a chance we could see a week where Harrisburg is trotting out a starting rotation of Travis Sykora, Jarlin Susana, Tyler Stuart, Jake Bennett, and Alex Clemmey later on this season. If anyone’s looking for a reason to visit Harrisburg, that would be one heck of a reason for you.

#18: Victor Hurtado, OF, Age: 18, Current Level: Rookie Ball (DSL)

Hurtado was signed with Angel Feliz in January of 2024, and while he hasn’t seen the immediate success that Feliz has, he’s shown signs of being another promising Dominican outfield prospect for the Nats’ organization. In 26 games with the DSL team this year, Hurtado has hit .231 with a .644 OPS. The strikeout rate has dropped severely from last season, and has been paired with a small rise in his walk rate, both good trends to have. The next step for Hurtado is going to be finding his power. In 26 games, he’s recorded just two extra-base hits so far this year, but as is the case with Feliz, the 18 year old will hopefully see an increase in power as his body develops.

#19: Brayan Cortesia, SS, Age: 17, Current Level: Rookie Ball (DSL)

Another intriguing prospect the Nats have down in the Dominican, Cortesia, has had an unbelievable start to his professional career this season. After signing with the Nats in January of this year, he’s played 16 games so far in the DSL and has a batting average of .386 with a .914 OPS, and 14 stolen bases. Similarly to the other two top Dominican prospects, his power hasn’t revealed itself yet, but that’s to be expected for this level of their development. Cortesia has made a case to possibly be the most promising prospect in the Nats’ Dominican program, and if he continues on this track, we could see him in the states as early as next season.

#20: Jackson Kent, LHP, Age: 22, Current Level: A+

The Nationals took Kent in the fourth round of last year’s draft, and in his first year of professional action, he’s had a very solid season in Wilmington. Kent did not pitch in the organization until this season, being skipped straight to High-A Wilmington, where so far this season he’s pitched 78.1 innings to a 4.14 ERA. His 84 strikeouts and 1.17 WHIP are very encouraging numbers for a young lefty in his first taste of pro ball. The key for him the rest of this season will be consistency. This is likely the most he’s ever thrown in a single season, so if he’s able to hang on and finish this season strong, it’ll be a great sign for his future as a potential back-end starter for the big squad.

#21: Marquis Grissom Jr., RHP, Age: 23, Current Level: AAA

The Nats have serious problems in their bullpen; that’s no secret. Here, we meet one of the guys who may end up being part of the solution to this issue. Grissom began this season in Double-A, where he dominated, earning him a quick promotion up to Triple-A Rochester. In 27.1 innings with Rochester, he’s had some struggles adjusting to the highest level of the minor leagues, posting a 5.93 ERA and allowing an opponents’ batting average of .245. Despite the rough beginning, he’s been much better recently, and has shown signs of beginning to understand how to be effective at this level. The hope for Grissom is that he continues to improve on those numbers with Rochester, and that he steps into the bullpen role with the big league squad in the next year or so. He was named to the All-Star Future’s game that was played on Saturday in Atlanta.

#22: Elijah Green, OF, Age: 21, Current Level: A

The fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft has had a very rough start to his career, and that’s putting it lightly. He began this season in High-A Wilmington, putting up a .171 batting average in 35 games, while striking out in over half of his at-bats. This caused the organization to send him to the FCL rookie ball league, where after a tough start, he turned around his play and hopefully gained enough confidence to go back into the system and perform. We’ll find out soon enough whether or not he’s turned a corner, as it was announced today by TalkNats that Green will be joining the Fredericksburg Single-A team this Friday and restarting his climb up the organizational ladder. I hate to say there’s not much hope for a prospect, especially one taken fifth overall, but he’s going to have to have one heck of a turnaround to reach even a fraction of what it was believed he could do on the day he was drafted.

#23: Andrew Pinckney, OF, Age: 24, Current Level: AAA

Pinckney has often been seen as the “other Rochester outfielder.” He’s shared the outfield with the likes of James Wood, Dylan Crews, Robert Hassell, and Daylen Lile over the past two seasons, leading a lot of people to overlook him. Pinckney, while flying under the radar, has had a solid year in Rochester. In 80 games so far this year, he’s batting .237 with nine home runs and 23 stolen bases, showcasing the power and speed that got him drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 draft out of Alabama. Pinckney will need to address the strikeout rate that has seen a rise this season, as well as the lack of extra-base hits, as he has just two doubles in 80 games this year. Should he continue to develop, he will make a very interesting piece to add into the Nationals’ very loaded pool of young outfielders.

#24: Cristhian Vaquero, OF, Age: 20, Current Level: A

Vaquero, entering his third season with Single-A Fredericksburg, is having his best season yet. Last year was a disastrous season for him at the plate, as he finished the season batting just .190 with a strikeout rate around 40%. In 78 games so far this year, he’s hitting .238 with six homers, ten doubles, and six triples, as well as a drastically lower strikeout rate. Something has definitely clicked for the 20 year old this season, and if he can keep that batting average up around .250, we could see him make the jump to High-A later in the year.

#25: Kevin Made, SS, Age: 22, Current Level: AA

The Jeimer Candelario trade that brought the Nats DJ Herz and Kevin Made has looked even better this season, as Made has developed into a very key piece for the Harrisburg lineup. In 41 games this season in Double-A, Made is batting .250 with a .633 OPS and a very low strikeout rate. In limited experience with Harrisburg last year, it was a very rough time for Made, but after starting him in Fredericksburg this season, he was promoted all the way to Double-A after a week. It’s unknown where Made factors into the Nats’ longterm plans, but they’ve already gotten hopefully a longterm contributor on the mound in DJ Herz from that trade, so anything they can get from Made would be a bonus.

#26: Sam Petersen, OF, Age: 22, Current Level: A+

Petersen was an eighth-round draft pick last season out of Iowa, and since then has been a very quick riser in the Nats’ system. He was brought up to Wilmington earlier this year after just two games in Fredericksburg, and there he’s hitting .267 in 30 games with three home runs and a .790 OPS. The Nats clearly thought they saw something during the scouting process last season, and the early returns are that they may have struck gold. If Petersen can continue the strong offensive pace he’s on, he could continue to be a fast riser in the minor league system and has a chance to work his way into the Nats’ longterm plans.

#27: Orlando Ribalta, RHP, Age: 27, Current Level: MLB

Ribalta turned heads last season after shooting through the Nats’ system at a remarkably fast pace, but couldn’t put it together when he got the opportunity at the big league level. This season has been a much different story, as he’s only thrown 9.2 innings across all levels this year, 7.2 of those coming at the big league level, where he’s pitched to a 5.87 ERA. He’s currently on a rehab assignment in the minors, he’s made two appearances in Harrisburg thus far, and we could see him back in the bigs in the next few weeks, rejoining a bullpen that’s limped its way through this season.

#28: Brenner Cox, OF, Age: 21, Current Level: A+

Cox has gotten his first taste of High-A ball this season and has not had a good experience so far. In 44 games with Wilmington, he’s batting just .132 with an almost impressively bad OPS of .389. His whole professional career has been scarred by alarmingly high strikeout rates; this season has been no different. Looking at his numbers on the season, it’s hard to find a bright spot in his offensive performance this year. With a couple of outfielders contending to make the jump from Fredericksburg to Wilmington soon, as well as the new batch of draftees hopefully entering the system soon, Cox will need to find some answers to his play soon.

#29: Sir Jamison Jones, C, Age: 19, Current Level: Rookie ball (FCL)

The name of the year award for the Nationals’ minor league system has been decided. Nobody’s getting close to this guy. The third catcher to be taken by the Nationals in last year’s draft began his pro career this season in the FCL, where he’s put up a .250 batting average in 36 games, to go with four home runs and a .794 OPS. For a guy taken out of high school in the 15th round, this is a very encouraging start to a career, and we could see him transferred to Fredericksburg soon if he keeps up this success.

#30: Daniel Hernandez, C, Age: 17, Current Level: Rookie Ball (DSL)

The 17 year old from Venezuela is in the DSL. His $1.1 million signing bonus was second among all international signees by the Nationals this past year, and second among all international catchers. New to the position, Hernandez recently converted to catching from the infield where he played mostly growing up. The hitting ability from the left side was the catalyst in the Nats’ decision to pay him such a bonus, and he should be exciting to follow once he starts playing games in the Dominican.

Other prospects to watch:

Triple-A Rochester: Nick Schnell (outfielder), Jackson Cluff (shortstop), Bryce Conley (starting pitcher), Holden Powell (relief pitcher)

Double-A Harrisburg: Murphy Stehly (third baseman), Phillip Glasser (outfielder), JT Arruda (second baseman), Kyle Luckham (starting pitcher), Riley Cornelio (starting pitcher), Garrett Davila (relief pitcher), Junior Santos (relief pitcher), Chance Huff (relief pitcher), Thomas Schultz (relief pitcher), Michael Cuevas (relief pitcher), Erick Mejia (relief pitcher), Daison Acosta (relief pitcher)