Photo by Sol Tucker/TalkNats

The third annual MLB Spring Breakout is a 4-day, 16-game showcase event (March 19-22, 2026) featuring top prospects from all 30 MLB organizations. It showcases future stars, including many from the Top-100 Prospects list in games played at Spring Training stadiums. Starting in 2027, the event will transition into a single-elimination tournament.

This year’s Spring Breakout game for the Washington Nationals will be played on March 19. The roster will feature many of the organization’s star prospects who have been cleared as “healthy” to play. The Nationals will play the Cardinals for their Spring Breakout game since they are close in travel time.

You won’t see fireballers Alejandro Rosario, Jarlin Susana, or Travis Sykora in this showcase game because they weren’t medically cleared to play. However you should see several of the young prospect stars.

In fact, 27 of the Nats’ Top 30 Prospects are a part of the team’s preliminary roster for the showcase game. So the three players not medically cleared to play are the only ones of the Top-30 prospects not on the roster. Of note, that preliminary roster of 40, which includes 13 prospects (unranked), will be pared down to a final roster of a maximum of 27 players on March 18.

Recently, several of the top prospects have made cameos in Spring Training games. And this Spring Breakout game is where they can play against their peer group instead of facing a Double-A hopeful with three years of post-college experience.

Below is the current preliminary roster for the Washington Nationals for the Spring Breakout game:

Teams initially submit their preliminary 40-man player pool on Thursday, March 5. What jumps off the page is that Harry Ford, who has MLB experience, is on the roster. Abimelec Ortiz is also on the roster. Expect that both won’t be on the final roster. That would mean at least another 11 names would come off that roster to finalize it at 27 players.

Preliminary 40-man player pool (Nationals Top 30 Prospects list):

PITCHERS:
Alex Clemmey, LHP, (No. 11)
Riley Cornelio, RHP, NR (Not ranked)
Jose Feliz, RHP, NR
Davian Garcia, RHP, NR
Landon Harmon, RHP, (No. 10)
Jackson Kent, LHP, (No. 14)
Darrel Lunar, RHP, NR
Isaac Lyon, RHP, NR
Erick Mejia, RHP, NR
Sean Paul Liñan, RHP, (No. 27)
Luis Perales, RHP, (No. 6)
Josh Randall, RHP, NR
Miguel Sime Jr., RHP, (No. 16)
Jared Simpson, LHP, NR
Eriq Swan, RHP, (No. 26)
Yoel Tejeda Jr., RHP, (No. 13)
Erik Tolman, LHP, NR

CATCHERS:
Kevin Bazzell, C, NR
Harry Ford, C, (No. 3/MLB Top-100 No. 71)
Caleb Lomavita, C, No. 28

INFIELDERS:
Sam Brown, 1B, NR
Brayan Cortesia, INF, NR
Ronny Cruz, SS, (No. 25)
Luke Dickerson, SS, (No. 8)
Angel Feliz, SS, (No. 23)
Gavin Fien, SS, (No. 5)
Devin Fitz-Gerald, INF, (No. 9)
Marconi German, SS/2B, (No. 21)
Coy James, SS, (No. 17)
Seaver King, SS, (No. 7)
Yohandy Morales, 1B/3B, (No. 29)
Abimelec Ortiz, 1B/OF, (No. 24)
Eli Willits, SS, (No. 1/MLB Top-100 No. 13)

OUTFIELDERS:
Yeremy Cabrera, OF, (No. 20)
Nauris De La Cruz, OF, (No. 30)
Christian Franklin, OF, (No. 18)
Phillip Glasser, OF, NR
Sam Petersen, OF, (No. 22)
Ethan Petry, OF, (No. 12)
Andrew Pinckney, OF, (No. 19)

One week from today you will see the final roster. One week from tomorrow is the actual game with first pitch at 4:30 pm ET from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. TalkNats will have a representative and photographer at the game. This game is televised and on radio.

Many of the prospects you know. Some you haven’t seen play in a Nats’ uni, like Landon Harmon and Coy James. There are several players who have been acquired from other teams such as Ronny Cruz (acquired last year in the Mike Soroka trade), and Gavin Fien, Devin Fitz-Gerald, and Yeremy Cabrera (acquired from the MacKenzie Gore trade). Plus there are players like Marconi German and Brayan Cortesia who only played last year in the Dominican Summer League.

This is their chance to shine. Here is an opportunity to listen to Paul Toboni who mentioned Cruz and German as names you might not know but should know: