Washington Nationals baseball is almost back. They are currently a just week away from pitchers and catchers reporting to West Palm Beach, Florida, and speculation about how the roster will look before the regular season kicks off has already begun. There are definitely going to be some interesting storylines to watch for in Spring Training concerning the Nationals, whether it is the construction of the starting rotation, who wins the closer job, and if Jose Tena can firmly grasp the third base job.
While we will certainly be covering those in real time as they unfold, for this article I wanted to try to predict a couple of Nationals prospects that are likely to be on the roster bubble, and could have a legitimate chance to make the club with a great performance in West Palm. An incredible 17 of the Nationals' Top 30 Prospects from the end of last season will be in Spring Training with the big league club, and perhaps a few of them can find their way onto the MLB roster for Opening Day.
Will: Dylan Crews
This one is a bit of layup, as Crews, who already made his first appearance in the big leagues should be penciled in as the Nationals' starting right fielder come Opening Day. While the Nationals have a ton of prospect talent that will be in West Palm, Crews is one guy on the list who is basically 100% guaranteed to make the big league roster, barring injury.
There should be a couple of bullpen arms that make the team as well like Zach Brzykcy, Evan Reifert, and Orlando Ribalta, but even those spots are not locks due to the team's surplus of starting pitchers, which could force a starter or two to move to the bullpen.
If I was to make one sneaky pick to make the roster instead of going with the one prospect that I know is a lock to make the team, I would keep an eye out on Robert Hassell III (WSH #13 in 2024), who I truly believe could supplant Jacob Young as the team's other outfielder alongside James Wood and Crews. He seems to finally be healthy following some nagging wrist and hand injuries that seemingly sapped his ability to hit for power, but he raked in the Arizona Fall League and could parlay that into winning an outfield spot in Spring Training. An outfield of Wood, Crews, and Hassell III has been the long-term vision for the team's outfield of the future, and I think it could come at some point this season. Given that he is already on the 40-man roster, his big league debut is coming sooner versus later, at the bare minimum.
Will Not: Brady House, Cade Cavalli
Regardless of how you feel about José Tena at this point, in all likelihood he is going to be the starting third baseman of the Nationals on Opening Day. He is young and has a bat with some legitimate upside, although his defense certainly leaves a lot to be desired. I think he can be a solid player for the Nats moving forward, and I will be interested to see how he fares in his first time being a true starter at the big league level.
I like Tena a lot, and I am definitely a believer in his upside, but I am still unsure of whether or not he can fend off Brady House (WSH #4 prospect - updated 2025) as the long-term solution at third base. While I have been a big advocate for the Nationals signing Alex Bregman this offseason, it appears as if that ship has sailed (although he remains unsigned), and it should be House's job to lose in the long run.
However, I do not believe that House is ready for the majors yet, as there are some obvious holes to his game that need refinement before exposing him to big league pitching. Couple that with the fact that his numbers last year between AA Harrisburg and AAA Rochester were nothing spectacular for a prospect of his caliber, and it is easy to see why he was not named to the updated Top 100 Prospects list along with a few other future Nats. I would expect to see House called up at some point this year, but it might not be until the summer or closer to September, where he can get a cup of coffee and retain his rookie status just like Crews did last year.
My other notable prospect who will not make the big league club is Cade Cavalli (WSH #8 prospect in 2024). Honestly, this one hurts me as I am a huge believer in Cavalli, but there is simply no room for him on the roster at this point in time. As a guy who is coming off some major injuries and is still working his way back into game shape, I think it would be valuable for Cavalli to build his innings back up down in the minors before being thrust back into MLB action.
As much as I hate to say it, with his current injury concerns, I truly wonder if a move to the bullpen could be in his best interests to preserve his long-term future, as his fastball would definitely play if he was to become this team's closer of the future. As with any pitcher, though, you have to give him the chance to be a starter for as long as possible, but given that the team has MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Trevor Williams, Michael Soroka, Shinnosuke Ogasawara, Mitchell Parker, and DJ Herz all competing for rotation spots, it appears as if Cavalli has been passed up at this time.
I do believe that he will be a capable big leaguer if and when he gets an opportunity to prove it at the MLB level on a consistent basis, but now he will have to prove he deserves another shot while holding off other pitchers who are on the cusp of the show as well in Brad Lord (WSH #30 in 2024) and Andry Lara (WSH #17 in 2024), among others. I will not give up hope on Cavalli given how much I think his stuff will play at the highest level, but he is definitely going to have to battle to get back on the radar this season.
Do you agree with my predictions? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.