In about a weeks' time on September 1, MLB rosters will expand. "September Call-Ups" allow teams to add two more players to their active roster -- allowing teams to carry 28 players for the final month of the regular season.
Washington finds themselves in a weird spot. After a major shuffle at the trade deadline, expectations for the second half of Washington's season very quickly changed. What looked like a rebuild running far ahead of schedule all came crashing down, as Washington prioritized the future and traded MLB-quality talent.
Now, with only a month of games left, the Nationals are 7 games back of the final wild card. While possible, it seems highly likely that they'll be watching playoff baseball from home this year. Again.
A few months ago, the Nationals (and their fans) probably would have been looking to September call-ups for players who could help them win, and compete for a post-season berth. Now, next month's roster expansion will probably serve more as an audition for players on the edge of breaking into the major leagues with Washington.
Seaver King
Washington's 2024 first-round pick, Seaver King, has been the talk of the town recently. Ever since Blake Butera announced that CJ Abrams would be transitioning to second-base for the rest of the season, attention immediately focused in on Seaver King -- for good reason.
King, the starting shortstop for the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, seemed to be the obvious answer to get the call-up to the majors to take Abrams' spot at shortstop. And while Nasim Nunez projects to be the first National to appear at the position while Abrams remains in the lineup, don't rule out King just yet.
In 49 appearances for Rochester this season, King is batting .320, has hit 13 home runs, and boasts a .567 slugging percentage. He's appeared at shortstop in all but eight of those starts, and his .982 fielding percentage at the most important position shows that he could solve the very problem that caused Abrams to be moved in the first place.
I firmly believe that King will debut for the Nationals this year. This is the time to do so -- if Paul Toboni and Blake Butera have decided to audition Abrams elsewhere, allowing for a more traditional defensive shortstop to play their natural position, there is no better time for King than now.
With Eli Willits climbing the minor league ladder (yet still quite a ways away), Washington would be smart to give King his opportunity -- maybe beyond just this September.
Luis Perales
This is certainly not the first time I've mentioned Luis Perales as a candidate to be called-up to the major leagues this season. Acquired from the Red Sox in the Jake Bennett trade, Perales has been solid in his first season with the Nationals organization. In the fallout after the trade deadline, with Zack Littell's designation for assignment, and Miles Mikolas subsequently joining them, it was time for a young minor league arm to make their debut.
It came down to two names in Triple-A: Luis Perales and Jackson Kent, Kent getting the nod. Through two starts, he's shown flashes of potential, and also areas for improvement. The good news? Kent is averaging 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings, a very respectable number for a 23 year old. The problem? He's given more up walks than innings he's pitched in. Control is issue for Kent.
Could it be, that if Kent continues to struggle, Perales gets the call to join the Nationals rotation, or even the bullpen? The Venezuelan right-hander has made just shy of 20 starts at Triple-A this season, and has averaged a 3.72 ERA, striking out batters at a pace of one per inning.
Perales also projects to be successful at keeping the ball in the yard, which is something the Nationals have certainly struggled with. Allowing just 1.0 K/9, that skill could help Perales solidify his case to remain in the big leagues.
Who will it be?
If the Nationals could have continued their play of June into July and August, we might be having a different conversation: using their September call-up spots on relievers who have major league experience, who were only down at Triple-A for a tune-up, or to get their "stuff" right. But, I'm not sure that will be Washington's direction anymore.
King and Perales are Washington's only two prospects in their top-25 to be playing at Triple-A, and have yet to debut. While the Nationals' season has gone awry, there is still great opportunities to be had for young minor leaguers trying to find their way into consistent time at the major leagues. I think this may be the time for King and Perales to break through.
How do you think will join Washington's squad when rosters expand to 28 on September 1?
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