James Wood, CJ Abrams, Mackenzie Gore are all the very clear pieces of the future. Despite injury, Dylan Crews will also be a part though more reps are going to be needed in the last 60 games. The Nationals youth runs very deep and some guys are shaping up to have starting spots with the team in the near future. Adding depth will be vital and guys like Brad Lord, Brady House, and Yohandy Morales will be providing just that.
Brad Lord
Brad Lord has recently re-gained a spot in the starting rotation. Fans have been calling for this to happen, and it has come around post-All Star break.
Lord has played in 29 games as a reliever this season, marking up a very impressive 2.79 ERA. When he has started (7 games), Lord has a quality 4.15 ERA (3.59 FIP) while having the lowest HR rate on the team, and by far - 0.59 HR/9 . For a rookie, Brad has provided great value to this team wherever he has been asked. Lord still has quite some time before he hits arbitration, and he will absolutely be a starter next season.
Brady House
Amongst many roster moves made by the Nationals brass this season, Brady House was one to get called up to the major league squad. Though he has progression to do, he has played 28 games with a some notable stat lines, including a .279 Average, 3.4 BB% (3rd lowest on team, Min 50 AB), and a .341 BABIP (3rd on the team).
A rookie himself, House will look to progress much as a player. Per his scouting report, House commands a "90th-percentile exit velocity". A pure power hitter, House brings some concern with his ability to hit for contact and get on base. Aside, he is playing quality baseball in the majors thus far. It will be up to his determination and the coaching staff to continue to grow his skillset. The final stretch of the season is all maintenance for the Nats.
Yohandy Morales
Fans are crying out for Yohandy Morales to get called up to the majors, and with good reason. Morales is not due up until 2026 but forget that. Washington is not going to make playing playoff baseball and while Morales is in Triple-A, he might as well get some major league playing time.
Yohandy Morales hit his 4th home run in his last 7 games on Friday night. Over his last 8 games, he is:
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) July 19, 2025
.406 AVG (13-for-32)
.459 OBP (4 BB)
.844 SLG (2 2B, 4 HR)
12 RBI
SB
7 R pic.twitter.com/XZ0yvTfGvO
Yohandy is red-hot in the minors. He was called up to Triple-A earlier this year after cruising through Double-A with a .315 average and an .886 OPS. Though he struggled at first, Yohandy Morales is red hot in Rochester. He will surely be a reliable player in the MLB when his time comes and the Nationals will be eager to use him as a hybrid-infielder.
Who else are you excited to see as 2026 comes around? Should we look towards any additional names to be key 2026 pieces? Let me know on X @jetbets17