The Washington Nationals organization made a statement at the trade deadline. They showed the fans that the team is set on the future. The short-term promise seen over the first two-thirds of the season has been great, but the long-term plan is what matters most. With that in mind, Paul Toboni sold off Luis Garcia Jr., Foster Griffin, and Curtis Mead.
The focus is on figuring out the future of this team heading into 2026. The Nationals are still definitely not out of the playoff race, being 56-61 and 6.0 games out of the NL Wild Card as of August 7. Nonetheless, they are deemed longshots. Vegas odds show the Nationals as 40-1 to make the postseason.
What this all really means is that it is time for some prospects to be the call-up to the majors. Who might have that honor? Two pitchers and one ahead-of-schedule hitter.
LHP Jackson Kent
A Kent debut appears imminent rather than hopeful. The pitcher is due up in 2027, but as we all know, if a player is seemingly 'ready ' and the team has little to lose in a fading season, that player will get his chance.
Kent is 8th in MLB.com's Nationals farm system rankings. He has 13 starts this season for Triple-A Rochester. In those starts, Kent is 8-3 with a 4.38 ERA. However, his recent output is better than the raw ERA shows.
3 starts in particular have derailed this ERA of Kent's, which are of low concern to us. Kent's first bad start dates back to his second Triple-A game in May, when he allowed 7 earned runs to the Syracuse Mets. He then allowed 8 earned runs on July 9 to the Worcester Red Sox. Since then, Kent has allowed 7 earned runs across his last 4 starts (20.2 innings).
The Nationals currently have a 4-man rotation listed on their depth chart. They need a man to step in, and while Trevor Williams has been a rumor, the team may be smarter to test a young rising star like Kent.
RHP Luis Perales
Like Kent, Perales is pitching in Triple-A Rochester. Unlike Kent, Perales is due up in 2026. The 23-year-old right-hander is on schedule, and his call-up may be imminent as the team requires more pitching depth.
Perales' entire season has been with Triple-A Rochester following his December move from the Red Sox organization to the Nationals.
Across 17 starts and 20 total games played, Perales has a 5- 5 record. He has a 3.44 ERA. Perales' recent output is especially spectacular, featuring 6 straight starts with no more than 2 earned runs and 6 total earned runs in that entire 28.2-inning span.
If either pitcher is ready, Perales probably should have the nod ahead of Kent. Nonetheless, the Nationals are increasingly likely to give both 23-year-old prospects their major league debut any day now.
SS Seaver King
Earlier this season, King was highlighted as a longshot call-up candidate. Fast forward to early August, and like magic, King's call-up is being considered. While less likely than Kent or Perales, he is probably about a coin toss in his chances of gaining that phone call from Blake Butera.
If King did get the call-up, the main issue would revolve around his playing position. Of course, King does not get to play shortstop ahead of CJ Abrams. The likely outcome is that King puts Nasim Nunez on the bench temporarily, as King would play second base.
As good as Nunez's baseunning and fielding has been this season, he has a very lacking 71 wRC+.
The 23-year-old King is on an MLB.com timeline for a 2027 call-up as the #74 prospect in the sport. However, he plays in Triple-A Rochester and has output worth the while. King has a .277 batting average and .793 OPS on the season. His wRC+ is a stellar 135.
A call-up of King would not happen right away. However, it is certainly within the range of outcomes. This will be a possibility to monitor down the stretch of the Nationals' tilting season.
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