With the Nationals firmly in the mix for competition as we move towards the playoffs, Paul Toboni has quietly assembled a fun and exciting lineup of minor leaguers who will soon be ready to take the next step and help Washington at the big league level.
Even though Washington's success has primarily been driven by young stars James Wood and CJ Abrams, it's important to continue fortifying your farm system; and in a couple of offseason trades Toboni did just that.
Here are three minor leaguers that could be on their way to the "big club" sooner rather than later, ready to contribute to winning in D.C..
1. Seaver King
Mike Rizzo's final first-round selection with Washington, infielder Seaver King was initially heralded as another bust of a selection from Rizzo. King started out slow in his first full professional season in 2025, but burst out of the gates fast in 2026, already reaching Triple-A Rochester at just 23 years old.
In 35 appearances for Double-A to begin the season, King batted .336, and tallied 46 hits -- more than almost 1.3 hits per game; and 5 homers. Upon his arrival to Rochester, he has not slowed down:
he's batting .346 and has 9 hits in 7 games.
King's scorching offensive start might force Paul Toboni into a decision to promote him to the major leagues. King has played the majority of his 2026 games at shortstop, a position already occupied by CJ Abrams, who is not going anywhere anytime soon. He has seen action at second base too, which could be his position if promoted to the majors, replacing Nasim Nuñez.
Once declared a "bust", Seaver King has flipped that narrative upside down, and could see action in Navy Yard before the season ends.
2. Luis Perales
Acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Jake Bennett trade, Luis Perales has been a welcomed addition to the Nationals farm system. Though currently on the 7-day injured list in Rochester, Perales has turned in a noticeable start in AAA. Even though he holds a 1-4 record, he's recorded a 3.31 ERA, 26 strikeouts, a strong 5.9 hits per nine, and a solid 1.0 HR/9.
While those numbers do not jump off the page, it's important to take into consideration the fact that Perales only made 12 appearances in all of 2024 and 2025, as he recovered from a UCL surgery on his elbow.
Maybe Washington could prefer to give him much more time in the minor leagues to solidify his skills in AAA before promoting him to the majors. After all, he only has eleven appearances between Worcester (2) and Rochester (9).
If Washington's major league pitching staff continues to struggle, or goes through some personnel changes before the year is out, Perales might hear his name called to debut in the majors as the Nationals look to continue winning, and push for the postseason.
Honorable Mention: Devin Fitz-Gerald
Before we get to the third and final name on this list, I wanted to give a nod to Washington's #5 prospect and recent MLB Pipeline Top 100 Prospect addition Devin Fitz-Gerald. "DFG", as Washington fans have nicknamed him, has gotten off to a powerful starts, collecting 50 hits (12 homers) in 43 games, boasting a .294 average. Fitz-Gerald is only in High-A; he very likely won't see the majors this year.
With that said, I'd expect him to be a significant riser through the farm system -- if Fitz-Gerald can keep hitting for power while keeping his strikeout numbers manageable, he could jump through Double-A quickly, maybe even reaching Triple-A this year.
If Fitz-Gerald can accomplish that, he may be a early candidate for a promotion next season, or make a lot of noise at Spring Training in 2027, and force a decision soon.
3. Jackson Kent
Jackson Kent carries a four pitch mix, with a 60-grade changeup, a 55-grade fastball, along with a slider and a curve. A 6-3 lefty from Illinois, Kent has already registered a solid start to his 2026 campaign. In 7 appearances for Double-A Harrisburg, Kent has earned a 2.35 ERA, with a strong hits per nine (5.6), home runs per nine (0.9) and an impressive 11.2 strikeouts per nine.
Like Perales, Washington might choose to let the 23-year-old Kent solidify himself as a consistent Triple-A arm; after all, he does only have one start in Rochester so far. But, five scoreless innings in his debut is certainly encouraging -- he'll be due for his next start soon.
Also similar to Luis Perales' situation, the Nationals may have to call on minor league arms if: personnel changes to current pitching staff leave spots open, or the major league rotation and bullpen struggle heavily, and the Nationals fall out of the race for the postseason.
Washington's success this year can clearly be attributed to the offense, still at the top of the leaderboard for runs scored this season. While there have been some bright spots from the Nationals arms, names like Cade Cavalli, Foster Griffin, Richard Lovelady and Orlando Ribalta, the rest still struggle. And if arms go cold and the Nats start to fall out of contention? I believe Toboni could make a call to the minors.
So...who gets the call first?
My wager would be between King or Perales. If the Nationals arms struggle, and get offensive production from their infield, you may lean Perales. If big leagues arms can stabilize, and
Nasim Nuñez or other infielders struggle, King may come up first.
Regardless, the Nationals are already loaded with young talent, both in the majors and minors. Washington baseball fans are in for a fun summer!
(follow me on X, @andrewpindc)
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