While the Washington Nationals are currently in the midst of a 3-game winning streak at the big league level, their minor league affiliates have not been so lucky. The performance across the system so far through just a handful of games has been pretty abysmal from a record standpoint, but there are some players who have stuck out more than others thus far.
Luckily for the Nationals, a few of their very important prospects are off to a scorching start out of the gate, and we will take a look at their performances so far.
Brady House
The first guy I wanted to touch on here is the Nationals' #3 prospect, third baseman Brady House. After putting together a solid performance in his limited action in spring training, it appears as if the presumed man for the future at the hot corner is putting it all together.
He is off to a blistering start in AAA with the Rochester Red Wings coming into play on Tuesday night, with a .367/.424/.600 slash line that includes a homer and 6 RBIs in 8 games. He also has a 3:7 BB:K ratio in 33 at-bats, which is not bad at all considering the prior concerns with his swing-and-miss.
I believe he is on course to debut in the 2025 season, and if all goes well, once he gets brought up, third base will finally be solidified long-term, for a club that has had a revolving door at the position since the departure of Anthony Rendon.
Jarlin Susana
The second player that must be highlighted is #2 Nationals prospect Jarlin Susana, who was pretty awesome in his debut for the AA Harrisburg Senators over the weekend. Working as a starter, he allowed just 1 earned run over 4.0 innings, and struck out 7 while walking a pair. The key for Susana is going to be to continue harnessing his control, as we all got a glimpse of how great his stuff can play against big league competition in spring training.
I am very excited for Susana as he continues to develop over the 2025 season in the minors, and I think if he keeps going at this rate he is going to give himself a chance to break camp in the rotation in 2026. His stuff is arguably the best in the minors, and he is one of the higher-upside prospects in all of baseball. Keep an eye on Susana as he continues to work through things at the AA level.
Cole Henry
After being a surprise early demotion from big league camp, righty Cole Henry received some good news as he actually got to begin his season at AAA instead of AA, where he was originally supposed to begin the season. This was due to the promotion of Jackson Rutledge to the big leagues as a result of the Michael Soroka injury, but he will certainly take this new found opportunity.
Henry made his first appearance for the Red Wings over the weekend, and pitched a clean inning with 2 strikeouts and stranding his lone baserunner that came on a walk. He is likely to make his big league debut at some point in the 2025 season, especially if a few arms in the Nationals' bullpen continue to struggle.
Which Nationals prospect are you most excited to watch in 2025? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.