The Washington Nationals currently are almost the polar opposite of their 2019 World Series team. They are one of the youngest teams in the league, with only reliever Derek Law and outfielder Alex Call being 30-years-old or above on the roster right now. The youth movement is in full swing in the Nation's Capital, and there could be some more prospects in the pipeline that will be joining them in 2025.
With that being said, let's take a look at a trio of Nationals prospects who have a very real chance of making their MLB debut with the team at some point next season.
Robert Hassell III - OF - WSH #13 Prospect
Starting off here I went with outfielder Robert Hassell III. While his stock has certainly fallen overall after being a Top 100 prospect and a piece in the return of the Juan Soto trade in 2022, he is a guy who is definitely trending upward heading into 2025.
The contact skills have always been there, and due to some nagging wrist injuries he had seen a drastic drop in expected power production since coming over to the Washington organization. However, he ended 2024 on a high note down in the minors, earning a promotion to AAA Rochester, and was also named an All-Star in the Arizona Fall League.
He has a very real chance to supplant Jacob Young and form the outfield of the future along with Dylan Crews and James Wood, but he will likely need some more seasoning in AAA before earning the call. The team added him to the 40-man roster, so clearly they are expecting to see him soon.
Brad Lord - RHP - WSH #30 Prospect
Righty Brad Lord is a guy who some expected to potentially make his debut at the end of the 2024 season, due to his strong performance across multiple levels of the minors throughout this season. He was lights-out with AA Harrisburg and earned himself a promotion to AAA Rochester, where he put up impressive numbers as well to end the season.
Overall in 2024 in the minors he had a 10-4 record with a 2.43 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, and struck out 135 batters in 129.2 innings. To me, he profiles similarly to a guy like Tanner Roark, in that his stuff is not overwhelming by any means, but he's a smart pitcher who knows how to eat innings and get guys out.
The only issue for him is that the team already has a slew of young pitcher in the majors, but I see Lord potentially being the first man up if one of their starters sustains an injury. He is a guy who I would say will definitely make his MLB debut in 2025, but it's just a matter of when at this point.
Brady House - 3B - WSH #3 Prospect, MLB #84
This last one should be one that every Nationals fan is very excited for, as former 1st round pick Brady House is knocking on the door of the big leagues, and has been viewed as the team's third baseman of the future for quite awhile now.
The 2024 season was a successful one for House, despite posting numbers across the AA and AAA levels that don't necessarily pop off the page. One of his main goals was to stay healthy and prove he could handle the workload of a full season, and he was able to play in 129 games across both levels.
Overall he posted .241/.297/.402 splits for an unimpressive .699 OPS, although he did slug 19 homers and drive in 66 runs as well. He has some clear room for improvement in terms of his plate approach, as he did strike out 143 times compared to just 31 walks, but the club clearly wants him to develop at the higher levels of the minors, as the late season promotion to AAA showed a lot of faith in his development to this point.
I don't think he will make the team out of Spring Training, but depending on what direction the team chooses to go at third base for next season will likely be a big indicator as to if/when he will make his debut in 2025. At the very least, he's a candidate to get a cup of coffee as a September call-up late in 2025, but could push for an earlier promotion depending on his performance to start the season.
Which of these debuts do you think will come first in 2025? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.