We all know what this season is about. The Washington Nationals are off to a decent start, but we shouldn't expect that to continue. There are enough roster holes for there to be room to call up some players from the minor leagues.
Cole Henry, a second-round pick out of LSU in the 2020 MLB Draft, was the first to earn a promotion. Shortly afterwards, former first-round pick Jackson Rutledge was also promoted from Rochester. Thus far, both have been quite effective in the majors in 2025, now pitching out of the bullpen. He certainly won't be the last player to receive this honor in 2025. Who is likely to be next?
Brady House
This one seems obvious. The slugging third baseman is Washington's No. 3 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and he's been hitting so far this spring.
House's success began during Spring Training, when he recorded eight hits in 22 at bats and also drew four walks. He did so while mostly starting games as well, ensuring that he came to the plate against as many major league pitchers as possible.
Although he's cooled off somewhat over the last week or so, House's success has mostly continued. He's still batting nearly .290 with an OPS above .830.
To put it lightly, the Nationals didn't invest much money at third base this offseason, and there's very little in House's way. They haven't gotten much production from Paul DeJong, Jose Tena has struggled mightily, and it seems that Amed Rosario is viewed as a utility player. And if that weren't enough, DeJong is currently injured. Trey Lipscomb took his place on the roster, but how long do we really expect that to last?
At this point, it's hard to imagine what the team is waiting for. Is this another example of service time manipulation to delay House's free agency by a year? Are the Nationals really complacent enough to accept mediocre results for months before making room for House at the trade deadline?
If they want to be taken seriously and take a look at someone who could be a major part of their future, the Nationals should certainly think about promoting House very soon.
Drew Millas
It's seemingly a tale as old as time. Drew Millas is producing at catcher down in AAA, and Riley Adams isn't providing anything exceptional, and the question of who the backup catcher should be is lurking once again.
Now 27 years old, it's likely disengenuous to contie to refer to Millas as a prospect. However, we've still seen very little of him at the major league level (only 95 plate appearances). Furthermore, it could still be argued that he possesses the most complete skill set of any backstop in the system.
Millas is in the midst of his third consecutive season with an OPS above .800, he's already stolen five bases in just 17 games in 2025, and he's without question the franchise's best defender at the position.
There's no pressure to make a roster move now, and it could be argued that an everyday role in Triple-A is more valuable than being a backup catcher. Still, if anything happens to Adams or Keibert Ruiz, the Nationals will not hesitate to promote Millas. And considering they don't have a solidified designated hitter, it's once again possible that Ruiz could once again begin to fill that role at times, opening a spot behind the plate for Millas.
Jarlin Susana
This move certainly is not imminent, but it's beginning to look increasingly inevitable. After an impressive 2024 season in which he finally graduated from Low-A Fredericksburg, Jarlin Susana's success has continued in Double-A.
Through 13.2 innings across three starts for Harrisburg, the 6-foot-6 right-handed flamethrower has posted a 2.63 ERA with 23 strikeouts. He'll need to start throwing deeper into games again, but his efficiency in short spurts has been obvious.
Susana is also only 22 years old, but he isn't necessarily blocked by any pitchers of note. Aside from MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin and (most notably thus far) Mitchell Parker, the only advantage keeping other starters ahead of Susana is experience.
If we see another couple months of this elite productivity from Washington's No. 2 prospect, don't be surprised if we see Susana debut in the majors by as soon as the All-Star break.