The Washington Nationals have just a few weeks left in the season, and with development as the priority, it's a good time to check in on the Nats' minor leaguers. While the Nats aren't having a great season, there are always developments happening in the minor leagues. The 2025 MLB Draft was over two months ago, and we've seen multiple debuts of the Nats draftees. Let's check in on a few prospects in the top 30 and see who's trending.
Trending Up
Eli Willits (No.1) - The first overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft is off to a hot start in his professional career. The 17-year-old switch-hitting shortstop is hitting .371 through his first ten career games. Willits has stolen two bases and fielded a solid shortstop. The first overall pick has passed all the tests so far.
Jake Bennett (No.8) - A strong debut season in '23 for the second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft from Oklahoma was derailed by Tommy John surgery. It caused the lefty Jake Bennett to miss the entire 2024 season. Now healthy, Bennett is pitching like his former self to the tune of a 2.24 ERA through 16 appearances this season. Now 24 years old, if Bennett maintains his health and pitches well next season, he could make his debut in 2026.
Caleb Lomavita (No. 9) - The highest-ranked catching prospect in the Nats' minor league system, Caleb Lomavita, was recently promoted to AA Harrisburg. In his first three games for the Senators, Lomavita is hitting .333 with an OPS of 1.000, including his first AA home run. With the Nats searching for catching help at the Major League level, a spike in Lomavita's development would be welcomed.
Yohandy Morales (No.11) - The University of Miami product Yohandy Morales made an argument for a September call-up, but was ultimately not chosen. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound first baseman is hitting .261/.345/.772 across 77 games for the AAA Rochester Red Wings. Morales has 15 home runs this season between AA/AAA. The Nats must want to see Josh Bell get at-bats instead of Yohandy Morales, go figure.
Cayden Wallace (No.20) - Acquired last season in a trade, third baseman Cayden Wallace was arguably the hottest player in the minor leagues during August. Wallace hit .359/.413/1.000 with four home runs and 18 RBI. Wallace's batting average was as low as .192 on the season and is now at .238. While Cayden hasn't had the most impressive season as a whole, the month of August was certainly one that he dominated.
Trending Down
Luke Dickerson (No. 4) - In August, Dickerson hit .132 with an OPS of .615. Overall, he was 9/68 at the plate with 29 strikeouts. On the season, the 2024 second-round pick is hitting .202/.310/.635 with six home runs and 40 RBI. While just 20 years old with lots of upside, it's concerning that Dickerson has looked overmatched at times. It's expected for young players to struggle in the minors, but Dickerson must adjust to continue his development.
Seaver King (No. 6) - The tenth overall pick in last year's MLB Draft has not found his footing in the minor leagues. In 69 games this season at AA Harrisburg, Seaver King is hitting .218/.274/.569 with three home runs and 21 RBI. King has stolen 25 bases and struck out only 25 percent of the time, but hasn't hit for much power. In today's form of baseball, extra-base hits are valued highly, and King doesn't provide many of those.
Andry Lara (No. 14) - After four seasons in the minor leagues as a starting pitcher, the Nationals converted Andry Lara to a reliever out of necessity this year. It has not worked out. Who could have predicted that? This isn't talked about much, but the Nats did Lara a disservice by converting him to a reliever. Last season, he posted a 3.34 ERA in 25 starts at the A+ and AA levels. There was no reason to alter Lara's development this season, and it has had a devastating impact on him. He was called up to the Majors prematurely this season and recorded an 8.79 ERA. The 22-year-old has a 9.93 ERA at the AAA level in mostly relief appearances after his demotion. It's almost criminal how the Nationals have handled Andry Lara.
Elijah Green (No.23) - It's tough to say, but it might be a lost cause for former fifth overall pick Elijah Green. It just hasn't worked out for the athletically gifted outfielder. In 1050 career minor league at-bats, Green has struck out in 504 of them. It's an absurd and unsustainable strikeout rate that hasn't improved since Green debuted in the minor leagues. It's unfortunate because the 6-foot-3, 225-pound outfielder has all the tools to be a special player. The book isn't closed on Elijah Green, but we could be in the closing chapters.