Luis Garcia Jr. was sent to the New York Yankees back on August 2nd. The loss was unfortunate, but necessary, as it involved dealing with a player who had thrived but would provide less long-term value to this Nationals franchise. In his departure, the team has turned its focus to discovering what the future holds at first base. The first auditionee is 19th-ranked prospect Abimelec Ortiz.
Abimelec Ortiz might be the Nationals' long-term answer at 1B
Ortiz's MLB career is 10 games deep, as of August 13. The 24-year-old first baseman/outfielder has started 6 of those games, 5 of which were at first base. The results are young, but Ortiz is playing fantastic baseball offensively. His batting average is .333 on top of a .355 on base percentage, .767 slugging percentage (4 home runs), good for a 1.122 OPS and a 202 wRC+.
As good as Ortiz's audition has been, weaknesses will become evident. On the 20-80 scouting scale, his fielding rate is a 45, or below average. Over his small MLB sample size, Ortiz has a minus-0.6 defensive rating.
The question becomes — can Ortiz truly be the long-term solution at first base? The answer is, well, uncertain.
A Battle at First Base
In games in which Ortiz hadn't started at first base, the job went to Andres Chaparro. He was widely labeled as being the Nationals' first baseman for the remainder of the season. However, Ortiz has gone on to crash that party, or so it seems.
Chaparro's skillset offering certainly isn't with a lower floor than anything Ortiz can offer in the long term, despite Ortiz's recent merits. Chaparro has a plus-3.8 offensive rating that features a 129 wRC+.
Chaparro's fielding also doesn't make a great impression, flashing a minus-2.4 rating, and it is unlikely to improve out of position at first. That makes us wonder if maybe Ortiz can be the short-term answer?
If neither of the above options turns out worthwhile, the Nationals could make another youthful pivot. Their top first-base prospect, who is also about MLB-ready, is Yohandy Morales. While he is not ranked among the Nationals' top-30 prospects, Morales could get a nod by the end of this season. Heck, the Nationals just called up Jackson Kent. Why not test everyone?
Morales does play both first base and third base, but the first base position has recently become his go-to. Morales has played 108 games over the last two seasons at first base and a lesser 56 games at third base.
The 2026 season has shown promise for the 24-year-old prospect. Morales' entire season has been with Triple-A Rochester. He is flashing a .297 batting average, .918 OPS, and 134 wRC+. However, he may also have shortcomings in the field. Just like Ortiz, Morales' scouting grade in the field is a 45.
It seems that Morales could be more of a lateral play to Ortiz on skill alone. While Ortiz gets the first stab at the job, if he falters, Morales could have his case become increasingly promising for a late-summer debut.
The last resort for Nationals would be to roll with Brady House in a positional change. However, that is very unlikely. The team would then have to juggle a third base change. House only has one career start at first base, both in the minors and major league baseball.
Bold Moves in Free Agency?
If all fails, Paul Toboni will have to hit free agency this offseason. In doing so, he would be well suited to spend a bit of cash and actually sign a half-decent first baseman.
Should Toboni truly go to free agency with a mindset of signing a legitimate talent, the best options might include Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm, and Ryan Mountcastle. As we view that market, it looks quite thin as it is. Therefore, these final games of the season will become ever more important in forecasting the 2027 roster.
Who should play first base in 2027? Let us know on X — @DistrictOnDeck.
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