In what was one of the reasons that former General Manager Mike Rizzo was ultimately let go from the organization, the Washington Nationals may have found some success in the draft. While previous highly-drafted whiffs like Mason Denaburg and Seth Romero did not work out with the team, some recent late round picks are trying to change the narrative.
The organization's player development has come under the microscope in recent months with brutal revelations from Baseball America and The Athletic pointing out the struggles the Nationals have had in this department, but perhaps things could be taking a turn. While the team's top 2024 picks in Seaver King and Luke Dickerson have struggled a lot this season, the team's 14th-round pick is looking like an absolute steal.
That would be righty Yoel Tejeda Jr., who was drafted out of the Florida State University last year, and is in the midst of a very solid professional debut. After not appearing in the minors after being drafted last year, which is standard protocol for most college pitchers, Tejeda Jr. has been great in 2025, and is being rewarded for his performance. He is being promoted from Low-A Fredericksburg to High-A Wilmington, and is now one step closer to realizing his ultimate goal of becoming a big leaguer.
For the season, the 6'8" righty has posted a 3.43 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, and hopefully should benefit from going to the friendly pitcher-friendly ballpark in Wilmington with the Blue Rocks. He has already pitched 78.2 innings this season, and has accumulated a 74:21 K:BB ratio to go along with a 4-3 record.
Additionally, Tejeda Jr. was added to the organization's Top 30 Prospects List by MLB Pipeline, debuting at #17 following his recent promotion and the graduation of Daylen Lile from the team's list. Between Tejeda Jr. and outfielder Sam Peterson, the Nationals have a pair of prospects in their Top 30 list who were both picked later on in the draft, with Peterson coming in the 8th round in 2024 as well.
Hopefully, some of these guys that are picked with later picks can show off their true potential and continue to push towards becoming big leaguers, as there are still plenty of spots remaining as the organization looks to figure out who is going to join the team's next competitive core group. Players like James Wood, Brady House, and Dylan Crews all are almost assured to be in that mix, but perhaps there could be room for guys like Tejeda Jr. and Peterson to join that group as well and carve out a role in the big leagues.
What do you think of Yoel Tejeda Jr.'s promotion? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.