The Washington Nationals had some very exciting prospect news earlier this week, as a pair of prospects currently ranked inside the team's Top 30 Prospects list on MLB.com were both moved up a level. In fact, given the performances of these two prospects so far this season, it would not surprise me at all to see if one or both of them are given a chance to make the big league roster by the end of the season.
First, outfielder Daylen Lile, the team's 2nd round pick in 2021 who currently ranks as the #9 overall prospect in the organization, was moved up to Rochester. The team felt as if Lile was ready, given that he got off to a great start with AA Harrisburg through 21 games, with a .319/.340/.505 slash line, good for an .845 OPS to go along with 2 homers, 14 RBIs, and 6 stolen bases. He is a guy who can do a little bit of everything, and in my opinion, he might be the most underrated prospect in the organization right now.
He also is currently the team's highest ranking outfielder in the minors right now, which is notable due to the struggles of Jacob Young at the big league level, who is looking more and more like a future 4th outfielder. If Lile does his thing with Rochester, it is certainly not out of the question that the team gives him a look as one of the outfielders of the future, although his fit along with Dylan Crews and James Wood is a little bit curious.
While Lile doesn't offer tremendous power by any means, given that he's likely to be a corner outfielder once he makes it to the big leagues, he does everything well, including stealing bases and hitting for contact. For a corner outfielder, you would probably want him to hit for a little bit more power, but I see his ceiling as likely being around 10-15 homers once the 22-year-old fully settles into his physical peak.
Nonetheless, the promotion of Lile is very exciting, as was the promotion of Marquis Grissom Jr., a friend of District on Deck who has a chance to be brought up some time soon. The righty out of Georgia Tech had a 1.86 ERA in 9 appearances for the Senators, with 5 saves and an 8:5 K:BB ratio. Given how poorly the Nationals bullpen has been at the big league level, it makes sense for the organization to push Grissom Jr. to see how well he responds to facing older and more mature competition at the AAA level. The #23 prospect in the organization features a devastating changeup, and of course his father was a long-time big leaguer.
Between the two, I think it is much more likely that we see Grissom Jr. make it to the big leagues before Lile, but I don't think it's out of the question at all that we see both of them by the end of the season. It is an exciting time for the youngsters, and I can't wait to follow their progress with Rochester!
What do you think of the promotions for Daylen Lile and Marquis Grissom Jr.? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.