Washington Nationals
NL East
2024 record: 71-94 (4th)
MiLB affiliates
Triple-A: Rochester Red Wings
Double-A: Harrisburg Senators
High-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks
Single-A: Fredericksburg Nationals
Notable prospects graduated in 2024
OF James Wood
RHP DJ Herz
IF José Tena
LHP Mitchell Parker
Prospects1500 writers who contributed to this column and rankings: Tony Bps (@tonybps1), Greg Bracken (@gregbracken07), Adam Greene (@aj_greene1015), Scott Greene (@Scotty_Ballgame), Shaun Kernahan (@ShaunKernahan), and Jeremy Mahy (@JMahyfam). The writer’s Twitter handle follows each player write-up or paragraph.
Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above-average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential to make the majors; possible sleeper candidates for sustained MLB success
Tier 5: Players of interest, worth keeping an eye on, who may make (or have made) the majors but provide minimal impact
Levels listed for each player are the highest levels player reached in 2024
Tier 1
1. Dylan Crews, OF, 22, MLB
Crews was the unanimous #1 from our team and it is easy to see why. Thanks to a well-rounded set of tools, he has about as safe of a floor that a prospect can have with a high ceiling to go with it. I see a .260-.270 average/.340-.350 OBP hitter with 15-20 home runs and 25 stolen bases. That could be a star, I would just caution putting superstar level expectations on him. National’s fans should be very excited with Crews-James Wood making up 2/3 of their outfield for the foreseeable future. (@JMahyfam)
Tier 2
2. Brady House, 3B, 21, Triple-A
House combines well above average bat speed with an uber aggressive approach at the plate (6% walk rate). He is a big guy at 6’4” and 208 pounds but his glove and range appear good enough to stick at third. The potential for 30 home run pop is definitely there. The concern is that major league pitching will take advantage of his aggressive approach, and it will put serious strain on his batting average and OBP. The good news is that there is still time for him to work that out in the minors. (@JMahyfam)
3. Travis Sykora, RHP, 20, Single-A
Sykora has rocketed up prospect rankings since being drafted in the 3rd round (71st overall) in 2023 out of Round Rock, HS (TX). His 2024 pro debut in Single-A was a smashing success. He started 20 games as a 20-year-old, struck out 129 in 85 IP (13.66 K/9), and only walked 27. Look for the 6’6″ right hander to start this season in High-A Wilmington, with a shot at Double-A later in the summer. (@Scotty_Ballgame)
4. Seaver King, SS, 21, Single-A
King transferred from D2 Wingate to Wake Forest in 2024 where he put his elite bat-to-ball skills to the test following a campaign that saw him put up a 47 game hit streak. While at Wake he showed well, but displayed some issues recognizing elite spin, but the hit tool is still special. There are questions about his defensive positioning, but he is a freak athlete and could fit really well in the outfield. (@ShaunKernahan)
5. Jarlin Susana, RHP, 20, High-A
If you like flamethrowers, Susana could become one of your favorite prospects to watch and root for. One of the several players who came over to Washington in the 2022 Juan Soto trade deadline deal, the Dominican native gets a lot of swing and miss with his triple-digit heat – 157 strikeouts in 103.2 innings (13.63 K/9) last season. The Nationals will continue to groom him as a starter, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him used as a high-leverage reliever when he makes the Majors. (@Scotty_Ballgame)
Tier 3
6. Yohandy Morales, 1B/3B, 23, Double-A
Coming out of Miami, Morales was viewed as one of the top power bats in the draft, but surprisingly only has seven total homers through his first 117 professional games. However, after a return from a thumb injury in late July, Morales looked every bit the hitter the Nationals thought he could be, posting a near .900 OPS. A fully healthy 2025 has the potential to be the breakout season that many are looking for from Morales. (@aj_greene1015)
7. Alex Clemmey, LHP, 19, Single-A
With an elite fastball and a true plus curve, the stuff is undeniable with Clemmey. He plays off those two pitches with a quality slider and a change that has flashed at times but is still rather inconsistent. The question here isn’t whether or not he has the ability to pitch at the highest level, it is how much command/consistency can he put together. He was drafted out of high school in 2023 from Rhode Island, so he is still rather raw giving him front of rotation upside, but the command trouble do leave a ton of reliever risk in the arm. (@ShaunKernahan)
8. Robert Hassell III, OF, 23, Triple-A
Following a rough 2023, Hassell bounced back of sorts with a good 2024, putting up solid numbers in Double-A, getting to Triple-A for 16 games, and then showing solid promise in Arizona (his third AFL stint) slashing .281/.360/.517/.877, with 7 doubles in 22 games. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he puts it all together in 2025 and gets the MLB call-up. (@Scotty_Ballgame)
9. Cade Cavalli, RHP, 26, MLB
When healthy, Cavalli combines a double plus fastball with three off-speed pitches that could all add up to a mid-rotation arm. The problem is that he has only been on the mound for 8.1 innings since the 2002 season. He returned from TJ surgery last year but an illness and then a dead arm period ultimately ended his season early. He will turn 27 this season so the 2025 season will be pivotal to see where he fits into the Nationals future plans. (@JMahyfam)
10. Daylen Lile, OF, 22, Double-A
Lile ranks amongst the best bats in the Nationals Minor Leagues as far as contact. While he’s not necessarily a power hitter, Lile brings a combination of bat-to-ball and base-running skills to Washington’s farm system. While still at just the Double-A level, it’s easy to project him as an everyday player if the team can find a true home for him in the field. (@aj_greene1015)
Tier 4
11. Cayden Wallace, 3B, 23, Double-A
12. Caleb Lomavita, C, 22, Single-A
13. Victor Hurtado, OF, 17, Rookie (DSL)
14. Tyler Stuart, RHP, 25, Triple-A
15. Elijah Green, OF, 21, Single-A
16. Andry Lara, RHP, 21, Double-A
17. Luke Dickerson, SS, 19, High school
18. Cristhian Vaquero, OF, 20, Single-A
19. Jake Bennett, LHP, 24, High-A
20. Andrew Pinckney, OF, 24, Triple-A
Wallace has a solid hit-tool but hasn’t shown a lot of power just yet. Hurtado is very young but performed well in the Rookie league and has solid tools across the board. He’s one to keep an eye on in this tier. Stuart could be a starter for the Nationals sometime this summer. Green has a lot of speed and power but needs to improve his hitting approach. Lara was a highly touted international signing whose results haven’t matched the ability in his four years with the organization. Bennett is recovering from Tommy John surgery and has the potential to contribute to the rotation in a few years. Pinckney has great speed but needs to improve his hitting to be more than a backup outfielder. (@tonybps1)
Tier 5
21. Angel Feliz, SS, 18, Rookie (DSL)
22. Kevin Made, SS, 22, Double-A
23. Rafael Ramirez, SS/2B, 19, Single-A
24. Jackson Rutledge, RHP, 25, MLB
25. Brad Lord, RHP, 24, Triple-A
26. Kevin Bazzell, C, 21, Single-A
27. Evan Reifert, RHP, 25, Double-A
28. Jose Feliz, RHP, 19, Rookie (DSL)
29. Darren Baker, 2B/OF, 25, MLB
30. Zach Brzykcy, RHP, 25, MLB
31. Orlando Ribalta, RHP, 26, MLB
32. Armando Cruz, SS, 20, High-A
33. Marquis Grissom Jr., RHP, 23, Double-A
34. Jeremy De La Rosa, OF, 22, Double-A
35. Drew Millas, C, 26, MLB
36. T.J. White, OF/1B, 21, High-A
37. Jackson Kent, LHP, 21, College
38. Seth Shuman, RHP, 27, Double-A
39. Andrew Alvarez, LHP, 25, Triple-A
40. Daison Acosta, RHP, 26, Triple-A
41. Brenner Cox, OF, 20, Single-A
42. Sir Jamison Jones, C, High school
43. Hyun-Il Choi, RHP, 24, Triple-A
44. Phillip Glasser, 2B/3B, 25, Double-A
45. Jorgelys Mota, 3B, 19, Single-A
46. Everett Cooper III, 2B, 21, Single-A
47. Andrés Chaparro, 1B, 15, MLB
48. Roismar Quintana, OF/1B, 21, High-A
49. Joe Naranjo, 1B, 23, Double-A
50. Brandon Pimentel, OF, 24, Single-A
Made needs to improve his power and speed to be an impactful player. Ramirez has more real-life value than fantasy as a light hitting middle infielder. Lord was an 18th round pick who has been a great find, pitching well in his two years with the team. He posted a 2.43 ERA in 25 starts across High-A/Double-A last year. Grissom Jr., whose father played for the Montreal Expos (the Nationals previous incarnation), could be a solid reliever in the majors in the future if he continues to develop. Reifert was lights out for the Rays in the 2022 Arizona Fall League, missed a lot of 2023 due to injury, but was back dominating in 2024 for Double-A Montgomery (TB), striking out 65 in 41.1 relief innings with a 1.96 ERA. Feliz was very impressive in Rookie ball (DSL), with a 2.96 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 10 starts. Choi gets a shot in the Washington farm system, coming over from the Dodgers via the Rule 5 Draft. (@tonybps1)
Adam Greene is a student UMass Amherst's Isenberg School of Management. He currently writes for the Cape Cod Baseball League and UMass Athletics. From Longmeadow, MA, Adam is a huge Red Sox fan and has been following the team his whole life and he's spent the last few years covering their farm system. Follow him on Twitter at @aj_greene1015 and Instagram at the same handle.
President of Prospects1500. Founder of Diamond Duos dynasty fantasy baseball leagues and the MLB Fantasy Playoffs Parlay. Participant and champion in several dynasty/fantasy baseball and football leagues. Sales Manager for Reminder Publishing by day. Huge Bruce Springsteen and pro wrestling fan. Along with his wife and two boys, lives in Longmeadow, MA. Follow on Twitter at @Scotty_Ballgame.
Jeremy covers the St Louis organization and contributes on Prospects of the Week for Prospects1500. Born and raised in the Midwest, he is a lifelong fan of the Birds on the Bat. You can follow him on Twitter @JMahyfam for more baseball content.
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too." -Yogi Berra
Greg covers the Toronto Blue Jays organization for Prospects1500. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, a long-suffering fan of both the Blue Jays and the Toronto Maple Leafs. For more than 15 years now a participant/commish in many dynasty baseball leagues, all with extremely deep minor league rosters. Follow on X @gregbracken07.
Tony Bps Spina is a lifelong baseball fan hailing from the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia! Tony has loved baseball since 1980 and has followed the Phillies through good and bad times. Tony is married with 3 kids and works for a financial institution but has enough free time to play in 20 fantasy baseball leagues with 75% of them being Dynasty Leagues. He lives a few blocks away from Citizens Bank Park and attends many Phillies games per year in addition to their minor league teams in Lehigh Valley and Reading. He can be reached on Twitter at @TonyBps1.
Shaun Kernahan is the MLB Draft correspondent for Prospects1500. When not at a game, chances are the TV and/or tablet has a game on and he has a notepad out taking notes. When not scouting draft prospects, he is the Director of Baseball Operations for the Mile High Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate wood bat league in Colorado. Shaun can be found on Twitter at @ShaunKernahan.
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