Washington Nationals Top 50 Prospects (2026)

2026-Top-50-Prospects-WAS — Top 50 graphic design by Michael Packard, @CollectingPack on Twitter

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Washington Nationals

NL East
2025 record: 66-96 (5th)

MiLB affiliates
Triple-A: Rochester Red Wings
Double-A: Harrisburg Senators
High-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks
Single-A: Fredericksburg Nationals

2025 End-Of-Season farm system rank: #25
Jeremy Mahy’s organization take from our 2025 End-Of-Season Farm System Rankings:
Top prospects Dylan Crews and Brady House have graduated and Daylen Lile also came up and made a significant impact in his own right. The Nationals have built quite the young core but are going to need some help on the mound. The question is whether that help will come from inside or outside the organization? The talent is there with Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora. However, there is bullpen risk with Susana and TJ surgery will knock Sykora out for all of 2026.

Prospects1500 writers who contributed to this column and rankings: Greg Bracken (@gregbracken07), Shaun Kernahan (@ShaunKernahan), Scott Greene (@Scotty_Ballgame), J.W. Mulpas (@CLEBoxscoreBeat)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 2025

*UPDATE 1.22.06 – Five prospects from the Rangers list published 1.18.06 were traded to the Nationals for MacKenzie Gore. Formerly ranked for Texas, #2 Gavin Fien, #6 Devin Fitz-Gerald, #11 Alejandro Rosario, #14 Yeremy Cabrera and #18 Abimelec Ortiz, they are now slotted below in the Nationals Top 50,

Tier 1

None

Tier 2

1. Travis Sykora, RHP, 21, Double-A
Sykora is one of the most exciting arms among all pitching prospects, built like an NFL tight end at 6’6″, 232 pounds – a frame that brings both upside and durability questions. His arsenal is the stuff you dream about: a mid-to-high-90s fastball, a devastating splitter, and a sharp slider, all delivered with excellent extension. That mix has baffled hitters at every stop, including High-A in 2025, where he posted a ridiculous 44.3 K-rate and held opponents to a .124 average. The biggest question is health. He had hip labrum surgery that delayed the start of his 2025 season, and now he’s set to miss most, if not all, of 2026 recovering from Tommy John. If he returns to form, Sykora profiles as a potential ace for Washington as soon as 2028. For dynasty owners, he’s the ultimate stash prospect who could pay off in a big way, as long as you’re willing to ride out his rehab. (@CLEBoxscoreBeat)

2. Eli Willits, SS, 18, Single-A
The youngest player to ever go first overall, Willits is a switch-hitter with a loose, easy, rhythmic stroke from both sides, showing a strong batting eye and reliable contact skills that produce line drives to all fields, with more present lift and power potential from the left side. The bat speed is closer to average than explosive, but the overall hit tool looks legitimate because of the approach and barrel control. He’s a plus runner and a good athlete, capable of impacting the game with speed while also bringing defensive versatility, with reliable hands, solid actions, and enough arm strength to stick at shortstop while also fitting in center field if needed. The upside is tied to how much power comes as he physically matures, but I can all but guarantee he will have more that his dad, Reggie Willits, did in the big leagues (0 in 1,014 plate appearances). (@ShaunKernahan)

3. Jarlin Susana, RHP, 21, Double-A
The 6’6, 235 lb. Dominican native missed nearly three months mid-2025 with a Grade 1 UCL sprain, but was able to return with only rest and rehab. He had stretches of brilliance with Double-A Harrisburg (15.0 K/9), but then had season-ending lat surgery in September and his status for Spring Training is in question. Injuries aside, he’s still only 21 and can certainly be a big part of the Nationals rotation later in 2026, most likely in 2027 though. Once considered a throw-in piece from a Juan Soto trade, Susana has the talent to be the winning piece of that deal, although some guy named Wood might debate that. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

Tier 3

4. Harry Ford, C, 22, MLB
5. Gavin Fien, SS, 18, Single-A
6. Luis Perales, RHP, 22, Triple-A
7. Luke Dickerson, SS/2B, 20, Single-A
8. Devin Fitz-Gerald, SS/3B, 20, Single-A
9. Seaver King, SS, 22, Double-A
10. Alex Clemmey, LHP, 20, Double-A

Nobody performed better on the showcase circuit in 2024 than Fien, helping lift him to the 12th overall pick. He has a bit of an unusual setup and swing, but the hit tool will carry him to go with solid raw power in the profile. (@ShaunKernahan)

A trade to the Nats got Ford out from behind Cal Raleigh. Now he will push Keibert Ruiz for the job. Perales, who came over from Boston, spent most of 2025 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but prior to injury his stuff was electric. Dickerson, has the tools to grow into a dynamic top-of-the-order threat and so far, the results have been there. Selected in the fifth round out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Fitz-Gerald has shown impressive bat-to-ball skills and offensive production in his first professional season displaying skills that impressed the Rangers brass. King has some loud tools, but Double-A proved to be a challenge for him. Clemmey still has work to do with his command in order to reach his mid-rotation potential. If he does, the strikeouts could come in bunches. (@JMahyfam)

Tier 4

11. Coy James, SS, 18, High school
12. Alejandro Rosario, RHP, 24, Injured (High-A in 2024)
13. Landon Harmon, RHP, 19, High school
14. Ethan Petry, OF/1B, 21, Single-A
15. Yohandy Morales, 1B/3B, 24, Triple-A
16. Sean Paul Liñan, RHP, 21, Triple-A
17. Yeremy Cabrera, OF, 20, Single-A
18. Angel Feliz, SS, 19, Single-A
19. Jackson Kent, LHP, 22, Double-A
20. Christian Franklin, OF, 26, Triple-A
21. Caleb Lomavita, C, 18, Double-A
22. Abimelec Ortiz, 1B/OF, 23, Triple-A
23. Marconi German, 2B/SS, 18, Rookie (DSL)
24. Eriq Swan, RHP, 24, High-A
25. Brayan Cortesia, SS, 18, Rookie (DSL)
26. Miguel Sime Jr., RHP, 18, High school

The top of Tier 4 packs some serious punch. James, the Nats 2nd round pick last season, has a middle of the order bat profile with risk baked in due to his age. Rosario, our #3 ranked Rangers prospect last year, was set to spend most of 2025 in Double-A coming off a breakout 2024 campaign. He missed last year with an elbow injury, the organization delayed surgery, he recently underwent TJS, and will now miss all of 2026 too. Petry, the Nats 2nd round pick in 2025, looked good in his professional debut and got an extended look in the Arizona Fall League. Morales is knocking on the door to the big leagues and might have the most power in the system, but the strikeouts are also a real concern. Harmon, a 3rd round pick, is the lone arm at the top of the tier and has the size and arm strength that organizations dream on. Liñan has one of the nastiest pitches in the minors in his unique screwball/changeup. His ceiling will be determined by the development of the rest of his arsenal. Feliz is raw but has the potential to be a riser in this system as he spends a full season in A-ball this year. Another one to watch this season is Cortesia as he makes his stateside debut. In his DSL debut, he controlled the zone well and showed a good feel for contact. Jeremy Mahy’s take on Ortiz is that his 1B/DH profile puts a lot of pressure on that bat, and he’s fallen a bit in our prospect rankings since last January, now bottom of Tier 4 but could arguably have kicked off the next tier.(@JMahyfam)

Tier 5

27. Sam Petersen, OF, 22, High-A
28. Victor Hurtado, OF, 18, Rookie (DSL)
29. Andrew Pinckney, OF, 25, Triple-A
30. Cristhian Vaquero, OF, 21, Single-A
31. Ronny Cruz, SS, 19, Rookie (ACL)
32. Yoel Tejeda Jr., RHP, 22, High-A
33. Griff McGarry, RHP, 26, Triple-A
34. Cayden Wallace, 3B, 24, Double-A
35. Josh Randall, RHP, 23, High-A
36. Nauris De La Cruz, OF, 18, Rookie (DSL)
37. Jorgelys Mota, 3B, 20, Single-A
38. Phillip Glasser, OF, 26, Triple-A
39. Daniel Hernandez, C, 17, Rookie (DSL)
40. Riley Cornelio, RHP, 25, Triple-A
41. Browm Martinez, OF, 19, Rookie (DSL)
42. Kevin Bazzell, C, 22, Single-A
43. Orelvis Martinez, 2B, 24, Triple-A
44. Jake Eder, LHP, 27, MLB
45. R.J. Sales, RHP, 22, Single-A
46. Andry Lara, RHP, 23, MLB
47. Elijah Green, OF, 22, High-A
48. Dashyll Tejeda, OF, 19, Rookie (FCL)
49. Sir Jamison Jones, C, 19, Rookie (FCL)
50. Andrew Alvarez, LHP, 26, MLB

If Pinckney wants to make the majors, this is the year. He’s spent part of the last two seasons in Triple-A, and posted 20 HR and 34 RBI in 2025. He could be a platoon or 4th outfielder. Vaquero, a top international signing a few years ago, spent 2024 and 2025 at Single-A, with improvement last season as a 20-year-old. Wallace, the former Royals prospect, needs to improve on his .242/.310/.376 Double-A slashline if he wants to continue climbing the organization’s ladder. De La Cruz hit .294 in the Dominican Summer League as a 17-year-old and could see time in Florida’s Complex rookie league this coming summer. Martinez, once Toronto’s top prospect who got his pro debut with the Jays, is a non-roster invitee to Nationals Spring Training, looking to tap into the power that impressed scouts in previous years. Eder is now with his fourth organization, looking to get back to the majors as a 27-year-old. No prospect has fallen further in this system than Green, once viewed as a Top 5 player on the Nats’ farm. 2026 has to be a make-or-break campaign for him. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

The Next 5, following the Gore trade:
51. Kevin Made, 2B/SS, 23, Double-A
52. Jose Feliz, RHP, 20, Rookie (FCL)
53. Marquis Grissom Jr., RHP, 24, Triple-A
54. Boston Smith, C, 23, College
55. T.J. White, OF, 22, High-A

Grissom Jr. represented Washington in the 2025 Futures Game and could potentially become a Nats bullpen piece as early as this year. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

Prospects1500

Prospects1500 is your comprehensive dynasty league resource, featuring deep MLB/MiLB top prospect lists, news and rankings.

Shaun Kernahan

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.

J.W. Mulpas

J.W. resides in Northeast Ohio and is a lifelong Cleveland sports fan. His favorite baseball player of all-time is 2018 Hall of Fame inductee, Jim Thome. He enjoys playing Fantasy Baseball, especially dynasty leagues. He has been a contributor to Prospects1500 since January 2025. You can follow J.W. on X at @CLEBoxscoreBeat.

Jeremy Mahy

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 Bracken

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.

Scott Greene

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.