2025 MLB Farm Review: Washington Nationals

The Nationals invested over $10MM in the top two rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft. Washington took three players in those rounds, all of whom started the year in A-ball. The one who started in Low-A was New Jersey prepster Luke Dickerson, who received $3.8MM from the Nats in 2024.

Dickerson’s first taste of pro ball saw him slash .208/.315/.326 with six home runs and 22 extra-base hits, plus 21 stolen bases. There is power there, even though Dickerson didn’t put up those eye-popping numbers one would perhaps like to see. There was also swing-and-miss, with a Whiff% just slightly above 28%.

Catcher Kevin Bazzell, a 2024 third-rounder, had the lowest swing-and-miss rate (14%, min. 150 swings) in the Carolina League last season. However, that, along with a 40% CS%, was one of the few bright spots from his 2025 campaign. Bazzell slashed .239/.340/.267 with no home runs and eight extra-base hits, all of which were doubles.

We also saw some of the 2025 MLB Draft picks make a cameo. Ethan Petry, one of the best power hitters in Division I over the last three years, netted himself 25 hits, including six extra-base hits. High swing-and-miss (35.8% Whiff%) and walked 13 times over 87 games despite an overall aggressive approach.

Lastly, Eli Willits made a 15-game cameo with Fredericksburg – one that went very well. Willits notched 15 hits and walked seven times in the Carolina League.

Wilmington Blue Rocks

We’ll start with the offense, which featured multiple first-round picks and other notable prospects.

The Nationals’ two 2024 first-rounders spent significant time in Delaware. Seaver King, the 10th overall pick from 2024, hit .263/.304/.380 with three home runs and 12 extra-base hits over 45 games. Wilmington’s confines may not be as comfortable, at least compared to Wake Forest. However, it is worth noting that King gets on top of the ball a lot; his GB% (51.4%) ranked among the top-15 in that category. 

Additionally, King averaged nearly a strikeout per game despite being a good contact hitter. The 22-year-old will swing often, as he took roughly 47% of the time. However, 36% of his takes resulted in a called strike – much higher than players with a similar take percentage.

Catcher Caleb Lomavita, also taken in the first round in 2024 out of Cal-Berkley, racked up a team-high 100 hits. Similar to King, high GB% (51.9%) and an aggressive approach at the plate.

Elijah Green (44.9% Whiff%) did not have a good year at High-A. The 22-year-old started the year with the Blue Rocks before he was sent to the FCL, and shortly thereafter, the F-Nats.

Arguably, the best position player from the Blue Rocks’ 2025 season was Sam Petersen. Petersen missed time with an injury – he made up for it with eight extra-base hits and a .933 OPS in the AFL –  but performed very well when healthy. The former Iowa Hawkeye, a strong corner outfielder with pop, hit six home runs and 14 extra-base hits across 44 games, along with 18 stolen bases.

The 23-year-old’s Whiff% sat at 29.8%.

As for the pitching staff, there were a lot of good returns from several notable prospects.

Jake Bennett and Riley Cornelio (31.3% Whiff%), two collegiate pitchers, both pitched well with the Blue Rocks. Cornelio, who can touch 97-98 MPH, earned a spot on the Nationals’ 40-man roster in a year where he pushed all the way to Triple-A. So did Bennett, who was traded to the Red Sox this winter.

Alex Clemmey (31.3% Whiff%) was one of the best strikeout pitchers in the SAL despite the fact that he walked 60 over 87.1 IP. And Travis Sykora, who had one of the highest swing-and-miss rates in the circuit, needed very little time in High-A.

Harrisburg Senators

The 2025 Harrisburg Senators’ lineup, throughout the year, had some very notable names.

Yohandy Morales and Daylen Lile both posted OPS figures above .800 before the two moved to Triple-A Rochester. We’ll get more into them in the next section. It was also a very nice season for 2023 10th-round pick Phillip Glasser, who was one of several players given a non-roster invite in January. 

Glasser slashed .293/.379/.391 with six home runs and 27 extra-base hits over 112 contests. The 26-year-old, before he was promoted to Rochester, had one of the five lowest Whiff% (15.8%) rates in the Eastern League.

Cayden Wallace, acquired in 2024 from the Royals for Hunter Harvey, slashed .242/.310/.376 with 10 home runs and 34 extra-base hits, plus 16 stolen bases, last season. Moderate swing-and-miss (27.4%).

Moving on to the pitching staff, Riley Cornelio (25.8% Whiff%) didn’t miss as many at-bats in Double-A. However, he limited the well-hit contact, as he only gave up three home runs and 39 total hits over 66.1 IP with the Senators.

Former fourth-round pick Jackson Kent (38.5% Whiff%) missed a lot of bats after he moved up from Wilmington to Harrisburg.

Lastly, flamethrower Jarlin Susana struck out 79 over 47 innings and showcased triple-digit heat, along with high swing-and-miss in the EL.

Rochester Red Wings

Depending on the team, Triple-A farm recaps can be fun – or not. However, the Rochester Red Wings were filled with notable prospects, particularly position players.

Andrew Pinckney hit for a ton of power with the Red Wings, as he belted 20 home runs last season. But as we noted in January, that came with swing-and-miss.

The same can be said for former second-rounder Yohandy Morales, who struck out 131 times over 95 contests.

Daylen Lile (8.2% Barrel%) hit for power in Triple-A Rochester and rarely swung and missed (23.7% Whiff%), attributes that helped Lile earn a call-up to the Majors in May. And that move paid off, as Lile had one of the best second halves in all of Major League Baseball this past year.

As for the pitching staff, Rochester was a point of rehab for Cade Cavalli (6.1% opps’ Barrel%). Cavalli struck out 72 over 65 innings and eventually worked his way back to Washington, a positive after all he’s gone through injury-wise over the years.

Andrew Alvarez, not a hard-thrower by any means, struck out 114 over 123 (26.2% Whiff%) and earned a promotion to the Nationals in a season where the team was looking for help in the rotation wherever possible.

Early Projected Top 5 for 2026

1. Eli Willits
2. Travis Sykora
3. Harry Ford
4. Gavin Fien
5. Jarlin Susana

Three of the top five prospects listed above are players acquired within the last 12 months. Willits was drafted in July 2025, while Ford — perhaps the Nats’ future starting catcher — came over in the deal that sent Jose Ferrer to the Mariners.

Fien, who also made our top 5 for the Rangers, clocks in at #4 after Washington acquired him as part of the MacKenzie Gore trade.

With those five listed above, it’s a good start for the Nationals team that has young pieces at the MLB level — but also a lot of work to do to rebuild the organization further.