Iowa Cubs' Christian Franklin (53) hits the ball against Omaha on Friday, March 28, 2025, at Principal Park in Des Moines. Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New Nationals Prospect Acquired in Soroka Trade Has Been Lighting Up Triple-A

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Jeremy Trottier | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Washington Nationals have put together a rather unimpressive 2025 campaign, but one of their biggest positives heading into next season is that they have shown immense promise in developing their young core of talent. Both at the MLB level and down on the farm system, there has been a distinct improvement from 2024 to 2025, and it has provided some much-needed hope for the franchise.

It was made clear that this would be the direction of the team at the MLB trade deadline when they sold off some of their veteran assets in return for some younger talents who they may be able to turn into future contributors.

One of the bigger deals was their choice to send starting pitcher Michael Soroka to the Chicago Cubs, getting back two of the Cubs' top 15 prospects. Ultimately, Soroka was having a less-than-impressive year all around, and the Nationals found a way to turn him into two prospects for their future, which seems like a win in hindsight.

While Soroka has lots of time left to shift that narrative, it seems a reasonable deal to make. Even better for Washington, one of the prospects has absolutely torn the cover off the ball in Triple-A Rochester ever since he arrived.

How Has Christian Franklin Performed Since Joining Nationals?

Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ever since this trade was completed prior to the deadline, outfielder Christian Franklin has been absolutely demolishing the baseball in Triple-A. In nine games, he is slashing .353/.463/.559 with 10 RBI, five runs, two home runs, three stolen bases, six walks and 12 strikeouts.

Additionally, his fielding has been lights out, playing at all three outfield positions since joining the team. In 75.2 innings, he has 17 putouts and an assist on 18 chances, with no errors to his name, good for a perfect 1.000 fielding rate. This type of production out in the field would be hugely helpful, despite a logjam at the position for Washington's MLB roster.

What will be intriguing to see in the coming weeks is whether or not he maintains this level of production in Rochester. If he does do so, what will make this entire process even more interesting is whether or not he gets the call-up, despite the Nationals already having five outfielders on the roster.

With how well he has done in a small sample size, it is hard to imagine he slows down immensely on short notice, so hopefully he can keep things up and push for an MLB spot.