Ranking the 10 Best Nationals Draft Picks Since 2020

Perhaps this is powered by a bit of recently bias, but it's hard not to have been impressed by what Miguel Sime Jr. has done this season.

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2025 draft, the right-hander waited until this year to debut. That wait has been worth it, though, as the flamethrowing starting pitcher has turned heads since the start of the season with big-time stuff that has powered him to a staggering 84 strikeouts across 45 2/3 innings. Already promoted from Single-A Fredericksburg to High-A Wilmington, Sime has continued to dominate his competition with an ERA of 3.26 across six starts there.

There is relief risk when it comes to the Sime. The 19-year-old walked 45 batters across the almost 46 frames that he's thrown, so honing in his command will be important for the 17th-ranked prospect in this pipeline to take the next step. But his triple-digit fastball combined with a wipeout breaking ball is enough to put him in this spot despite the face he has just 16 professional starts to his name.

9. Ethan Petry

Speaking of impressive starts to their professional career, what Ethan Petry has done so far has been nothing short of impressive after being selected in the second round of the 2025 draft.

Petry, who came in with a reputation of having huge pop, has lived up to that billing and then some. Through 63 combined games at the High-A and Double-A levels, he's hit 13 longballs and 13 doubles. While he's ran into some trouble with Double-A Harrisburg when it comes to his slash line of .184/.271/.382, he's still been able to hit the ball over the fence with four blasts in 22 games.

If Petry can continue to add power while also hitting .297 like he did at the start of the season with High-A Wilmington, then he's going to be a star. But even if his batting average dips the further he climbs up the pipeline, it still appears like the 13th-ranked prospect is a foundational piece of Washington's future either as a first baseman or a corner outfielder.

8. Seaver King

Based on how Seaver King played last year during his first full season of professional baseball, it was hard to imagine that he would not only be looked upon favorably when it comes to his place in the farm system, but that he could even be on the verge of making his MLB debut at some point this year.

The story of King's turnaround is well-documented, as things clicked for him in the Arizona Fall League following a conversation with current AL Rookie of the Year front-runner Kevin McGonigle. And now, the 23-year-old infielder is continuing to produce, even after his promotion to Triple-A Rochester with a slash line of .275/.338/.443, five home runs, 11 extra-base hits and 24 RBIs through 33 games.

Now ranked No. 6 in Washington's pipeline, it wouldn't be a surprise to see King be a late-season callup depending on what the front office decides to do ahead of the trade deadline.

7. Brad Lord

It's pretty remarkable that Brad Lord ended up on this list considering he was selected in the 18th round of the 2022 draft. But that's a testament to how well he's performed since becoming a professional, and that remains the case ever since he's gotten to the bigs.

While Lord got some tough news when the Nationals placed him on the 15-day injured list on July 9 due to some tightness in his side, the right-hander has become an important part of Washington's pitching staff with a career ERA of 4.20 through 75 MLB outings (20 starts). And with his ability to be a multi-inning reliever while also stepping into the starting rotation when needed, he will remain a weapon for this team going forward since he's only 26.

6. Travis Sykora

It's a shame that Travis Sykora had to undergo Tommy John surgery last year, because he was on his way to becoming one of the most talked about prospects in the sport.

The 22-year-old right-hander, who was drafted in the third round of the 2023 draft, has been flat-out ridiculous so far in his professional career with an ERA of 2.14 and 208 strikeouts across 32 starts and 130 1/3 innings pitched. Sykora was even more dominant in 2025, with rapid promotions up from Rookie Ball and Single-A -- where he allowed just one earned run across four starts -- to High-A -- where he had a 1.21 ERA through six starts with 47 strikeouts and eight walks over 29 2/3 innings.

Unfortunately, he's going to be on the shelf for all of 2026, and it's not a guarantee that he'll remain dominant when he returns from the procedure. However, Sykora is still ranked No. 2 in Washington's pipeline despite the injury, and that's for a reason. If he is able to pick back up where he started, then he has ace potential written all over him.

5. Jacob Young

Yes, the lack of offense by Jacob Young has been frustrating during his career. But there's no denying he is incredible on defense with him being a back-to-back Gold Glove finalist in center field.

With 26 defensive runs saved and 49 outs above average to his name across almost 3,100 innings, the 2021 seventh-round pick looks to have carved out an important role for himself in the majors. And what's been even more exciting when it comes to the 26-year-old this season is the fact that he's found a power stroke with a career-high eight home runs already.

It doesn't seem like Young will ever become a true two-way player, though, based on the fact that his wRC+ of 77 is still well below the league average mark of 100. But his defense has been so good that it's hard to leave him off the field, which has been impressive.

4. Dylan Crews

It hasn't been the professional career for Dylan Crews that he and everyone else envisioned. But it's hard not to have him high on this list based on the potential that the 24-year-old still possesses. After all, he won the 2023 Golden Spikes Award given to the best college player over his teammate at LSU, Paul Skenes, which is remarkable considering how great Skenes was for the Tigers, too.

Admittedly, this spot for Crews is more about projection than actual results. But after beginning the season in Triple-A Rochester, he's come back to The Show with a revamped swing and approach that has shown some huge signs of improvement. And even though his wRC+ figure is poor at 79, some positive regression could be coming for him in the second half based on what advanced metrics say regarding just how unlucky he's been to start the season, and really, throughout his MLB career.

3. Daylen Lile

Daylen Lile burst onto the scene during the second half of last season. After he was recalled on June 16, he slashed .310/.357/.514 with nine home runs and 39 RBIs to finish the campaign with a slash line of .299/.347/.498 and an OPS+ of 136 that earned him fifth place in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Taken in the second round of the 2021 draft, the left-handed slugger was always a bit under the radar when discussing potential impact prospects. But after his breakout last season -- despite the fact he hasn't been quite as good this year -- his improved his defense makes him someone who the Nationals can continue to build around in the outfield.

2. Cade Cavalli

Drafted in the first round of 2020, it didn't take long for Cade Cavalli to make his major league debut when he was called up to The Show on Sept. 26, 2022. However, following that outing, it was a winding road until he got back there.

Cavalli underwent Tommy John surgery after suffering an elbow injury in spring training leading into the 2023 campaign. That began a long process of recovery for the right-hander, and he didn't make his return to the majors until August of 2025. But since that point, Cavalli has shown why he was considered to be a top prospect when he was coming up the ranks.

Not only did he have an ERA of 4.25 across his 10 starts last year, but he's followed that up with a 3.88 ERA across 19 starts this season, while having improved stuff and an increased strikeout ability. Pushed into the ace role before the start of the campaign, Cavalli has flourished and looks like a building block for this starting rotation.

1. Eli Willits

Yes, Willits has not played a game above A Ball. And yes, it will be a couple more years until he reaches the bigs. But what he's done since becoming a professional has been remarkable, and he looks like he's going to be the next superstar for this franchise.

Drafted at 17 years old to become the youngest player in MLB history to get selected No. 1 overall, all Willits has done since that moment is perform at a high level. He started his career with a nine-game hitting streak, and he hasn't slowed down since with a slash line of .285/.413/.477 across 84 games.

Now, after tearing it up at Single-A to start this season, Willits is with High-A Wilmington. Ranked as the No. 4 in the entire sport, per MLB Pipeline, the 18-year-old seems to have added some pop to his game, too, with six homers across 22 games at that level. That was the only tool missing from his repertoire, so if he can continue to hit for power and average, he could be a coveted five-tool player by the time he's ready for The Show.