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Surging Nationals Prospect Has 'Complicated' Outfield Situation

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Sep 10, 2025 5:21 PM ET

Coming into the season, the Washington Nationals expected one of their strengths to be their outfield unit, headed up by breakout star James Wood and top prospect Dylan Crews.

While Wood lived up to that in the first half of the year with an All-Star selection and elite power numbers, Crews was disappointing before he got hurt and Jacob Young continued to provide almost nothing on offense.

The Nationals eventually called up some other top prospects -- Daylen Lile and Robert Hassell III -- to see what they could provide. Lile has popped at times with his hitting ability, but his defense is poor. Hassell has fielded multiple positions well, but he's had some issues at the plate.

All of this has created a murky outlook for how Washington is going to set up their outfield going forward, with Wood slotted into the starting left field role with questions about who will be the everyday guys in the other two spots.

That has only been further complicated by the surge of Christian Franklin in Triple-A.

Christian Franklin Tearing It Up With Triple-A Rochester

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Acquired from the Chicago Cubs as part of the return for Michael Soroka, the 25-year-old is making sure the organization doesn't forget about him when looking at who can be an impact outfielder for the Nationals going forward.

Across 29 games with Triple-A Rochester since the trade, Franklin has slashed .287/.381/.435 with four home runs and 21 RBI, producing three doubles and a triple to go along with 16 walks drawn compared to 28 strikeouts.

Ranked 13th in Washington's pipeline, the under-the-radar prospect is someone Bennett Lehmann of District on Deck highlighted as a player on the farm who deserves more attention, with him stating Franklin's performance "has only complicated the future outfield picture for the Nationals."

Could Christian Franklin Actually Become Part of Nationals Outfield?

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The crowded nature of this outfield makes it hard to predict, with Wood, Crews, Lile, Hassell and Young all ahead of Franklin in the pecking order right now. But that doesn't mean he can't play his way into the mix.

For one, left field could be a spot that uses multiple players since the Nationals might give Wood more time in the designated hitter role going forward. After being an ironman in left to start his career, there's some concern that his declining offensive production was the result of that.

So if Washington does decide to split Wood's time between being a left fielder and DH more often, then there are now three outfield spots that are open for the taking considering Crews hasn't quite burst onto the scene as a consistent player.

Crews will get all the leash in the world to become that type of guy, but until it happens, then opportunities will be present for others. That includes Franklin, who could carve out a role for himself if he's able to be consistent with the bat in his hands and play solid defense at the major league level.

First step for that to happen is finishing out this year strong and rolling into the spring with momentum.