4 Nationals Prospects Who Should Be Next Ones Called Up for Their MLB Debuts

This is a year of evaluation for the Washington Nationals.

With a new front office now in charge, they are taking stock to see who can be building blocks for this franchise going forward. Not only does that center around those who are currently on the major league roster, but also minor league players working their way up the pipeline.

On Friday, the Nationals gave a chance to right-handed pitcher Riley Cornelio when they called him up for his MLB debut. While that outing was a disaster and he was optioned back to Triple-A Rochester after the game, he got his first taste of The Show and will likely be back in the bigs at some point once again this season.

Washington is expected to callup other players in their farm system at some point, and these four are the next ones who should get their first experience in the majors.

Abimelec Ortiz

Out of the four names on this list, Abimelec Ortiz will probably be the next one who is promoted. Ranked 24th in the Nationals' pipeline, the 24-year-old plays a position of need -- first base -- and provides upside with power in his bat.

While he hasn't performed well with Triple-A Rochester to start the campaign -- he's slashed .221/.362/.338 with one home run, six doubles, 13 RBIs and 17 strikeouts to 13 walks across 22 games -- Ortiz is someone Washington had their eye on since he was a key part of the MacKenzie Gore return package.

The slugger is going to be called up at some point this season. When that will happen isn't clear just yet, but he's going to make his debut for the Nationals in the 2026 campaign.

Yohandy Morales

It seemed like Yohandy Morales was destined to make his MLB debut last year. He put together a solid season with Triple-A Rochester when he slashed .249/.330/.401 with 11 homers, 21 doubles and 49 RBIs across 95 games. But he also had a high strikeout rate with 139 K's compared to 46 walks, so Washington held off on the callup.

Well, the 28th-ranked prospect has taken his game to the next level to start this season. Through 23 contests, he has slashed .338/.409/.494 with three home runs, three doubles, 12 RBIs and 24 K's to nine walks. Morales has actually played third base more often than first this year, which should make him even more attractive to the decision makers when it comes to his potential role in the bigs.

As the Nationals try to find more productive offensive players who also have positional flexibility, they should give the 24-year-old Morales a chance to show what he can do at the highest level sometime soon.

Christian Franklin

The next two names on this list are going to directly affect each other. That's because both Christian Franklin and Andrew Pinckney are corner outfielders who bat right-handed. It will be interesting to see who gets a shot at the MLB first, but there's a good chance Franklin gets called up because of his lower strikeout numbers.

Franklin, the 18th-ranked prospect in Washington's pipeline, does not have a lot of thunder in his bat. But he does have an ability to consistently hit and get on base. Through 21 games with Triple-A this season, he has slashed .263/.392/.300 with no homers, three doubles, six RBIs and 24 strikeouts to 16 walks. The power numbers were better last year when he hit double-digit home runs for the second time in his professional career. But the 26-year-old won't be relied upon to hit balls over the fence when he's in the majors.

As the glow of Joey Wiemer's incredible start to the season continues to fade, there's a chance the Nationals start looking at other right-handed-hitting options. And Franklin could be given a shot to make his MLB debut.

Andrew Pinckney

If Washington is looking to add more pop to their outfield, then it wouldn't be surprising to see Pinckney get the call. The 19th-ranked prospect has much more power upside than Franklin, as he's coming off a 20-homer campaign at Triple-A last year.

So far this season, the 25-year-old has slashed .277/.347/.431 across 18 games with two home runs, two doubles, a triple and 11 RBIs. But with that power also comes swing-and-miss. He's already struck out 31 times after striking out 148 times the season before and 167 times the season before that. Those are concerning numbers, and that could be the reason why he hasn't made his MLB debut just yet. However, as the Nationals evaluate what they have throughout the organization, they should call him up at some point this year to see what he can do in the bigs.

Add us as a preferred source on Google