Nationals 2026 Draft Pick Gets Suspended After Failed Drug Test
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Plenty of positives are taking place down on the farm for the Washington Nationals.
They had four prospects finish in the top 100 of MLB Pipeline's rankings. They also had one of the biggest year-over-years rises when it came to overall farm system rankings, which is a good sign about the future health of this organization. The influx of young talent comes at a perfect time for this franchise, too, as new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is attempting to build something sustainable through internal development.
Unfortunately, there was a negative story that came out recently, as Major League Baseball announced the suspension of one of the Nationals' newest farmhands.
Francisco Rivera Suspended After Testing Positive for PEDs
Per MLB.com, catcher Francisco Rivero was suspended 56 games after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol.
Rivero wasn't the only one who was suspended. Free agent pitcher Raudi Perez also was handed out a 56-game suspension after he tested positive for Stanozolol. Rivero's suspension will begin at the start of the 2027 Florida Complex League season, while Perez's will be effective upon his signing with a major league organization.
As for Rivero, this isn't a great way to get his professional career started. He was drafted by Washington in the 15th round of the 2026 draft out of high school in Tucson, Ariz. He signed for $250,000 instead of going to play collegiately at the University of Arizona with the aim of working within a professional system to maximize his offensive abilities early on during his career.
But that's now going to be put on hold. Because the standard Florida Complex League season is around 56 total games, there's a good chance that Rivero misses the entire 2027 campaign due to this suspension. That is a tough pill to swallow for both the Nationals and Rivero since he is an intriguing prospect. Before he signed with Washington and turned down the Arizona Wildcats, he previously planned to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025 as an international free agent before he was deemed ineligible to do that.
It's not clear what the 6-foot backstop can become in his career just yet. He projects to be a defensive-minded catcher, but early work with this Nationals developmental coaching staff could have increased his offensive ceiling going forward. That won't happen due to the suspension, though, and it could hurt him in the long run depending on what he does while he's not eligible to play.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai