Nationals Pipeline Report: Three Notable Prospects Having Power Surge Right Now
In this story:
Things continue to trend upwards for the Washington Nationals when it comes to their pipeline.
One of the goals stated by new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni when he took over this job was to make the Nationals' farm system one of the best in the sport. And so far, it seems like that could come true based on how their youngsters have performed this year.
The latest thing of note that has taken place in Washington's pipeline is a power surge for three of their notable prospects, as Ethan Petry, Cayden Wallace and Trey Lipscomb have all blasted the ball over the fence at a high clip as of late.
Ethan Petry Continues His Power-Hitting Display at Double-A
Petry, who is ranked No. 13 in the Nationals' farm system, was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg on June 9 after tearing it up with High-A Wilmington. The 22-year-old slugger has played seven games at that level, and he's already hit three home runs, including two on June 17.
Considered the best power-hitting prospect in Washington's pipeline, Petry has displayed that throughout his minor league career thus far. And if he's able to keep that going, then he could be a rapid climber up this farm system since he was drafted out of college.
However, outside of the home runs, it hasn't quite been a smooth transition for the slugger just yet. Across those seven contests, he has a slash line of .217/.308/.609 with 10 strikeouts and just two walks drawn. In comparison, he slashed .297/.392/.521 at High-A across 43 games with 47 K's and 22 walks, so it seems like Petry is being challenged by this level for now.
Cayden Wallace Putting Together His Best Power Numbers
Last year, Wallace was ranked No. 11 in this pipeline. He was an exciting addition ahead of the trade deadline in 2024 when the Nationals shipped right-handed pitcher Hunter Harvey to the Kansas City Royals. But now, Wallace is almost a forgotten man in the pantheon of Washington's farm system, as injuries and underwhelming performances have pushed him down the pecking order.
However, at the age of 24, Wallace has quietly put together the best power-hitting season of his professional career. Across 58 games with Double-A Harrisburg, he's hit 16 home runs. That includes having two two-homer games in his last three contests played, which is a ridiculous stretch.
Beyond the power surge of Wallace, he's now slashing .298/.360/.584 with 45 strikeouts to 22 walks. So he is someone to keep an eye on for a promotion at some point down the line.
Trey Lipscomb Has Hit Two Homers in His Last Three Games
Similar to Wallace, Lipscomb is also a bit of a forgotten man now. Once a top 30 prospect in his own right, the 26-year-old has only appeared in three total major league games in 2025 and 2026 after he played in 61 during the 2024 campaign.
Down with Triple-A Rochester, Lipscomb is trying to make a case for another callup at some point. And with two longballs in his last three games, he is now up to 12 homers on the year, which secures his second consecutive season with double-digit home runs and makes him more of an intriguing option.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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