Nationals Pipeline Report: Top Prospects Having Mixed Results at Triple-A
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When it comes to what has taken place on the farm for the Washington Nationals, there is no doubt that this year has already been a success.
With a new developmental team and infrastructure in place, multiple young prospects in their pipeline have exploded this season. That is a great sign for the long-term future of this franchise, but those players are still years away from reaching the majors. That's why it's important for the current crop in Triple-A to perform well at that level so they are ready when called up to The Show.
So for this piece, the focus will be on how the top prospects at Rochester have done this season, as seven of the Nationals' top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline, are in Triple-A at the time of writing following the recent promotions of infielder Seaver King and left-handed pitcher Jackson Kent.
Harry Ford - No. 6
It has not been a good start to the year for Harry Ford. Acquired over the offseason with the idea that he would become the long-term catcher for Washington as soon as this year, he has slashed just .209/.327/.279 with one home run, seven extra-base hits and nine RBIs through 34 games with 41 strikeouts. And considering his hit tool was deemed to be further along than anything else in his repertoire, there is some concern about what has taken place so far.
However, the good news is that Ford seems to have figured something out in May. He's slashing .250/.381/.365 and has done the majority of his damage this month. The hope is he'll start heating up at the plate soon so he can get back to his previous baseline numbers.
Luis Perales - No. 8
Luis Perales was another headlining addition from this past winter. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox in a rare prospect-for-prospect trade that shipped left-handed pitcher Jake Bennett out of town, the flamethrowing righty showcased his elite stuff during spring training.
There's been bright spots for Perales with Rochester, especially in May when he reduced his season-long ERA to 3.31 across nine appearances (eight starts). But he also hasn't popped with only 26 strikeouts to 18 walks across 35 1/3 innings pitched. And now he's on the injured list, although it doesn't seem like it's going to be a long stay on the shelf.
Seaver King - No. 9
The career trajectory of King has done a complete 180-degree turn. He had a disappointing showing last year during his first full season of professional baseball. But he went to the Arizona Fall League, had a conversation with current AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner Kevin McGonigle and now is looking like he can become a future star for the Nationals.
King lit it up in Double-A. And now, he's doing the same thing following his promotion to Rochester back on May 18 with a .391/.444/.696 slash line, one home run, two doubles, a triple and nine RBIs through his first six games.
At this rate, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the 23-year-old make his major league debut at some point this season. And that's a huge change from how he was perceived only a handful of months ago.
Jackson Kent - No. 15
Kent is a player to keep an eye on going forward. He has a ton of fans within the organization, and after he added velocity to his pitches heading into this season, he has been one of the most impressive pitchers in this pipeline.
The 23-year-old left-hander, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft, had an ERA of 2.35 across seven starts at Double-A with 38 strikeouts and just eight walks in 30 2/3 innings pitched. He was promoted to Triple-A on May 21, and during his lone start with Rochester, he gave up no earned runs across five innings pitched with only two hits allowed and four strikeouts to one walk. How he looks the rest of the way will be interesting to monitor, but he has put himself into the conversation of being a future impact arm.
Christian Franklin - No. 19
It's been another solid showing for Christian Franklin thus far. His .269 batting average is right around his career average, but he has seen a dip in power with a slugging percentage of .357 and only three home runs and six doubles through 45 games played.
The 26-year-old has yet to make his MLB debut. And with Jacob Young performing the way he has, the runway to getting a callup continues to be small with Dylan Crews now back in the majors, too. Still, Franklin has kept himself on the radar with his performance this season. So if there is an injury or someone starts to play poorly, he could finally get a chance in The Show.
Andrew Pinckney - No. 20
Andrew Pinckney is in a similar situation as Franklin. He also is waiting for his chance to get called up, as the 25-year-old has never appeared in a big league game. So all he can do right now is perform in Triple-A and hope the organization notices what he's doing.
The good news for Pinckney is that he's continued to perform well in Rochester. After putting up a 20-homer campaign last year, he's had virtually the same statistical profile with a slash line of .262/.357/.434 and six home runs through 43 games. He's also recorded 31 RBIs with five doubles and a triple. Strikeouts are a concern with 54 to start the season, but he's also drawn 20 walks.
Abimelec Ortiz - No. 25
Acquired as part of the MacKenzie Gore return package, Abimelec Ortiz was viewed as the long-term first baseman for the Nationals. He was the lone ready-made major league player who came over in that deal, but it was clear he would need some time on the farm following his struggles this spring.
With Triple-A Rochester, it's been an up-and-down season for the 24-year-old. He has a slash line of .239/.351/.486 through 40 games, which is a bit disappointing. However, he's gotten red-hot in the month of May when it comes to his power, as he's launched seven home runs with 23 RBIs. If he can sustain that in the coming weeks, there's a chance he could be called up for his MLB debut at some point in the near future.
Yohandy Morales - No. 28
The case of Yohandy Morales is a perplexing one. Outside of King and the younger stars down at the lower levels of the farm system, it's hard to find anyone who has had a better season this year than the 2023 second-round pick.
Following a productive showing with Rochester in 2025 that created calls for him to get promoted to The Show based on the lack of production Washington had at first base, Morales has taken his game to the next level. Through 48 games, he has slashed .355/.431/.587 with 10 home runs. That is one shy of what he hit last season across 95 games at Triple-A. He also has 10 doubles with 30 RBIs, and he's reduced his strikeout concerns with just 48 K's compared to the 131 he had with Rochester last year.
At some point the Nationals have to give him a look to see what he can do in the MLB. And based on what he's done to start this season, that should happen in 2026.
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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