Nationals Pipeline Report: Updates on How Notable Prospects Have Performed in 2026
In this story:
This is an important year for the Washington Nationals when it comes to their farm system.
When new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni was hired, one of the first things he focused on was creating a developmental infrastructure that would set up this pipeline for success. Because of that, this season is all about making evaluations, and how the youngsters perform could shape their future when it comes to this franchise.
With that in mind, there is going to be a continued focus on what is taking place down on the farm during this pipeline report piece. And now that a month has elapsed in the season, it's a good time to take stock when it comes to how some notable prospects have performed thus far.
Becoming Star-Level Prospects
By now, just about everyone in the fan base has heard about the red-hot starts of infielder Ronny Cruz and right-handed pitcher Miguel Sime Jr. The former was promoted from Single-A to High-A where he has continued his incredible form, and the latter is putting up gaudy strikeout numbers. However, there is another young prospect who is also performing at a high level.
Yeremy Cabrera, the 20-year-old outfielder who was acquired as part of the MacKenzie Gore return package, has been sensational at the Single-A level to start the season with a .301/.436/.624 slash line, six home runs, eight doubles, two triples and 18 RBIs through 25 games played. He's also walked an impressive 22 times compared to 30 strikeouts, which is notable for a young player. In addition to his eye-catching numbers at the plate, he's recorded 15 stolen bases.
Cabrera is ranked No. 20 in Washington's pipeline. Sime is No. 16 and Cruz is No. 22. If this trio is able to keep up this level of production, then they are going to be major risers in the updated prospect rankings at the midpoint of this season and when the campaign ends.
Strong Starts to the Season
Someone who came into this season with some buzz was infielder Seaver King. After a disappointing 2025 campaign, he had a breakout performance in the Arizona Fall League, and he kept that going in spring training. The No. 7-ranked prospect has not slowed down, as he has been incredible with Double-A Harrisburg. He's slashed .318/.411/.589 with five homers, 10 doubles, two triples and 22 RBIs across 22 games. Now, King could find himself promoted before too long.
Others who have enjoyed a strong start to the year has been fellow infielders Luke Dickerson, Ethan Petry and Yohandy Morales. Dickerson, who is back with Single-A, has looked much more comfortable at that level this season. He's also showing more of his power potential with three home runs and 15 extra-base hits through 26 games. Petry, who started at High-A this season, has done nothing but hit since he's become a professional. And he's continued that with a slash line of .300/.425/.489, four home runs, five doubles and 23 RBIs through 23 games.
As for Morales, the 24-year-old keeps making his case for a major league callup. After having a breakout season with Triple-A Rochester last year, he has been even better to start this campaign with a .337/.426/.510 slash line, five home runs and 16 RBIs. At some point, he'll make his MLB debut, and how long he stays in The Show will be determined by how he does at the plate.
Starting to Heat Up
Following an incredible start to his professional career last year, Eli Willits got off to a slow start this season. That has now changed, as the 2025 No. 1 overall pick is showcasing why the Nationals decided to take him with the top selection of the draft.
Since April 17, when he was batting .180, Willits has recorded a hit in 14 out of 15 games at the time of writing. He also has eight two-hit games during that span, including three in a row. For the season, the 18-year-old has now gotten his slash line up to .280/.418/.449 with three home runs, seven doubles, a triple and 17 RBIs. He's also stolen 21 bases and has drawn 26 walks compared to striking out 29 times across 27 games.
Disappointing Performances
By now, there was probably a good amount of the fan base that expected Harry Ford to be Washington's backstop. But, despite the struggles of Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas, the No. 3-ranked prospect continues to be down on the farm because of his hardships to start the season.
Ford has slashed .174/.287/.209 through 23 games. He's also struck out 29 times and has only walked 13, which is a huge cause for concern since his ability to get on base has been his superpower. In addition to that, he has failed to hit a home run and only has three doubles. That is not a good sign when it comes to someone who was considered to have an advanced hit tool.
But Ford isn't the only one who's struggled to begin the year. Coy James is off to a slow start. Gavin Fien, the headliner of the Gore return deal, has only played four games so far after dealing with an injury last season. And Luis Perales doesn't look like a game-changing arm just yet after returning from Tommy John surgery.
There are plenty of others in the farm system who have performed well and poorly after roughly one month of the 2026 minor league season. But this is what has stood out thus far.
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