Nationals Seem to Have Changed Position of Their Prized Prospect
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Gavin Fien was the prized return of the MacKenzie Gore trade for the Washington Nationals over the winter, and the expectation was that he would be manning the left side of the infield alongside top-ranked prospect Eli Willits in the nation's capital for years to come when they reached The Show.
Fien had come up the ranks of his prep career as standout shortstop, but many evaluators expected him to shift to third base at some point as a professional. And when the Nationals acquired him, it seemed like they were going to make that position change quickly with both he and Willits playing together in Single-A.
However, it looks like Washington has changed their mind when it comes to Fien's future position. Because so far in 2026, he hasn't made a single appearance in the infield, as he seemingly has been converted into an outfielder.
Outfield Now Looks Like the Future Position for Gavin Fien
The 19-year-old has played in 23 total games this season at the time of writing. 10 of those have come in right field, while eight have come in center. He's also made five appearances as the designated hitter.
That is notable. There was little mention of Fien becoming an outfielder in his scouting report, although his plus arm combined with his power potential makes him a good fit in the corner based on his limited athleticism at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. However, not only is it surprising to see him play in the grass the majority of the time, but for him to not even get game reps in the infield so far this campaign has been head-turning.
As the season progresses, there's a chance that could change. After all, Fien missed almost a month of time from mid-April to mid-May due to a wrist injury, so he hasn't been available for the entirety of the year. But based on the fact that he's exclusively played in the outfield this season, it seems like the Nationals have committed to turning the slugger into a future outfielder.
Infield Logjam Now Starting to Figure Itself Out
The reason why Washington might have shifted Fien to the grass was because of how crowded the infield is across their minor league farm system. Not only does Willits, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, look like their shortstop of the future, but infielders Ronny Cruz and Devin Fitz-Gerald have been breakout stars this year, Seaver King is now at Triple-A looking like he might make his MLB debut in 2026 and four other top 30 prospects in their pipeline are infielders at the High-A level or lower.
That is a logjam, and Fien only added to that based on his profile. So seeing him get converted to the outfield at this stage of his career could be the optimal thing for everyone in the long run, and it probably gives the high-upside hitter the best chance to become an everyday player for the Nationals in the bigs.
Still, this will be something to keep an eye on. There were very few people who would have predicted that Fien would become an outfield prospect based on what was said after Washington acquired him. But now, in his first full year of professional baseball, it seems like that's the case.
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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