High-Upside Nationals Prospect Could Start 2026 Back in Rookie Ball
In this story:
When looking at the farm system of the Washington Nationals, one of the major things that stands out is how many talented infielders they have at the lower levels of the minors.
Because of that, it's going to be hard for this front office to figure out exactly where each player is going to play from a positional standpoint and which affiliate levels they are going to start at this season. Some decisions are starting to be made, with many of the shortstops ready to take reps elsewhere. But when it comes to where these prospects are going to begin their years, that is still something the Nationals are trying to figure out.
Ronny Cruz Could Begin 2026 Season With Nationals Rookie Affiliate
As Washington tries to get important developmental reps for their young players, they could take an unconventional approach with Ronny Cruz, the second piece of the return package the Nationals got ahead of the trade deadline last year when they shipped Michael Soroka to the Chicago Cubs.
Cruz, who was exceptional with the Cubs' rookie affiliate last season when he slashed .270/.314/.431 with two home runs, 10 doubles, six triples and 21 RBIs across 48 games, could start the 2026 campaign back in rookie ball.
"Still only entering his age-19 season, he could be someone that repeats Rookie-level ball, where he walked only 5.3 percent of the time in '25, if the Nationals are serious about getting him as many shortstop reps as possible," wrote Sam Dykstra of MLB.com.
If that happens, it wouldn't be a huge surprise. Because of the timing of last year's trade, Cruz has yet to play an affiliate game for Washington. And after impressing this spring, there is a lot of optimism about what the 25th-ranked prospect could potentially become for this franchise, which might cause the decision makers to take things slow.
Ronny Cruz Was Camp Standout for Nationals This Year
Cruz was in the team's big league camp this spring. And despite his young age, he was able to get into a few games and impress during his time around the major leaguers. Considered a camp standout, count assistant general manager Devin Pearson as someone who was impressed by Cruz.
"He's been the guy of camp that's lit everybody up," Pearson said, per Dykstra. "One, for his range and ability at shortstop, and then second, how hard he hits the ball consistently at good angles. If he continues to progress from a swing decisions standpoint, he's going to be pretty good."
The 19-year-old got into four spring training games. But he showed off that hard-hitting ability when he went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. Cruz has become one of the most interesting under-the-radar prospects in this farm system, and he'll be someone to keep an eye on this season as he potentially starts in rookie ball and climbs his way up the pipeline.
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