High-Upside Nationals Prospect Highlighted as 'Potential Impact Callup'

There is a lot to think about for the Washington Nationals' front office and coaching staff when it comes to how this pitching unit is going to look for the rest of the season.

Following a winter where the bullpen was pieced together and the starting rotation was remade, things fell off the rails during the second week of the year. The worst fears about those units were realized, as the relief staff blew multiple leads and certain starters were destroyed from first pitch.

The Nationals don't have a clear path to take when it comes to getting things fixed. However, there is one arm in their minor league system that could change the outlook of things going forward.

Luis Perales Named 'Potential Impact Callup'

Washington Nationals prospect Luis Perales | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

MLB Pipeline took a look at prospects who could become impact players for their major league teams this year whenever they get called up. And for Washington, they highlighted right-handed pitcher Luis Perales as that guy for them.

"... there's little doubt the 22-year-old would inject some electricity into the starting corps with his 98-100 mph fastball (featuring 18-20 inches of ride) and 91-94 mph cutter. This is likely a callup that takes some time, but it'd be one worth the wait," they wrote.

Perales, who is ranked No. 6 in the Nationals' farm system, was acquired this winter in a prospect-for-prospect trade from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for left-hander Jake Bennett. He flashed some of his high upside during spring training, and that has created plenty of optimism about what Perales might become after working his way back from Tommy John surgery.

At the time of writing, Perales has started two games for Triple-A Rochester. He has struggled during those outings with three earned runs allowed across 4 1/3 total innings and only two strikeouts compared to five walks. But his upside is still something that could cause Washington to call him up at some point this season.

When Should Nationals Fans Expect to See Luis Perales in MLB?

The Nationals are going to be very cautious with the 22-year-old. So far, he hasn't pitched more than 2 1/3 innings during any of his starts this season, which is a sign that Washington has a clear pitch count in mind as they work the righty back into game action.

Because of that, it would be surprising to see him debut in the majors before the second half. There are other options Washington can turn to first before they callup Perales. So they can be patient when it comes to promoting their star pitching prospect to the bigs.

Seeing him have more success with Rochester would also go a long way for the organization before they call him up, so that's something to keep an eye on going forward. Hopefully that happens and Perales gets a shot with the Nationals sooner rather than later. Because this rotation needs some juice, and the right-handed flamethrower would certainly provide that.