Paul Toboni, Mike DeBartolo Have Completely Overhauled This Nationals Farm System
In this story:
Things have changed for the Washington Nationals when it comes to their farm system.
Following the MacKenzie Gore trade that aimed to add more high-end young talent to their minor league ranks, it was clear in the latest top 30 prospect rankings put out by MLB Pipeline that the ceiling for the Nationals has been raised.
New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is going to get a lot of credit for that, but he's not the only one responsible for changing the outlook in Washington. Last year's interim general manager, Mike DeBartolo, who is still with the team as an assistant GM, did a great job of leaving his own mark on the franchise.
But just how much did Toboni and DeBartolo change the landscape of the top 30? Well, according to Bobby Blanco of MASN, over half of the list was either drafted or acquired in the last eight months by these two executives.
New Top 30 Nats prospects list per @MLBPipeline. Over half were acquired in the last 8 months by interim GM Mike DeBartolo (draft/trade deadline) and new POBO Paul Toboni (offseason), including all 5 players from the MacKenzie Gore trade in the top 25. pic.twitter.com/oRPONL0Qv4
— Bobby Blanco (@Bobby_Blanco) March 2, 2026
That's pretty remarkable to think about. Starting with DeBartolo, his ability to run a draft on July 13 and 14 after taking over as the interim GM following the firing of longtime general manager Mike Rizzo on July 6 is nothing short of impressive.
While the scouting and evaluations had largely already taken place, it was DeBartolo who had to make the final decision on things, including the choice to take Eli Willits at No. 1 overall instead of the popular Ethan Holliday or college standout pitcher Kade Anderson.
Then, DeBartolo was in charge of figuring out how the Nationals wanted to operate ahead of the trade deadline on July 31. That was an important period for the organization, as they attempted to offload some assets to get back pieces for the future.
Which Mike DeBartolo Prospects Made Nationals' Top 30 List
All in all, DeBartolo did an excellent job of building this farm system when he was running things. And that was heavily reflected in the 2026 top 30. But it's easy to forget exactly which of those top 30 prospects the now-assistant GM was responsible for bringing into the organization. So below is a reminder.
Draft Picks
-Eli Willits (No. 1 overall pick)
-Ethan Petry (No. 49 overall pick)
-Landon Harmon (No. 80 overall pick)
-Miguel Sime Jr. (No. 111 overall pick)
-Coy James (No. 142 overall pick)
Trade Deadline
-Christian Franklin
-Ronny Cruz
-Eriq Swan
-Sean Paul Linan
Your first look at Eli Willits in the Curly W👀! pic.twitter.com/5JpnSF8ccl
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) August 6, 2025
This is a massive haul for Washington when looking at what was accomplished. The 2025 draft could be pivotal for this rebuild, and with all five of their first five picks making the top 30, that's a good starting spot. But when adding in the trade deadline acquisitions, it's where they all ended up on the list that could make DeBartolo's time in charge key for the Nationals when looking back at this period.
Willits is No. 1 in the rankings. Landon Harmon is No. 10, Ethan Petry is No. 12, Miguel Sime Jr. is No. 16 and Coy James is No. 17. Christian Franklin is the highest-ranked deadline pick-up at No. 18. Then Ronny Cruz comes in at No. 25, Eriq Swan at No. 26 and Sean Paul Linan at No. 27.
How Paul Toboni Bolstered This Top 30 Prospects List
Toboni's hiring signaled a long-term rebuilding vision. As a rising executive and someone who came up the ranks on the player development side of things, he was expected to try and put his touches on things immediately. While it might not have happened as soon or as aggressively as many people anticipated, there's no doubt that this is now his organization.
Trade Additions
-Luis Perales
-Harry Ford
-Gavin Fien
-Devin Fitz-Gerald
-Alejandro Rosario
-Yeremy Cabrera
-Abimelec Ortiz
Toboni made three trades this offseason and acquired seven top 30 prospects. After he shipped out Jose A. Ferrer for a package that was headlined by catcher Harry Ford, he sent Jake Bennett to the Boston Red Sox for Luis Perales. Then, he traded Gore in a deal that brought in five top 30 prospects.
Getting this type of return during his first winter in charge is impressive, as Ford now ranks No. 3 in the pipeline, Gavin Fien is No. 5, Perales is No. 6, Devin Fitz-Gerald is No. 9, Alejandrio Rosario is No. 15, Yeremy Cabrera is No. 20 and Abimelec Ortiz is No. 24.
There's no doubt that Washington is set up for some serious future success with the new level of talent they have acquired in the last eight months thanks to DeBartolo and Toboni. But it's now up to the organization to develop them properly so they reach their ceilings.
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