These Two Top Nationals Prospects Need to Take a Step Forward in 2026
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If everything goes according to plan this offseason, the Washington Nationals will see an influx of talent enter their farm system.
With new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni calling the shots, he and his front office would love nothing more than to improve the pipeline as they look to get this rebuild back on track. That will come in multiple ways, but one major method that will help them achieve that goal will be to develop the current talented prospects already in this system.
Despite the lack of overall draft success the previous regime had, there are still plenty of high-upside players in the farm system who could turn into foundational pieces of the big league roster if they reach their ceilings.
Two who struggled last year but still fit under that umbrella are Seaver King and Luke Dickerson.
Seaver King Has to Flash First-Round Pick Upside
King was an impressive college player, and that caused the Nationals to take him 10th overall in the 2024 draft. He had a good showing across 20 games that year, but he struggled this past season during his first full professional campaign.
At Double-A, he slashed .233/.287/.313 across 80 games. He also only had three home runs with 13 doubles, 26 RBIs and 74 strikeouts compared to 23 walks. That was far from the production expected out of him, and it called into question what King's ceiling might be.
Thankfully, he had a good showing at the Arizona Fall League this year. He was one of the top performers at the showcase event where he competed with other elite prospects from around the sport, and the hope is that translates to the upcoming minor league season.
A new version of Seaver King may have been unlocked in the desert 🔓
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) November 15, 2025
The Nationals prospect slashed .359/.468/.563 with a 1.031 OPS in the AFL this year.
His 24 RBIs were the second most in the league 🔥
More AFL players who boosted their stock: https://t.co/xEKxUlO86j pic.twitter.com/2z047pJvyS
What King has to do is elevate the ball more often. The ninth-ranked prospect in Washington's pipeline hit a ground ball 53.4% of the time. The MLB average is 41.7%, which shows just how much room he has to improve in that category. The 22-year-old sprays the ball all over the field, so he's never going to be pull dominant. But he'll have a lot more success at the plate if he's able to elevate.
That should be what the new developmental staff works with the youngster on during the upcoming campaign and going forward. There is no doubting King's ability to field his position with his elite athleticism, so it will be about seeing growth at the plate for him in 2026.
Luke Dickerson Needs to Show His Power Potential
The Nationals were not shy about their affinity for Dickerson when they selected him in the second round of the 2024 draft and gave him the largest bonus after the first round in the bonus pool era at $3.8 million.
Not a lot was expected out of the youngster in his first professional season coming from high school. However, the fact he slashed .204/.309/.319 across 83 games at the Single-A level was disappointing. When he was drafted, there was belief in his ability to hit for power. But he was only able to hit five longballs with 14 doubles and 31 RBIs.
LUKE. DICKERSON. 😤
— Fredericksburg Nationals (@FXBGNats) May 16, 2025
IT'S 9-0! pic.twitter.com/jRHghlD6vo
Nobody is giving up on Dickerson at this stage of his career. But he'll need to take a step forward in 2026 to mitigate some of the concerns that were present when he was drafted.
The good news is that the 20-year-old showed an advanced approach at the plate despite his struggles. He hit the ball on the ground 40.2% of the time and was able to hit a fly ball 37.2% of the time, with 44.3% going to his pull side. That was combined with a walk rate of 12.3%.
All of that is a good sign that Dickerson will turn into a solid hitter with the ability to hit for power when he fills out as he gets older. Washington is banking on that to happen, and it will start with improving during the upcoming season.
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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