This Under-the-Radar Nationals Pitcher Could Push for Opening Day Roster Spot
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There is a lot up in the air for the Washington Nationals this spring.
With the new regime officially in charge and running things, there is an evaluation period taking place across the board for players in the organization. That gives everyone a chance to prove what they can do in the hopes they showcase why they should be part of this franchise's plan going forward.
Most of the focus -- and for good reason -- will be on how things are put together for Opening Day. The pitching staff is the weakest unit on paper, and there will be plenty of camp battles this spring to earn positions on the initial roster.
Someone who is under the radar and could make a push for a spot is Riley Cornelio, at least in the mind of Federal Baseball's Sam Sallick.
Riley Cornelio Has Chance to Make Nationals Opening Day Roster
He highlighted how Cornelio seems to be following down the path laid out by Brad Lord last year, who came into camp with a higher rate of velocity and ultimately couldn't be denied from being given a place on the big league roster.
"This story really is so similar to Brad Lord. Both came into camp coming off breakout years, but were on the outside looking in. Last year Lord showed up with better stuff and won a roster spot. Based on his first outing, it looks like Cornelio could do the same," Sallick wrote.
Cornelio, a seventh-round pick of the 2022 draft, has had one outing this spring. He pitched two innings where he gave up just one hit and struck out three. While this is still a preseason period and is nothing to write home about from an overall results standpoint, what has stood out regarding his profile is that his fastball sat in the mid-to-upper 90 mph range.
sit down, sit down, sit down 🪑
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) February 25, 2026
3 Ks through 2.0 scoreless innings of work from Riley Cornelio yesterday! pic.twitter.com/kqErZ4wHY8
Adding that velocity to his heater is important for Cornelio. His best pitch is his slider, which generated five whiffs during that outing. Speeding up opposing hitters before dropping the off-speed pitch will only help him become an effective major league arm.
What role he'll have in the bigs when that time comes is anyone's guess, though. Washington has brought him up the ranks as a starter, with 74 of his 75 minor league appearances being in that capacity. He's produced a 4.46 ERA in that role, but there is an argument to be made that he's better suited for the bullpen.
If he's going to make this year's Opening Day roster, then it'll likely come as a reliever. The Nationals need relief arms, and if Cornelio can continue this level of production, then it'll be hard to not give him a spot.
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