Updated Nationals Farm System Rankings Highlights Their Incredible Young Talent
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One thing new Washington Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni wants to accomplish during the early parts of his tenure is to build one of the best farm systems in baseball.
Having a pipeline flowing with young talent will be key to the rebuild he is tasked with getting on track, and he was able to add five intriguing players to the organization's ranks this winter when he traded MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers for five top 30 prospects.
Now, with spring training underway, MLB Pipeline has released their top 30 lists for each team across Major League Baseball, and it's clear the Nationals have tons of talented youngsters that will be coming up their ranks over the years.
Nos. 26-30
Nos. 26 and 27 are right-handed pitchers Eriq Swan and Sean Paul Linan, respectively. Both project to be relievers if and when they get to the bigs based on their shortcomings with accuracy or overall stuff. But they are both below the age of 25 and could make their MLB debuts in 2027.
Catcher Caleb Lomavita, first baseman Yohandy Morales and 18-year-old outfielder Nauris De La Cruz round out this section at Nos. 28, 29 and 30, respectively. Lomavita and Morales are hard to place when it comes to their viability as major league players for Washington, and De La Cruz was signed as part of the 2025 international class.
Nos. 21-25
Nationals fans should recognize the majority of names in this section. At No. 25 is 19-year-old shortstop Ronny Cruz. He was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Michael Soroka deal alongside Christian Franklin ahead of last season's trade deadline, and there is a lot to like about his upside. Infielder Marconi German came in at No. 21, outfielder Sam Petersen was listed at No. 22, infielder Angel Feliz was ranked No. 23 and first baseman Abimelec Ortiz came in at No. 24.
Both Petersen and Ortiz are in major league camp this spring, and Ortiz is looking for a roster spot. German has gotten a lot of buzz based on what he did in the Dominican Summer League last year, and he could be a huge riser following this campaign. Cabrera and Feliz are young players to keep an eye on, as they could be the next wave of talent across the outfield and infield.
Nos. 16-20
The most MLB-ready prospects are in this grouping, as both outfielders Franklin and Andrew Pinckney were ranked Nos. 18 and 19, respectively. It will be interesting to see what happens with both players following spring training, but there's a good chance they get their first opportunity in The Show at some point this year.
Outfielder Yeremy Cabrera was ranked No. 20. He was a return in the Gore deal and has shown off incredible plate discipline and speed during his short professional career. 2025 draft picks Miguel Sime Jr. and Coy James were ranked Nos. 16 and 17, respectively. Sime, a right-handed pitcher, was taken in the fourth round and didn't appear in games last year. James, an infielder, was taken in the fifth round and also didn't appear in games during 2025.
Nos. 11-15
This section is interesting based on how many arms are in this grouping. At No. 11 is left-handed pitcher Alex Clemmey. Lone position player Ethan Petry was ranked No. 12. Right-handed pitcher Yoel Tejeda Jr. was listed at No. 13. Left-handed pitcher Jackson Kent was ranked No. 14. And right-handed pitcher Alejandro Rosario came in at No. 15.
Rosario, who Washington acquired as part of the Gore deal, was incredible during his lone season in 2024 with a 2.24 ERA across 18 appearances (17 starts). But he underwent Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2025 and likely won't be back until 2027.
Clemmey has a 3.96 ERA across 50 career starts already. Tejada likely will be moved into the bullpen at some point, but he's someone to monitor this year. And Kent is intriguing at the age of 23 based on him reaching Double-A this past season.
As for Petry, the 2025 second-round pick impressed during his limited action with Single-A last year. He's someone who could be a staple on the major league roster if he keeps hitting for power when he reaches the upper levels of the minors.
Nos. 6-10
At No. 6 is right-handed pitcher Luis Perales. No. 7 is infielder Seaver King. No. 8 is infielder Luke Dickerson. No. 9 is infielder Devin Fitz-Gerald. And No. 10 is right-handed pitcher Landon Harmon.
This grouping could largely be classified as the "Boom-or-Bust Section."
Perales is a high-upside arm, but he's coming back from Tommy John surgery. King was horrible during the 2025 campaign, but he flashed during the Arizona Fall League. Dickerson also underwhelmed in his first professional season, but he's a tantalizing power bat. Fitz-Gerald was the opposite, as he impressed but he was impacted by injury. And Harmon was a high school pitcher taken in the third round.
With all of that in mind, the Nationals need the majority of this section to hit since that would really bolster their big league roster for the future.
No. 5 - Gavin Fien
This should not surprise anyone. The headliner of the Gore return package was immediately viewed as the best prospect Washington received from the Rangers, and this ranking reflects that. If anything, it might be a surprise he's listed this low considering the upside he has.
But after a muted first taste of professional action following his selection in the 2025 draft, the third baseman will have to prove he's the type of player who dominated the prep ranks. The good news is he's only 18 and will get plenty of time and development to do exactly that.
No. 4 - Jarlin Susana
Coming in at No. 4 is Jarlin Susana. It's strange to see someone with a 100-plus mph fastball and an even better breaking pitch not be ranked higher. But there are still some legitimate questions about what he's going to be as an MLB player.
In an ideal world, he is a starter. With his stuff profile, he could be up there with some of the best arms in the sport. However, he's never gone longer than five innings in his career and there are real injury concerns, especially after undergoing surgery to fix a lat issue he had.
No. 3 - Harry Ford
Harry Ford likely won't be on this prospect list for long since he's expected to be a major part of the MLB roster this season and beyond. So there will be some re-ranking going on at some point in the year. However, for now, this is a notable spot he comes in at for the 2026 rankings.
There are questions about Ford's defense and if his bat can translate to the bigs in the same way he dominated the minors. But that's a gamble Washington had to take based on their shortcomings at catcher. Ideally, the Nationals acquired their backstop of the future this winter.
No. 2 - Travis Sykora
One of the fastest prospect rises of all time happened in 2025 when Toronto Blue Jays star youngster Trey Yesavage made it to The Show after beginning the season at Single-A. That likely wouldn't have happened with Travis Sykora, but he's been absolutely dominant to start his career and might have been able to follow a similar path.
Through 32 minor league starts, he has a 2.14 ERA with 208 strikeouts across 130 1/3 innings pitched. He's also walked just 44 batters and has held opponents to a .152 average. Unfortunately, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery, so he'll be on the shelf for a while. But he's someone who can't be ignored even while he's out of action.
No. 1 - Eli Willits
There should be zero surprise that Eli Willits is still listed No. 1 in Washington's pipeline. Drafted first overall in 2025, the then-17-year-old showcased all of his hitting and defending tools during his limited action with Single-A.
How he performs this season will be notable, as there are high expectations for the youngster. But based on his upside and potential, it seems like the Nationals have found themselves a potential face of the franchise for the future.
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