The Federal Baseball top 10 prospects for the Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals have a very interesting farm system. It probably is not as strong as it was this time last year due to the graduation of James Wood. However, it has been a long time since the Nats have had a system this deep. The depth will only get better now that the Nats have the number 1 pick and the massive bonus pool that comes with it. Here are the 20 best Nationals prospects entering 2025.
Tier One:
- Dylan Crews OF:
There is only one prospect in my top tier, and that is Dylan Crews. He has separated himself from the pack due to his extremely well rounded skillset. This skillset is why Crews has arguably the highest floor of any prospect in baseball. He does everything well, with 60 grade tools across the board. While he did not light up the Minor Leagues in the way some expected, he still put up good numbers and his quality of contact was excellent. He showed a pattern of starting off slow at a new level of the minors before making adjustments and taking off.
In his brief big league stint, Crews struggled with breaking stuff. However, with a full offseason to prepare, Crews should be able to make adjustments like he has at every other level. Despite being a borderline plus centerfielder, Crews will be playing right field to accommodate defensive ace Jacob Young. Crews should be gold glove caliber in right if his cameo in 2024 is anything to go off of. Crews has the floor of an above average starter and the ceiling of a perennial all-star if he shows more consistency with the bat.
Tier Two:
2. Travis Sykora RHP:
Travis Sykora had the best 2024 season of any Nationals prospect. After being an over slot third round pick in 2023, Travis Sykora’s first professional season couldn’t have gone any better. He was the Carolina League Pitcher of the year and the Nats minor league pitcher of the year. His 2.33 ERA and 129 strikeouts over 85 innings showed he was just too good for Low-A. Sykora’s fastball-splitter-slider mix just overwhelmed hitters at that level.
Sykora has a funky delivery, with arms and legs flying all over the place. This gives him a lot of deception, but it also raises potential injury risk. At this point, every pitcher is an injury risk with the rise of elbow injuries, but Sykora’s high effort delivery is something to monitor. The stuff has always been there for Sykora, in fact he was throwing a little bit harder in high school, but his feel to pitch was what helped him take a leap. It is much better than most flame throwing high school pitchers. He will need to do it at higher levels, but with another strong season, Travis Sykora will be one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.
3. Jarlin Susana RHP:
Choosing between Sykora and Susana is a difficult task and they are in the same tier. I ended up choosing Sykora because he is more of a sure fire starting pitcher. However, Susana has louder stuff and a higher ceiling. Susana’s fastballs AVERAGES 99.8 MPH and he can hold that velocity deep into starts. He uses both a 4-seamer and a sinker. The right hander also possesses a plus slider that is just as good as his heater.
After a miserable first two months in Low-A, where his ERA was above 8, the light finally came on for Susana. He laid waste to Low-A hitters before being promoted to High-A. While his ERA did not stand out like a Sykora, he was very unlucky. A .374 BABIP is extremely fluky and inflated Susana’s ERA. Regardless, stuff and traits matter more than production when evaluating minor league pitchers, especially 20 year olds.
Susana has some of the best stuff in the minors and his command made strides. He will never be Greg Maddux, but he doesn’t need to be. Average command will be plenty good enough. While there is some reliever risk and he hasn’t found a changeup yet, I will bet on the stuff.
Tier Three:
4. Brady House 3B:
2024 was not a banner year for young Brady House. He posted an OPS below .700 and showed some major warts in his offensive game. His overly aggressive approach was exposed, particularly in triple-a. There are a lot of crafty veteran pitchers looking for one last big league shot at the triple-a level. Those types of pitchers were able to expose House’s immature approach. He struck out 68 times, while only walking 7 times in 224 AAA at-bats.
However, all the physical tools are still there for House and he is still just 21 years old. He had a very productive 2023 season, and has turned himself into a good defensive third baseman after transitioning from shortstop. His 19 home runs also show he is starting to turn his plus raw power into game production. The potential to be the Nats third baseman of the future still remains. However, it would be a lie to call 2024 anything other than a stock down season for House.
5. Seaver King SS:
King was a surprise selection for the Nats with the 10th pick. However, his under-slot deal helped the Nats pay for another prospect we will talk about later. King is a great player in his own right. He is an exceptional who went from a Division II player to a Wake Forest star to a top 10 pick in just a couple years. Being a later bloomer, King might have a higher ceiling than many college prospects, but his floor is also lower.
King’s plate discipline is a work in progress, something that is a trend in the Nats system. However, he is a twitchy athlete who can play up the middle and has promising flashes as a hitter. He is a good bad ball hitter and does not strike out a ton. It helps make up for his tendency to chase. He also has plus raw power, but it has not yet translated to a ton of home runs. King’s ceiling is that of a solid hitter, who can hit for a high average while also possessing 20 homer power. He also can be an asset defensively at a number of positions. However, there is some refinement needed here.
Tier Four:
6. Luke Dickerson SS/2B:
Luke Dickerson has the potential to have a Travis Sykora type rise up the prospect rankings. While this ranking might seem high, I don’t want to be late on this guy. There is a reason Mike Rizzo made him the most expensive second round pick of all time. The kid is just bursting with potential. He is a great athlete, who was splitting time between baseball and hockey in high school. Now that he is just a baseball player, his development could go into hyperdrive.
That is the bet I am going to make here. He has yet to play a minor league game, but his traits are enough to convince me. Dickerson tied Mike Trout’s New Jersey record for most home runs in a season. There is so much to figure out about Dickerson still. Most scouts think he is a power over hit type player, but not even that is a consensus. People are split on what position he will play, with some pegging his for shortstop, others second base, while other people wonder how his athleticism would play in the outfield. He is a ball of clay ready to be molded. While he is still so far away, he has rare traits.
7. Alex Clemmey LHP:
Alex Clemmey has an explosive left arm, but there are times where he is not quite sure where the ball is going. He is still just 19 years old, so he will have plenty of time to figure that out. If he can, the sky is the limit for the 6’6 southpaw acquired in the Lane Thomas trade. Like Sykora, Clemmey has a high effort delivery. The Guardians probably saw a lot of reliever risk which is why they moved on.
However, he would be a big time reliever if it ever came to that. The Nationals will give him every opportunity to start, giving the youngster all the time he needs to develop. Clemmey has a devastating fastball-slider combo, with his slider being his best pitch. He has more feel for his breaking ball than his fastball right now. Clemmey’s mid 90’s heater is a plus pitch when he is at his best, but the command and shape of the pitch are inconsistent. Alex Clemmey has the stuff of a top 100 prospect, but needs to throw more strikes to get there.
Tier 5:
8. Cade Cavalli RHP:
Despite being 26 years old and making his debut in 2022, Cade Cavalli is still a prospect. This is due to his Tommy John Surgery in 2023 and setbacks that derailed his 2024 season. However, Cavalli still possesses the big time stuff that made him a first rounder all the way back in 2020. He has a fastball that is in the mid to upper 90’s fastball, along with a number of interesting secondary pitches. Even in his brief 2024 outings, his fastball still sat at 96 MPH. Depending on the outing, any of his curveball, slider and changeup can flash plus, with the curve being the best.
He is more of a control over command guy, throwing enough strikes, but is not always the most precise. Due to his injury history and the glut of starters in the Nats organization, the bullpen could be an option. Cavalli has the potential to be a dominant reliever. After seeing what Mason Miller, another injury prone flame thrower did as a closer, Cavalli in the bullpen interests me. At 26 years old, the time to make an impact is now for Cavalli. He has the stuff to do so, either starting or in the bullpen.
9. Kevin Bazzell C:
Putting Bazzell over Caleb Lomavita is a bold shout, but I just think Bazzell is a lot safer. Even in their brief Minor League stints, you could see Bazzell was a much more advanced hitter. He has a good feel for the strike zone and a plus hit tool. While he doesn’t have a ton of power, he has enough to punish mistakes. Bazzell also has positional versatility, making him a fascinating player, who could either be a catcher or utility man.
He was not a full time catcher at Texas Tech until his junior season, so he understandably has room to improve defensively. However, he is a great athlete behind the plate. Bazzell doesn’t have the ceiling of the more highly drafted Lomavita, but I like his bat. Given Lomavita got a spring training invite and Bazzell did not, Lomavita is higher on the organizational totum pole right now, but that could change this season.
10. Caleb Lomavita C:
Right behind Bazzell is the aforementioned Lomavita. He has a big time ceiling with all the traits and leadership skills you look for in a catcher. Lomavita is an outstanding athlete who is a legitimate stolen base threat. He also has the chance to be an above average defensive catcher with the ability to hit for average and power.
So what is the hold up? The lack of plate discipline is a big red flag in his game. He only walked 12 times in 258 plate appearances in his junior year at Cal. You would think with him being the biggest threat in the Golden Bears lineup, he would get more walks purely from being pitched around. However, he would just chase pitches out of the zone. While I don’t put a ton of stock in players performances in the minors right after they were drafted, Lomavita struggled in Low-A, posting a .556 OPS.
The traits are all there, but there are some reasons for concern in his profile. Lomavita is a boom or bust prospect. If he can cut down on the chase, he has starting catcher upside. However, there is also a chance that his approach just won’t cut it at the big league level. By all accounts a high character player, I believe Lomavita will put in the work and iron out the kinks in his game.