Here’s the three month check-in with all our top 20 (and some) prospects. All seasonal stats as of 7/1/25, though the whole point of this article is to see how these players are doing in the last month. I’m a little late posting this … since we’ve had a ton of “news” happen, so I havn’t updated this post for anything that’s happened in the last nine days (like, for example, Cavalli getting shelled last night).
#1. Dylan Crews OF (CF): Missed all of May with oblique issue. Was not hitting well before hand. Temperature: on ice.
#2 Travis Sykora RHP (Starter): Just promoted to AA, his 2nd promotion in as many months. He’s our #1 prospect on all lists right now and it will be super interesting to see how he fares in AA. Temperature: red hot.
#3 Brady House SS/3B: Promoted to MLB, has basically been the starter at 3B. Slashed just .231/.268/.288 for the month of June. Not great. Not much power shown so far. Paul deJong just came off the DL (though his slash line is even worse) so I wonder what the team will do here. Temperature: Hot for making majors, not hot for his MLB performance so far.
#4 Jarlin Susana RHP (Starter). Zero news on his grade 1 UCL sprain; zero June activity.. Temperature: on ice.
# 5 Seaver King SS. took a big step back in June: .218/.259/.307. Is it possible he’s just too high in his first pro season? Maybe they should have left him in Wilmington (even if its an awful hitter’s park). Temperature: getting colder.
# 6 Yohandy Morales 1B/3B: has not taken to AAA pitching so far, slashing just .207/.289.331 in Rochester so far. Temperature: Warm for getting to AA at age 23, code so far in the league.
#7 Cayden Wallace 2B/3B: was awful in June: .169/.218/.211 for the month. Weren’t there some who thought this was a better 3B prospect than House this past off-season? Phew. Temperature: ice cold.
# 8 Cade Cavalli RHP (Starter): Five starts in AAA after finally returning from nearly 2 years out for TJ, and he’s not really impressing. Interestingly though Fangraphs just did a piece on him. He talks a ton about changes he’s making to his approach, introduction of new pitches, working on a 2-seamer, mixing up speeds, etc. I think his up and down results in AAA so far can be explained a bit, and I’m a bit less worried than others. If you’re in the anti-Cavalli camp right now, give this article a read and see if it changes your mind. Temperature: Warming up.
#9 Alex Clemmey LHP (Starter): His June was just as good as his May; 1.45 ERA, .197 BAA against. He’s already due for another promotion, and I wonder if he’s starting to put his name into consideration for some top-100 lists as a 19yr old dominating in High-A. Temperature: getting hot.
# 10 Robert Hassell III OF (CF): Got 21 games in the Majors when we had some OF issues, but struggled (.218/.228/269) and is now back in AAA. He continues to be a healthy hitter in AAA (OPS north of 1.000 in June), and hopefully gets another shot at the Majors soon. Temperature: hot for getting there, cold in MLB.
#11 Caleb Lomavita C: Solid June: .295/.371/.346. Love the OBP, wish for more power. He’s only 5′ 10″ so maybe a gap contact hitter is his ceiling. Temperature: Staying Warm.
# 12 Luke Dickerson SS/CF: It was great to see Dickerson quickly hit his way out of the complex league, but his time in Low-A so far has been a struggle. He’s slashing just .223/.327/.338 so far in F’burg. So, pump the brakes a bit. Also, remember that if he were playing by the D1 rules, he’d be taking his freshman summer in some random wood-bat league near his home in Jersey. Temperature: luke warm.
# 13 Andry Lara RHP (Starter): did a bunch of rehab starts in A-ball, then was optioned to AA instead of AAA (odd for a 40-man roster who pretty much proved he had solved AA last year) and promptly got shelled in his first game back. He’s now got a 10 ERA in AAA this year and a 20 ERA in AA. Is he still hurt? Temperature: very cold.
#14 Tyler Stuart RHP (Starter): his first month back in AA post injury did not go well: 5 games, 6 ERA, and now he’s back on the DL as of this writing. Harrisburg now has nearly an entire rotation on its DL (Susana, Stuart, Knowles, Atencio). Temperature: chilly.
#15 Daylen Lile OF (CF): his slash line in the majors so far (.221/.274/.338) hasn’t been great, but he’s the one they’ve kept up for now instead of the likes of Hassell, Yepez, Chapparo, Tena, etc. He’s getting playing time too, often at the expense of Young or Call oddly. Temperature: hot for getting there, cool in MLB
#16 Kevin Bazzell C/3B: continues to disappoint. .213/.367/.234 in June. He’s got zero power and isn’t hitting well enough to maintain his spot. Temperature: ice cold.
#17 Jake Bennett LHP (Starter): Bennett continues to be brought back slowly, doing just 3IP in each of his starts. So far he’s been nearly unhittable and efficient in these starts. Hoping to see him stretch out and get to AA by year’s end. Temperature: getting warmer.
#18 Brad Lord RHP (Starter/Reliever): fun fact: as of this writing Lord is 4th on the damn team in bWAR for the season. 3.28 ERA in 30 appearances/57 IP as of this writing. 18th round draft pick. What a win for the player dev and for the draft team. Temperature: Red Hot all around.
#19 Angel Feliz 3B/SS: cooled from his hot start, hitting just .238 in May. Still a win for getting to FCL after just one year in DSL. Temperature: cooled off
#20 Andrew Pinckney OF (Corner): struggling in AAA: .203/.329/.344 for June. Still getting starts in AAA, which is something positive for the 24yr old, but not doing much with it so far. Temperature: cold
Notables #20 and above by the Level they mostly played in in June 2025.
In MLB:
- #35 Jackson Rutledge gave up 10 runs in 10 June MLB innings; that’s not going to cut it.
- #36 Cole Henry continues to hold his own in the MLB pen; his FIP flatters his ERA but he’s got a positive bWAR and that’s awesome for someone I was afraid was going to be out of baseball.
in AAA:
- #32 Darren Baker had a solid June in AAA: .317/.427/.400. If we manage to flip any of our MLB utility infielders Baker should get another shot.
- #38 Drew Millas hit well in AAA in June .286/.357/.469, which helped him get the call-up to the majors. This positive mention of Millas won’t
- Both our 1B/DH “prospects” Yepez and Chapparo are now back in AAA; #31 Chapparo probably losing out in a numbers game for now, but Yepez was DFA’d and outrighted in what probably is a dagger for his time with Washington.
- #41 Marquis Grissom Jr bounced back after a tough month after getting promoted; he’s in the Futures Game but probably not on merit.
In AA:
- #47 Phillip Glasser SS bounced back after a great April and an awful May with this June slash line: .329/.426/.482. Why hasn’t he moved up? Nowhere to play him: he’s played basically 2B and LF this year: AAA has too many 2B already (Baker, Lipscomb, Arruda) and too many guys who are limited to a corner OF/DH spot (Baker, Schnell, Yepez/Chapparo).
- #25 Kevin Made: wow; he’s alive. And crushing AA pitching: .352/.410/.444 in June. Phew. Not bad for a glove-first prospect. Why not move him up? Because Nasim Nunez is clogging the AAA SS position with his Mendoza line batting average. I dunno; maybe its time to cut bait here.
In High-A:
- #39 Sam Peterson got promoted and was basically High-A’s best hitter in June: .286/.370/.400.
- #88 Miguel Gomez cruised for the month in the closer role with a sub 1.00 ERA.
In Low-A:
- #90 Yoander Rivero was the teams’ best hitter in June … and just hit the DL.
- #96 Pablo Aldonis is making a name for himself in the bullpen.
- #42 Robert Cranz dominated again in June and just earned a promotion.
In FCL:
- #23 Elijah Green officially was sent to the FCL, hopefully to re-work everything. So far? .229/.386/.286. 13/9 K/BB in 12 games. Ok, so that’s an improvement. Interesting that he’s taking so many walks all of a sudden; is that wild pitching or is that him showing plate discipline as part of his reworking? The team has so much invested in him, it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with.
- #44 Jose Feliz, continues to remain one of the best starters in FCL.
- #45 Dashyll Tejeda, remains hot: .315/.351/.407 in June after similar numbers in May. Great to see.
- #72 Sir Jamison Jones: improved greatly this month; .308/.440/.615. Wow. Love those numbers. Another month and he’s gonna have to move up just like Dickerson did.
In the DSL, here’s how the first month went for the six DSL guys i’ve got on my top 100 list. These are all position players, ironic in that the strength of our DSL team right now seems to be its rotation.
- #22 Victor Hurtado, our big-money 2024 guy, not impressing yet again in 2025. .259/.429/.296. He’s listed as a corner OF; need to see more power here.
- #29 Brayan Cortesia has wasted no time making his introduction post signing in January: June: .440/.481/.520. He’s 11 for 25 with some doubles, so SSS but a solid start.
- #37 Daniel Hernandez, who’s starting to get some prospect love in other shops, struggling to start hitting just .213 for the month. Listed as a C when signing but a DH so far for DSL.
- #66: Rony Bello: .801 OPS to start the season.
- #70 Hector Liriano: hitting .152 as a 1B? that’s not going to cut it.
- #103 Juan Obispo is hitting .313 in very limited action so far.
A few highlights/comments:
I’m still the conductor of the Yoyo Morales Hype Train. Over his past 19 games in AAA, he’s hitting .276/.349/.500. Looks like he might have taken some time to adapt, but then again that’s been the story of his short career. I still don’t understand why many people (particularly the prospect gurus – looking at you, Longenhagen) are so quick to use a few bad weeks here and there to attack his performance, but go silent when he resumes mashing the ball.
Cayden Wallace has caught Natsitis, like Hassell and Ruiz before him, which is an affliction where a play stops hitting as soon as he joins the franchise. What a huge disappointment.
I am really enjoying eating crow about Hassell. But he’s been a completely different player since his demotion from DC.
Before promotion: .288/.337/.405
After demotion: .324/.418/.559
This is exactly what I’d been hoping/waiting to see from him, the 2021-2022 version that he flashed with the Padres. I hope that this isn’t just another short lived hot streak, but it is now 17 games since he was demoted… He, like House, Lile, Crews and Millas, need to show they can translate their success in the minors to the majors, but it’s a hugely encouraging development.
Lomavita isn’t hitting for power as expected, but I wonder why he, of all our prospects, has found himself stuck in Wilmington. EVERY hitter that hasn’t completely stunk has absolutely raced through Wilmington, except Lomavita. What’s especially strange is that his batting line isn’t a product of Wilmington’s pitcher friendliness, because Caleb is hitting substantially better at home than away.
Home: .307/.380/.421
Away: .277/.351/.361
Glasser is supremely underrated. He’s the new Jake Alu in many ways. I still don’t know what position he’s best at, and has weirdly played the most at LF in his career, despite never playing anywhere in the OF in college, but he’s also played frequently at 3B, SS and rarely at RF and 1B (in addition to 2B, DH and LF). That versatility should be an asset, and so it’s not just middle infield contingent blocking him in Rochester, but also Jose Tena, Jackson Cluff and Andrew Pinckney. Not all those guys should be much of an impediment…
Will
9 Jul 25 at 9:55 am
while disappointing, Crews’ injury may turn out to be a turning point for him. he was heating up a bit and he missed all the scrutiny during the team’s awful last six weeks.
House starting to make adjustments and take those outside pitches to right. once his confidence increases we hopefully see a return of his power.
the more I see Cavalli the more I think reliever. not so much on stuff but on the ability to hold it together for multiple innings, much like Rutledge.
Lara’s three innings in DC were a nice surprise. otherwise this is shaping up to be a lost season so far. still time to finish strong whether that be in AA or AAA but the higher level would definitely provide more on his chances
the FCL and DSL are more interesting this year, let’s hope that trend continues
FredMD
9 Jul 25 at 10:43 am
Not on topic but…I was pleased with what DeBartolo said during his meeting with the press yesterday. I was initially very dismissive of promoting from within, but DeBartolo’s comments have made me rethink that. Specifically his points about using data more consistently throughout the organization, and looking for ways to use technology to innovate. To the extent Rizzo ever discussed such things, I got the feeling he did so only begrudgingly whereas DeBartolo seems eager to identify the cutting edge of MLB GMing. Even though I like what DeBartolo himself said, I have to be pretty skeptical about the anonymous quotes that say he’s not Rizzo 2.0 or something similar. Those anonymous quotes most likely come from people who are already in the Nats’ front office, whose jobs are a lot more secure if DeBartolo gets the full time gig. Or they could come from ownership, who almost certainly believes DeBartolo will come cheaper than anyone else they could hire. All that said: I’m more confident about the future than I was before DeBartolo spoke. Let’s hope he’s the most successful person ever to be part of this franchise with the word “Bartolo” in his name…
Derek
9 Jul 25 at 12:38 pm
Mark Z reported Clemmey replacing Sykora at Futures game
FredMD
9 Jul 25 at 12:47 pm
Sykora: hope this isn’t indicative of an injury … he did have kind of a weird outing last time.
Todd Boss
9 Jul 25 at 1:48 pm
One of the Nats Prospects commenters from Harrisburg was indicating that Sykora may have a leg issue, not arm. However, Stuart has an arm issue.
Clemmey is found gold. He doesn’t turn 20 until next week and looks ready for AA.
Law indicated that the organization changed the swings of King and Bazzell, and both have struggled mightily. Makes you wonder whether they have screwed up some others, like Wallace. It’s clearly a wasted summer thus far for all three of those guys, all of whom are thought to have MLB potential.
I don’t understand the rush in some quarters to declare Crews a bust. He’s had monstrously bad BABIP “luck” (.233) and doesn’t turn 24 until February. Yes, there’s a small possibility that every scout in baseball was wrong about this guy, but that’s unlikely. FanGraphs still has a 60 FV grade on him, posted this week.
I may not be at the same level of optimism, but I still share Will’s hope on Morales.
Lara had an excellent three innings in his MLB debut. He’s only 22.
Alas, Cavalli is five years older. I’ve said my piece about him. The guy who has been insisting that he remain a starter just got fired. I don’t think they’ll toss him in the ‘pen immediately, but the clock is ticking fast for him to prove that he’s still starter material. Or maybe it would be better to call him up as a reliever after Finnegan gets traded?
The Kevin Made surge, basically out of nowhere at age 22, is interesting. It’s still difficult to imagine him as more than an MLB utility guy, but just being able to imagine him as a major-leaguer in any capacity is a cut above where he’s been.
KW
9 Jul 25 at 4:14 pm
It’s worth reposting Laws comments from his chat on 7/2 in response to a question about whether the Nats’ 2024 draft was already looking like a dud:
“Dickerson’s been a lot better than you imply, making hard contact & controlling the zone. The low BABIP isn’t going to stay that way. And I’d still take King over Tibbs right now, even with King struggling in his brief time in AA — swing decisions were always going to be his main issue and AA pitchers are exploiting his willingness to go outside the zone. His contact rates are good, but that ball above the top of the zone that he can get the bat on isn’t necessarily the pitch you want him swinging at. He’s still a plus defender at short with power and strong hand-eye. Bazzell’s been the big disappointment; I haven’t seen him live yet but I have heard from scouts that the swing is different.”
I did chuckle that he didn’t mention Lomavita, who Law didn’t like and thought would flop but who currently has a .293 BA, 126 wRC+. I’m surprised they haven’t moved him up yet.
KW
9 Jul 25 at 4:25 pm
Oh wow, just seeing Cavalli’s ugly line from Tuesday. Yikes. His AAA numbers are getting really ugly.
Also seeing that Yoyo had two homers and a double. More of that, please!
Great short start from Bennett. Really need to get him on up to AA. Another struggling outing from Lara.
KW
9 Jul 25 at 5:22 pm
I’m not even “optimistic” about Morales, just trying to counteract an illogically harsh narrative that seems uniquely targeted at Morales, who’s been held to a wildly higher standard than any other prospect I’ve encountered.
There are definitely big concerns about Morales’ approach. The power isn’t as good as advertised, his defensive future at 3B is less likely than predicted. HOWEVER, every prospect in the history of baseball, except Juan Soto, has encountered setbacks along the way, and developed skills at different paces. On the bright side, Morales’ hit tool is way better than advertised. He has a career .293 batting average. That’s elite.
But after an all round good 2025, Longenhagen (among others) docked Morales’ scouting report even further! It’s just baffling. Meanwhile, Dylan Crews, who has his own set of VERY big concerns (which again isn’t new or unique, many of which are similar to Morales’) maintains exactly the same scouting report from when he was the best hitter in college baseball. But compare their careers to date, since they’re basically the same age and same draft class, it’s easy to do:
2023 (age 21)
Crews – rookie ball to AA: 136 wRC+
Morales – rookie ball to AA: 127 wRC+
2024 (age 22)
Crews – AA to AAA: 117 wRC+; MLB: 80 wRC+
Morales – A (rehab) to AA: 132 wRC+
2025 (age 23)
Crews – MLB: 74 wRC+
Morales – AA to AAA: 115 wRC+
Basically, Morales’ injury in 2024 put him a season behind Crews developmentally, but they’ve posted extremely similar offensive output, while the defensive differences were always baked into the scouting reports. And yet Crews retains his 60/65 rating depending on the publication, and Morales routinely gets trashed in his scouting grades. It doesn’t make any sense to me the completely different approach to Morales as compared to any of our other prospects who’ve had some ups-and-downs, and Morales has had remarkably few downs!
Will
10 Jul 25 at 5:53 am
Zuckerman is reporting Sykora has a biceps issue that will have him shut down for 2-3 weeks. That’s not good. Sykora is accruing an injury history already in his short career. Fortunately, none of those injuries are elbow or shoulder related, which is a big relief.
Still, it’s disappointing that, as statistically the best pitcher in the minor leagues, he won’t get a chance to showcase himself at the Futures Game.
Will
10 Jul 25 at 5:55 am
Just skimming through the FanGraphs list. Longenhagen says that he has heard that Susana is back to throwing bullpen sessions, which is great news. It’s been a lost season for him, but if he can avoid surgery, that’s not a total loss.
Yes, very relieved that Sykora’s issue isn’t an elbow. But speaking of elbows, Trevor Williams is having surgery. Does that make this Cavalli’s time, ready or not?
KW
10 Jul 25 at 4:19 pm