Just like the big league level, the performances in the Nationals farm system were largely disappointing. There were some stand out performers, but there was more bad than good. That is due to a combination
of injuries and underperformance from players in the 2024 draft class. However, there are three players in the system that have a chance to really burst onto the scene in 2026.
The first player I am going to talk about is actually still playing baseball right now in the Arizona Fall League. While Seaver King has gotten a lot of headlines with his play in Arizona, I am actually talking about Sam Petersen. He had a great 2025 season, but I think 2026 could be the year where he puts his name on a lot of radars.
Petersen was an 8th round pick out of the University of Iowa in 2024. Out of anyone in that 2024 class, Petersen performed the best. He put up big numbers across multiple levels in 2025. In 57 games, Petersen hit .310 with a .905 OPS while slugging 7 homers and stealing 23 bases. He did this mostly playing in the notoriously pitcher friendly High-A Wilmington.
The only thing that stopped Petersen from a true breakout is injuries. He was limited to just 57 games, so the sample size was small. That is why he was sent to the Arizona Fall League. He has continued to hit down there, posting a .276 average and an .865 OPS.
Petersen has a solid combination of speed, power and contact abilities. He took his walks and kept the strikeouts in check this year. If Petersen can stay healthy in 2026, he will be in for a strong season. Assuming he continues to rake, the soon to be 23 year old Petersen could become a dark horse top 100 prospect and join a deep group of Nationals outfielders.
The next player on this list of potential top 100 prospects has actually never pitched a professional inning yet. When Travis Sykora was drafted in 2023, Nats fans knew they got a steal. His performances before going down with Tommy John Surgery have proved that. 2025 third rounder Landon Harmon seems like the next Travis Sykora type arm to emerge in the Nats system.
Despite being a high school draftee, Harmon’s fastball already sits in the mid-90’s and can even touch 99 MPH. Harmon’s fastball is more than just pure velocity though. The pitch has really good shape and spin as well. It is one of those fastballs that just explodes out of the hand.
With a projectable frame, there could be even more velocity to come. Scouts rave about his arm speed and athleticism. The fastball is the star of the show, but he also has a solid feel for spin. He has shown the ability to use multiple different breaking ball shapes. Like Sykora, his command is also solid for a high school flame thrower. With his natural athleticism, the command can become an asset for him one day.
It will be interesting to see how aggressively the Nats move Harmon. There is a chance Harmon starts in rookie ball and makes some starts there before going to Low-A. However, he could also go straight to Low-A. That would be a sign that the organization thinks very highly of him. It is what they did with Travis Sykora in 2024. If Harmon is throwing strikes this spring, that is where he will likely be assigned.
Once he is in Low-A, Harmon will have the platform to jump up prospect rankings very quickly. Every year a couple high school arms from the previous draft really pop. In 2024, we saw Sykora do it and last year, Ryan Sloan of the Mariners became a top 100 prospect quickly. Neither of those guys were first round picks. Harmon could be that next non-first round high school arm to really blow up.
The last guy I want to talk about has played in pro ball, but has yet to play in the United States. That would be 18 year old Marconi German. The Nationals signed multiple Dominican talents for over $1 million in this previous cycle. However, Marconi German, who signed for $400,000 was the Nats standout player in the DSL.
German hit .283 with a crazy .992 OPS in 53 games. That OPS was driven by his crazy .479 OBP. German walked over 20% of the time in the DSL. Despite playing the season as a 17 year old, German also showed plenty of power, which is very promising. He hit 8 homers, 9 doubles and 1 triple. That kind of impact is eye popping for a player listed at 5’10 170 pounds.
He was one of the best hitters in the entire DSL and has a real chance to break out once he comes stateside. There are some evaluators, who are already shooting their shot and putting German on the back end of their top 100 lists. I need to see him do it stateside first, but he is certainly a player who could make a big leap next year.
On MLB Pipeline, he is listed as the Nats 26th ranked prospect. He will almost certainly be 10 if not 20 spots higher than that this time next year. Given his performance levels in the DSL, German is likely to come over to the US.
He should start the season in the FCL, where he should spend a couple months. Angel Feliz is a useful comparison for how German could progress. Feliz played 53 games in the FCL before getting a 31 game taste of the Low-A level. German performed better than Feliz in the DSL, so maybe he could be moved even faster.
The switch hitting middle infielder will be a hot name in the Nationals system and I am very excited for his stateside debut. He is a player who could really take off. If he performs close to as well as he did in the Dominican, he is going to be a future top 100 guy. His profile is pretty well rounded and he obviously has great plate discipline. This is one of the best Dominican prospects the Nationals have had in a while.
While 2025 was not the best year for the Nats system, I think 2026 will be a lot better. With a new player development system and some emerging talent, there will be more true breakouts in the system. I can’t wait to watch what happens down on the farm next season.
