Devin Fitz-Gerald is one of the more fascinating prospects in the Nationals system. The switch hitting infielder is the 5th ranked prospect in the system according to MLB Pipeline and 4th according to Baseball America. Out of the 5 prospects the Nats received in the MacKenzie Gore trade, Fitz-Gerald looks like the best one at the moment.
However, there is more to Devin Fitz-Gerald than just the baseball player. This has been a difficult year for the Fitz-Gerald family. Devin’s mother, Colleen was
diagnosed with a brain tumor and told she has about 18 months to live. This layer of personal tragedy has hung over the 21 year old’s season.
Fitz-Gerald, also known as DFG, has said he is playing for his mother this year and forever. To have this going on while also going through a professional baseball season is a major challenge for anyone, let alone a player in a new organization. For those curious, the Fitz-Gerald family has set up a Go Fund Me.
Now that we have discussed this very important context, I wanted to dive into Fitz-Gerald’s season on the field. It was an up and down year for DFG, who had a great start and great finish to the season. However, he faced some bumps along the way in the middle.
Fitz-Gerald is a second baseman who can do a little bit of everything. He is not the biggest, strongest or fastest, but DFG gets the most out of his tools. A big reason for that is because of his baseball IQ. That high level of on field intelligence comes from being the son of a high level high school baseball coach. His dad coaches at Stoneman Douglas High School, which has produced several big leaguers such as Roman Anthony, Coby Mayo and Jesus Luzardo.
Now the son of the coach is looking to be next in line. Despite not having jaw dropping raw power, Fitz-Gerald still found a way toput up 20 home runs this season between High-A and Double-A. He does a great job consistently elevating the ball and that allows him to outslug his average raw power.
DFG also has a very solid hit tool to go with that power. On the season, he struck out just under 22% of the time. He struggled with strikeouts early in his AA stint, but he gradually improved, as did his overall play.
In the beginning of the season, DFG took the prospect world by storm. In April and May, he was lighting it up with Wilmington. There was a stretch where Fitz-Gerald homered on a near daily basis. In that insane May, DFG homered 9 times.
However, when the calendar turned to June and the youngster got promoted to Harrisburg, he went ice cold. Fitz-Gerald struggled on the baseball field in a way I doubt he ever had before in his life. He went 10 for 88 in 22 games that month. Between the off field tragedy and struggling on the field, that must have been a very difficult time for him.
That tough month made him show resilience though. The turnaround did not happen overnight. In July, Fitz-Gerald was better, but still only hit .250 with a .639 OPS. By the time August and September rolled around, Fitz-Gerald had figured out his new level and was rolling. Seeing that growth after being dominated early on in AA was very encouraging to see.
By September, DFG was back in his flow state. He homered 4 times in 9 games to end his season. Even while going through an extended slump, Fitz-Gerald still put up solid numbers in his first year in the Nationals organization. He hit .251 with a .780 OPS and hit 20 homers while stealing 15 bases.
I still think the best is yet to come for Fitz-Gerald. The 21 year old will likely start next season in AA, but if he gets off to a fast start, I could see him getting promoted to AAA quite quickly. We will see if he can reach the big leagues in 2027, but I do not think it is impossible.
However, I think the most likely outcome is an early 2028 debut. Once Fitz-Gerald arrives, I think he has a good chance of making second base his long term home. I do not see super star potential, but he can be one of those players who quietly hits 15-20 homers, hits about .260 and plays solid defense. That is not a flashy profile, but it can get you to 3 WAR pretty easily.
Chase Meidroth of the White Sox is a player who I think profiles pretty similarly and he has 4.4 fWAR this season. Overall, Fitz-Gerald is a quality ball player and seems like a quality young man as well. Given his story, I will always be rooting for DFG.
