The Nationals were aggressive with their assignment of Devin Fitz-Gerald this season, sending the 20-year-old infielder straight to High A Wilmington after just 10 games at Low A in 2025 with the Rangers. So far through 13 games, the youngster from the MacKenzie Gore trade has been even better than advertised, hitting .333 with a .982 OPS and 2 home runs, even swiping 10 bags in the process. The switch-hitting youngster hasn’t looked overmatched at all and is actually reaching even higher highs than he achieved
in 2025.
The numbers Fitz-Gerald is putting up at High A for his age aren’t unprecedented, but they are rare. Only 2 other 20-year-olds also currently have at least a 180 wRC+, those being Caleb Bonemor of the White Sox and Wyatt Sanford of the Pirates, and Fitz-Gerald has the cleanest batted ball profile of the three. In 2025, only 3 20-year-olds with at least 60 plate appearances had a 180 wRC+ or higher at High A; George Lombard Jr., a Yankees shortstop prospect and a consensus top 50 prospect; Josue Briceno, a Tigers catching prospect and top 50 prospect; and Kevin McGonigle, the Tigers’ major league shortstop and a consensus top 2 prospect in baseball.
The prospect I want to compare Fitz-Gerald to for now is McGongile, who fast-tracked his way through the minor leagues last season and cracked the Tigers’ big league roster in 2026, where he is raking to the tune of a .892 OPS. McGonigle wasn’t just the best 20-year-old at High A in 2025; he was the best hitter period, with his 215 wRC+ in 171 plate appearances leading all High A hitters. His swing decisions were elite, with a 95th percentile whiff rate, 98th-percentile strikeout rate, and 74th-percentile walk rate, and the result was a 100th-percentile wOBA of .469.
In regard to Fitz-Gerald, while he isn’t quite at McGonigle level as of now, he isn’t far off either. His swing decisions have also been great, with an 85th-percentile whiff rate, 95th-percentile strikeout rate, and 65th-percentile walk rate, resulting in an 88th-percentile wOBA of .425. Both Fitz-Gerald and McGonigle have patient plate approaches, with Fitz-Gerald swinging 42% of the time at High A and McGonigle 46%, and the result is both taking their fair share of walks and doing damage when they get their pitches.
The area Fitz-Gerald lags behind McGonigle is in the power department, where his .185 ISO is a sizable ways away from McGonigle’s .276 ISO at High A. While we won’t get a look at the full sample of exit velocities for Fitz-Gerald until he hits a level where it is provided publicly, the issue could also stem from him not pulling enough of his fly balls quite yet, as his 7.5 pulled flyball% is in the 17th-percentile of High A hitters. Thankfully, this is a coachable issue, and once he starts tapping into his pullside power, he is going to be an even more dangerous hitter than he is right now.
While it would be unfair to place Kevin McGonigle’s level of expectations on Devin Fitz-Gerald at the moment, it is fair to say he should start getting some of the same love as guys like McGonigle, Lombard, and Briceno soon on prospect publications, as he is making a joke out of High A pitching at the moment.
While the MacKenzie Gore deal was criticised at the time for netting the Nationals 0 top 100 prospects, it now appears likely two prospects from that deal, Gavin Fien and Devin Fitz-Gerald, will be on top 100 lists, with outfielder Yeremy Cabrera making a case to appear on it as well.
