With the Nationals receiving five legitimate prospects in the MacKenzie Gore trade, there is a lot for us to break down. As I dug into the package, Devin Fitz-Gerald is a name that really intrigues me.
On paper, he is probably the third piece in the deal, but I think there is a good chance that he becomes the crown jewel of the return.
Fitz-Gerald is a prospect with a major up arrow attached to his name. He was taken in the 5th round of the 2024 draft, but came out on fire in his pro debut. The switch hitting infielder lit up rookie ball and Low-A, hitting .302 with a .910 OPS. However, his season was cut short in early July after a shoulder injury.
Before the injury, he had a chance to establish himself as a top 100 prospect if he continued on his trajectory. While that progress got delayed, he will quickly rise through the rankings if he performs like he did last year. Fitz-Gerald has an exciting blend of hitting ability and surprising power for a smaller guy.
For a teenaged hitter, Fitz-Gerald is remarkably polished. That is no surprise if you dive into his background. His father is the coach at Stoneman Douglas High School, one of the best programs in the country. The school has produced players like Roman Anthony, Jesus Luzardo, Coby Mayo and Anthony Rizzo over the years. Now, the coach’s kid could be the next big star to come out of that high school.
He really does not have a ton of flaws as a hitter, or at least they have not been exposed yet. Fitz-Gerald is solid from both sides of the plate and checks a ton of boxes. He only struck out 13.9% of the time while walking at a 16.2% clip. The 5’10 185 pound infielder also showed surprising power in his pro debut, with six homers in 41 games.
There is so much to like with the bat. Unlike Gavin Fien, there are no questions about how his swing will translate either. His swing from the left side is picture perfect. There is very little wasted motion, which allows him to tap into all of his raw power. He may not have the elite power upside of Fien, but he should be able to get into what he has.
The sample size is still small and most of it is in rookie ball, but I absolutely love Fitz-Gerald’s offensive game. It is worth noting that he is a bat first prospect. Last season, Fitz-Gerald split time between shortstop, third base and second base. My feeling is that he will wind up at second.
As a coach’s kid, his fundamentals are very solid, but his range and arm are nothing special. However, his ability to make the routine plays routine will allow him to stick on the dirt. Fitz-Gerald is a slightly below average runner, but his reads on the bases should allow him to swipe some bags.
These polished players really excite me. While he is young and untested, I think Fitz-Gerald is actually pretty safe all things considered. It will take him a couple of years to reach the MLB, but I have a high level of confidence that he will make it. For me, he has a higher floor than Gavin Fien because of how clean his swing is.
There are Rangers fans out there that actually see Fitz-Gerald as the biggest loss in the package. After diving into his profile, I can see where they are coming from. He has the look of a really strong bat first second baseman.
Given the fact he only played 10 games at Low-A before going down with injury, Fitz-Gerald should start the season as part of a loaded Fredericksburg infield. It will be interesting to see how the Nats manage that situation. Between Fitz-Gerald, Gavin Fien, Eli Willits, Luke Dickerson, Angel Feliz, Marconi German, Coy James and Ronny Cruz, the Nats have so many lower level infield prospects.
If Fitz-Gerald starts the season well in Low-A, the Nats will likely be quick to promote him. He has the polished skillset to get fast tracked. There is a chance he could even reach Double-A in my opinion. This is a player I am very high on due to his offensive skill and baseball IQ.
He just seems like the stereotypical coach’s kid. Fitz-Gerald knows how to play the game and maximizes his skillset very well. His lack of elite traits will probably stop him from being a star, but I think he has a good chance of being a quality starting second baseman that does a little bit of everything.
If we are sitting here in a year and Devin Fitz-Gerald is the most highly regarded piece of the MacKenzie Gore return, it would not shock me in the slightest. He may not have the upside of a Gavin Fien or Alejandro Rosario, but I think he is a safer bet than both. The more you dive into Devin Fitz-Gerald’s profile, the more there is to like.
