The great folks over at Baseball America just released new top 30 prospect lists for every team entering the 2026 season. Of course, that means the Nats have a new top 30 list. We don’t want to spoil too
much, but I just wanted to highlight some of the rankings I found notable.
If you have not already, make sure to subscribe to Baseball America. It is a great resource for prospect enthusiasts. They have up to date rankings and very good analysis. It is a really high level resource and it makes you a smarter baseball fan.
Getting into the list itself, there is no surprise at the top. Eli Willits is the Nats top prospect, and for good reason. The first overall pick showed his well rounded and polished skillset in his pro debut as a 17 year old. Willits is a top 25 prospect in baseball and a very exciting player for the Nats.
The first surprise on the list is how BA ranks the Nats 2-5 prospects. They have Jarlin Susana at 2, Harry Ford at 3, Luis Perales at 4 and Travis Sykora at 5. I am a bit surprised that Sykora is at the bottom of that group. All of them are in the same tier, but I would have Sykora above a guy like Perales.
However, it makes sense why he is lower. Sykora is likely to miss most, if not all of 2026 due to Tommy John Surgery. While Sykora was dominant in the lower levels, he has only thrown 4.2 innings above High-A and is recovering from an injury. If Sykora were healthy and had established himself in AA, he likely would be at number 2.
You can still argue that he should be number two, as that group of prospects are all in the same tier. Sykora has the potential to be a front line starter, but the injury hurts his development. By the time Sykora comes back, he will be entering his age 23 season without much experience above A ball. However, Sykora has the potential to make this ranking look silly.
Going down the list, it is interesting that Seaver King still ranks as the 7th best prospect in the system. The former 10th overall pick had a down year in his first pro season. However, his premium athleticism still gives him a fairly high floor. King also showed some real progress in the Arizona Fall League.
One of the biggest risers in the system is outfielder Sam Petersen. Selected out of Iowa in the 8th round of the 2024 draft, Petersen was fantastic when he was on the field. He only played 57 games, but posted a .910 OPS when he was out there. Notably, he mostly played at High-A Wilmington, which is notoriously pitcher friendly.
BA was impressed by this, ranking Petersen as the 12th best prospect in the system. They gave him 55 grades for both his hitting ability and his power. In the Nats system, Petersen was able to improve his exit velocities, despite going from metal to wood bats.
If he is able to stay on the field and produce like he did last season, Petersen could make another jump in the rankings. Right now, MLB Pipeline’s list has Petersen as the Nats 26th best prospect. I think BA’s ranking is more appropriate given his tools and production.
Seeing Petersen ahead of guys like Ethan Petry, Yohandy Morales and Caleb Lomavita is new, but it is warranted. He is one of the real sleepers in this system and a guy I love. Entering his age 23 season, I am excited to see what he can do and how much he can climb up the system.
In the bottom half of the list, there are a couple young DSL prospects that excite me. Marconi German is ranked 17th on the BA list after being one of the most productive players in the DSL. He is not the biggest guy, but he has a great feel for hitting and some nice athleticism. If he can produce once he comes stateside, German will shoot up the rankings.
At 28th, BA listed a guy I am not very familiar with in Nauris De La Cruz. The 18 year old was signed last year, and like German he had a strong season in the DSL. BA notes his patient approach at the plate and impressive bat speed. Given his 40 hit tool grade, there is plenty of risk. However, De La Cruz is a name to watch.
Some other rankings I found interesting were Phillip Glasser making the list at 27. He may not have ideal tools, but Glasser is a gamer who has always hit. Glasser can play the infield or outfield, so maybe he can become a bench utility piece.
Caleb Lomavita at 18 was a little lower than I thought. BA notes that he is trending towards being a bat first backup catcher. That is a little disappointing for a guy the Nats spent a high pick on.
Andrew Pinckney all the way at 14 and above a guy like Christian Franklin surprises me a bit. He has some crazy tools, but his hitting ability is a question mark, with BA giving him a 30 hit grade. However, all of his four other tools are 55 or better, with his arm getting an 80 grade. Seems like they think he is a pretty safe bet to become a toolsy fourth outfielder.
One guy who I thought was snubbed from the list was Eriq Swan. He came over as part of the deal that sent Alex Call to the Dodgers. Swan has a big arm, with an upper 90’s fastball and a slider that flashes plus. However, his control is a pretty big question mark and he is already 24 despite not pitching above High-A yet. I see where BA is coming from, but I would put Swan somewhere in the 20’s because of his potential as a reliever.
Overall, this is a very interesting list. You guys should check out the whole thing over on the BA website. Make sure to give them a subscription as well. Their rankings are great and the scouting blurbs they write are even better. If you want to learn more about prospects, make sure to check them out.
