Nationals Prospects: A look at the happenings on the Nats farm

Taking a look at some notable performances down on the farm

A few weeks ago, I did a stock report on some of the Nationals prospects. In the time that has passed, a lot has changed. Guys have gotten hot, guys have slowed down, and some players have made their season debuts. I will look at some of those players and give an update on the farm.

Heating up:

1. Seaver King, SS (A+)

When I wrote about Seaver King in the last update, he was hitting .152 with a .394 OPS. That was obviously very alarming. However, the former top 10 pick has heated up in Wilmington. He is now hitting .256 with a .714 OPS after a huge 12 game stretch.

It is not all perfect though. King is hitting the ball to the opposite field 52.5% of the time. That will have to come down if he wants sustained success. Of all qualified hitters, Xavier Edwards leads the way in opposite field percentage at 40.9%, over 10% lower than King. James Wood, who is known for hitting the ball the other way is only at 30.4%. However, it is good to see King hitting.

2. Yohandy Morales, 3B/1B (AA)

After being taken in the second round of the 2023 draft, Yohandy Morales had an up and down first season as a pro. He wasn’t bad, with a .269 average and .746 OPS in Double-A, but his signature power was missing. Morales only hit five homers in 245 Double-A at bats.

That is alarming because most scouts projected Morales’ power to be his best tool. However, the 6’3 225 pound slugger has found that over the fence power. He already has four homers, as well as 11 extra base hits in 73 AB’s. With a move to first base likely, Morales needs to be a thumper. He has a 152 wRC+ in Double-A so far, and a promotion to Rochester could be on its way soon.

3. Robert Hassell III, OF (AAA)

Another guy who was on the stock down list a couple weeks ago who is performing is Robert Hassell. After a very slow start to the season, Hassell has exploded his last 10 games. He is hitting .444 in that time. Hassell had a massive two day stretch to start May where he went 8/9 with two homers.

There are still plenty of reasons to be cautious about Hassell given his last couple years. However, some of the optimism that existed during Spring Training is coming back. With a spot on the 40 man roster, Hassell could be in line for his MLB debut before too long.

He is now hitting .293 with a .732 OPS in Triple-A. In my last update on April 21st, he was hitting .232 with a .578 OPS. Hopefully Hassell can keep hitting and make his long awaited MLB debut.

Ice Cold:

1. Kevin Bazzell, C (A)

While the other two players on my stock down list have heated up, it has remained tough sledding for Kevin Bazzell. I was really optimistic about this player after he hit .273 with an .819 OPS in his pro debut last year.

However, he has been very poor in Low-A. He is 7-64, which gives him a .109 batting average. Bazzell has only struck out 8 times in that time, so he is getting unlucky. However, it is hard to be anything other than worried. He has not played since May 1st, so maybe he is dealing with a health issue. It is bad for a college guy known for a polished bat to be struggling this much at Low-A.

2. Cayden Wallace, 3B (AA)

While Yohandy Morales has been thriving in Harrisburg, it has been a struggle for fellow third baseman Cayden Wallace. The infielder came over from the Royals in the Hunter Harvey trade last year, but has not gotten going in his time with the Nats.

Right now, he is hitting just .198 with a .592 OPS. Wallace is striking out 27.6% of the time and walking just 4.8% of the time. That is a rough combination. Wallace turns 24 in August, so time is not on his side. The former second round pick needs to get it going or else he will become an afterthought in the organization.

Debuts:

A number of prospects made their season debuts in the last couple weeks, including a couple big names. Whether it is young guys playing in the FCL, or guys coming back from injury, a lot of Nationals prospects are just getting their seasons started.

1. Travis Sykora, RHP (FCL)

The Nationals number one prospect made his season debut the other day in the Florida Coast League. After offseason hip surgery, Sykora was finally back in action. While he gave up a run thanks to an infield hit, a walk and a balk, Sykora mostly blew away the competition in his two innings of work.

Sykora struck out six of the eight batters he faced and showcased his electric stuff, sitting at 96 MPH and touching 98. After making Low-A look easy last year, it is no surprise that FCL hitters had no chance against the Nats top prospect. Hopefully he gets some action in High-A before too long. If he has a few good starts, the Nats should not wait too long before promoting him. For me, he should have gotten promoted to High-A at some point last season. It is good to see Travis back in action.

2. Luke Dickerson, SS/2B (FCL)

Luke Dickerson, the most expensive second round pick ever finally made his pro debut in the FCL. So far Dickerson has been solid, going one for four in each of his first two games. It is encouraging to see him only strike out once in those eight AB’s as well.

With Dickerson being a two sport athlete in high school, the Nats are taking it slow with the raw talent. They want to see him get his feet wet in the FCL before pushing him to Low-A. However, I won’t be surprised if we see Dickerson in Fredericksburg before too long. He is a very exciting prospect.

3. Angel Feliz, INF (FCL)

Angel Feliz is the Nationals best Dominican teenager in the system. He was very good in the DSL last year and has now come stateside. In his first two FCL games, he is 2/7 with a double.

Feliz has big time power potential and his bat was more advanced than expected in the DSL last year. He is still many years away, but this is an exciting talent worth watching. So far, he and Luke Dickerson have rotated in the middle infield spots. One game, Feliz played shortstop and Dickerson played second base, the other game it was flipped.

4. Jake Bennett, LHP (A)

After missing all of last season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, Jake Bennett made his first rehab start the other day in Low-A. He was very good, striking out four, walking none, and allowing one run in three innings.

Once Bennett is fully healthy, he could move quickly. He is an advanced left handed pitcher with a solid combination of stuff and feel. At 24, he is on the older side, but he could be a solid big league starter one day. Hopefully, we can see him in AA before too long.

5. Cade Cavalli, RHP (AAA)

Cade Cavalli has faced plenty of bumps in the road in his return from Tommy John Surgery. After he exited his third rehab start early, it looked like he might be hurt again. However, the Nationals are saying it is “fatigue”.

With how the Cavalli journey has gone so far, there is reason for skepticism, but hopefully he can be back quickly. I still think the Nats should let him cook in the bullpen. Some guys bodies just can’t hold up to a starters workload and it looks like Cavalli might be one of those guys. He turns 27 in August, so the clock is ticking.