House, Lomavita, Susana among prospects invited to MLB camp

The names aren’t quite as notable as a year ago, when several of the top prospects in baseball made their spring training debuts for the Nationals, but this year’s crop of non-roster invitees does include some intriguing young players who figure to be part of the organization’s future (some sooner than others).

The Nats announced 17 players not currently on the 40-man roster who will participate in major league camp beginning next month, headlined by third baseman Brady House, catcher Caleb Lomavita and pitcher Jarlin Susana.

This will be House’s second spring with the big leaguers, but the 21-year-old’s first real opportunity to show the organization he’s close to big-league-ready. The Nationals’ 2021 first round pick got a token look last spring before heading to Double-A Harrisburg. He finished the season at Triple-A Rochester, batting .241 with 19 homers and 66 RBIs in 129 combined games between the two affiliates.

Team officials haven’t definitively said if House has a chance to make the Opening Day roster, but they also haven’t acquired any starting third base candidates this winter. For now, the alternatives to House are Jose Tena, Trey Lipscomb and veteran utilityman Amed Rosario.

House won’t be the only third base prospect in camp. He’ll be joined in West Palm Beach, Fla., by 2023 second round pick Yohandy Morales (who also plays first base) and Cayden Wallace (who was acquired from the Royals last summer for reliever Hunter Harvey) and could be close to big-league ready himself.

The other player the Nats technically acquired in the Harvey trade – via a supplemental round draft pick – also received an invitation to his first big league camp: Lomavita. The 22-year-old catcher will get a chance to showcase himself only nine months removed from his playing days at Cal-Berkeley. He’s not viewed as a major league candidate yet, having played only 17 games at low Single-A Fredericksburg, but club officials will get a chance to see how he conducts himself among far more experienced players.

Lomavita is one of three catchers who received non-roster invitations. Andrew Knizner is a 30-year-old veteran who previously backed up Yadier Molina and Willson Contreras with the Cardinals, given an opportunity to compete with holdovers Riley Adams and Drew Millas for the No. 2 catcher’s job behind Keibert Ruiz. Max Romero Jr., meanwhile, gets a look after spending last season at high Single-A Wilmington and then the Arizona Fall League.

Two prospects from the Nationals’ deep reservoir of young outfielders received invitations: Daylen Lile and Andrew Pinckney. Lile, the club’s second round pick in 2021, is coming off his first fully healthy minor league season, producing a .735 OPS with 23 doubles, 10 triples, six homers and 25 RBIs for Wilmington and Harrisburg. Pinckney, the fourth round pick in 2023, had 22 doubles, eight homers and 50 RBIs in 137 games with Harrisburg and Rochester last season.

Headlining the list of nine pitchers who received camp invitations is Susana, the flamethrowing 20-year-old acquired from the Padres in the Juan Soto blockbuster. After an erratic 2023 season at low Single-A, Susana started to put it together last season, earning the promotion to high Single-A. In 24 total starts, he had a 4.34 ERA, 1.312 WHIP and a whopping 157 strikeouts in only 103 2/3 innings, elevating him up the organizational prospect rankings.

Susana remains a few years away from reaching D.C., but several other pitching prospects who will be in camp do have a real shot at debuting sometime in 2025.

Brad Lord, the organizational pitcher of the year in 2024, went 10-4 with a 2.43 ERA and 1.195 WHIP in 25 starts while twice getting promoted (from Wilmington to Harrisburg, then to Rochester). The 25-year-old right-hander could be at the top of the list of pitching prospects on call to debut if the Nats have an opening in their rotation, finding himself in a situation comparable to Jake Irvin in 2023 and Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz in 2024.

Tyler Stuart, acquired last summer from the Mets for Jesse Winker, could also put himself in the mix for a promotion with a strong showing this spring. The 6-foot-9 right-hander had a 2.08 ERA in four starts with Harrisburg following the trade, earning a promotion to Rochester, where he was hit harder in four late-season starts.

Two other starters with some major league experience received invitations: righty Joan Adon (who was recently outrighted to Triple-A after getting designated for assignment) and lefty Konnor Pilkington (who signed a minor league deal after six seasons with the Guardians and Diamondbacks organizations).

As things currently stand, the Nationals have a bunch of bullpen jobs up for grabs this spring. They are expected to sign several more experienced relievers before Opening Day, but they’ll also give several young in-house arms a chance to make a name for themselves this spring.

Daison Acosta is a 26-year-old reliever who delivered a 2.61 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings for Harrisburg and Rochester last season. Marquis Grissom Jr. (son of the former Expos outfielder) has a 2.33 ERA and 1.121 WHIP in 79 professional appearances since the Nats selected him with their 13th round pick in the 2022 Draft. Jack Sinclair (16th round pick in 2021) had a 2.20 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings for Harrisburg last season. Clay Helvey, 27, signed a minor league deal this winter after going 20-19 with a 4.94 ERA in six seasons in the Giants organization.