When can we expect the Nats' next high-profile debuts?

Watching the Nationals slog their way through Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the Rockies, and contemplating a lineup that has been held to a grand total of 14 runs over its last six games (five of them losses), it was hard not to look forward and ask the question surely on everyone’s minds right now.

When is the rest of the calvary coming?

The Nats have been fielding a lineup for a while that does feature several potential young building blocks: James Wood, CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr., Keibert Ruiz, Jacob Young. The rest of the lineup, though, continues to feature placeholders, some of whom could theoretically be part of the long-term plan, though the odds are still against that actually coming to fruition.

So it’s not wrong to end each night looking not only at the major league box score, but at the Triple-A Rochester box score to check in on the big-name prospects who are still waiting for the call. Most notably, Dylan Crews and Brady House.

Crews is one of the top rated prospects in the sport, the second overall pick in last summer’s draft considered one of the surest bets in recent history. While the two players drafted directly before (Paul Skenes) and after (Wyatt Langford) have been big leaguers for months now, Crews remains a minor leaguer. One with good-but-not-great numbers.

In 97 total games split between Rochester and Double-A Harrisburg, he owns a .264 batting average and .338 on-base percentage, having hit 13 homers with 66 RBIs, swiping 23 bases and producing a .791 OPS. Solid, yes. Spectacular, no.

Crews, though, has been on something of a tear in recent weeks at Rochester. Over his last 16 games, he’s got a .373 on-base percentage, .529 slugging percentage, .902 OPS and four homers (including a three-run blast Tuesday night).

He’s still only 22. He’s still taken only 592 plate appearances as a professional. And most prospects in his situation wouldn’t be considered big league material yet. But Crews’ pedigree as one of the most accomplished and advanced hitters in recent college history has earned him the benefit of the doubt and allows him to be under serious consideration for a spot in a big league lineup sooner rather than later.

From the Nationals’ perspective, there’s no real strategic reason to keep him in the minors any longer, aside from the question of his actual readiness. With fewer than 45 days to go in the regular season, Crews would not lose his rookie status for 2025 if he’s called up now (unless he somehow accrues 130 at-bats in the team’s final 36 games, which given his high walk rate probably wouldn’t happen). This is important, because it would leave him eligible for National League Rookie of the Year next season, which could net the Nats an extra draft pick in 2026.

There was some reasoned speculation the Nationals might even promote Crews this week, taking advantage of a home series against the Rockies before they hit the road this weekend for a quick trip to Atlanta. That didn’t happen Tuesday, so attention may now shift to next week’s higher profile homestand against the Yankees and Cubs. If it doesn’t happen then, we’re likely looking at a September debut for Crews.

House, meanwhile, has more professional experience than Crews, having been drafted two years earlier. He’s more than a year younger than his Rochester teammate, though, having been drafted out of high school shortly after turning 18.

House has produced better numbers at Triple-A (.270 batting average, .461 slugging percentage) than he did at Double-A (.234 batting average, .423 slugging percentage), but he’s only been with Rochester for 28 games, has a less-than-enthralling 33-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio and pretty clearly still needs more seasoning.

It’s possible the Nationals decide to give House a taste of the majors before season’s end, but few would fault them if they wait until 2025 to make that move. They could even decide to wait a few weeks into late April and potentially buy themselves an extra year of service time before he would be eligible for free agency.

Whether we see either of these guys in the next week, the next month or the next year, the clock is ticking. All eyes are on two of the Nats’ last four first round picks. And the question remains: When will they join the other young guys already playing here in D.C.?