Spring storylines: The next wave of prospects

We’ve finally hit the final stretch of the offseason! Nationals pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach on Wednesday, kicking off the 2025 season.

So we’re going to use the remaining days leading up to spring training to preview the top storylines that will play out during camp. And to keep with this team’s overall youth theme, we’ll start with a look at the young players still to come.

At this time last year, all the attention was on the arrivals of James Wood and Dylan Crews, and whether or not they could make the Opening Day roster. They didn’t, but they both found themselves as everyday big leaguers by the end of the regular season.

Who are this year’s top prospects to watch in spring training?

Robert Hassell III and Trey Lipscomb will be back as members of the 40-man roster, with the Nationals also inviting Brady House, Yohandy Morales, Cayden Wallace, Daylen Lile, Andrew Pinckney and Caleb Lomavita to big league camp.

While Hassell, Lipscomb and House were non-roster invitees last year, the others will be participating in major league spring training for the first time. And those first three names will have a lot of attention on them this spring.

Hassell will have to finally prove he can stay healthy. The 23-year-old outfielder had some impressive moments in spring training last year, but a groin injury cut his camp short. After a strong start to his minor league season, he landed on Double-A Harrisburg’s injured list in June with another issue with his right hand/wrist area and remained out until August.

Hassell did impress in the Arizona Fall League, but injuries have kept his development behind the likes of Wood and Crews.

Meanwhile, Lipscomb and House may take part in the most interesting position battle in camp: third base. The Nationals enter spring training without a sure thing at the hot corner, a position they haven’t had a long-term solution for since Anthony Rendon.

No longer technically a prospect, Lipscomb enters with some big league experience at third. He almost made last year’s Opening Day roster as the second baseman and then was thrust into everyday third base duties when Nick Senzel landed on the injured list before the season even started.

While Lipscomb proved to be a solid defender at third, he struggled offensively in his 61 game with the Nats. Has he improved enough at the plate to be an everyday big leaguer?

House has yet to make his major league debut, but most expect it to come at some point this season. His ceiling may be higher than Lipscomb’s, but he lacks the experience at the upper levels so far.

Will his 54 games at Triple-A Rochester be enough of a launching pad to give him an edge in camp?

As for the rest of the previously mentioned prospects, they’ll get their chances to show their stuff in big league camp. Morales and Wallace could figure into the third base competition. Morales might even get some looks at first. Lile and Pinckney will get fair cracks in the outfield. And Lomavita will learn a lot getting to work with major league pitchers and coaches.

There will be a handful of young hurlers as well in Jarlin Susana, Brad Lord, Tyler Stuart, Jack Sinclair and Daison Acosta. The rotation and bullpen are the most prone to injuries, so opportunities may arise for the youngsters.

Top prospects Travis Sykora and Alex Clemmey may even get a call over from minor league camp at times. Seaver King and Luke Dickerson will likely be extras in major league drills.

Will any of them impress enough to make a push toward the Opening Day roster? The next six weeks will tell.

But after the graduations of Wood and Lipscomb, and the pending graduations of Crews, House and Hassell, these are the names to remember in the next wave of top Nats prospects.