On January 23, the Nationals announced that 13 prospects will be going to big league camp as non-roster invitees. Several of the team’s notable prospects will be there, including top pitching prospect Jarlin Susana and two of their big bats.
Arguably the two most notable prospects as part of the non-roster invites were Caleb Lomavita and Brady House, both former first-round picks.
Lomavita, the Nationals’ second first-round pick in 2024, hit only .213/.310/.246 with two extra-base hits (no home runs) over 17 games. The 22-year-old catcher showed good pop at California as a collegiate player, hitting 31 home runs over his final two seasons with the Golden Bears.
The other big name is Brady House, the 11th-overall pick in 2021. House made it to Triple-A last year, splitting time between Harrisburg (AA) and Rochester (AAA). The 21-year-old hit 19 home runs and 41 extra-base hits over 129 games last year. However, he only slashed .241/.297/.402 (.699 OPS).
House has long been a touted prospect in Nationals’ farm system. The former first-round pick has plus speed, jumping on pitches with ease. However, House had a significant strikeout problem last year. House struck out 143 over 129 games in 2024.
Aside from those two, other notable prospects headed to Nationals’ big league camp are Jarlin Susana, Yohandy Morales, and Cayden Wallace.
Susana, acquired in the Juan Soto trade, struck out 157 over 103.2 IP, capping out at High-A Wilmington. The right-hander will be 21 in March and has incredible upside, highlighted by a fastball that’s hit the triple-digits.
Morales, a slugging infielder, was a 2023 second-round pick after a strong collegiate career at Miami (FL). The 23-year-old showed a lot of pop with the Hurricanes, highlighted by 20 home runs two years ago.
However, he’s been more of a hit-first bat thus far, as he only has seven home runs over his first 113 Minor League games. He has, however, hit .303/.389/.446 (.835 OPS) in that span.
Wallace, also a former second-round pick, was acquired last July in the Hunter Harvey trade. Last year was mostly a lost season for Wallace, who only played 56 games. He hit .256/.329/.354 (.683 OPS).
Other names going to big league camp include Daison Acosta, Jack Sinclair, Brad Lord, Tyler Stuart, Marquis Grissom Jr., Andrew Pinckney, Maxwell Romero Jr., and Daylen Lile.
The group of 13 will join ex-Rangers catcher Andrew Knizner as non-roster invitees. Knizner, a defensive specialist behind the dish, hit only .167/.183/.211 (.394 OPS) over 93 plate appearances in 2024.
As of now, the Nationals have three catchers on their 40-man roster: incumbent starter Keiber Ruiz, Riley Adams, and Drew Millas.
The Nationals join several other teams, including the Astros and Reds, that have announced their non-roster invitees.