On January 26, the Nationals revealed 10 players who will be going to Florida to join the big club as Spring Training non-roster invites. That list included pitchers Travis Sykora & Jarlin Susana, plus former first-round picks Seaver King & Caleb Lomavita.
The prospects
Perhaps the two most notable players among the group are pitchers Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana, arguably the two best hurlers in the organization.
Sykora started last season on the IL thanks to a hip injury but flourished upon his return. The right-hander struck out 47 over 29.2 IP with High-A Wilmington before he moved up to Double-A, and posted the second-highest Whiff% (44.9%) in the South Atlantic League.
However, he only made two starts with the Senators before he succumbed to a season-ending elbow injury. Sykora needed UCL reconstruction surgery and likely won’t be available until late 2026, at the earliest.
Susana was one of many prospects acquired by the Nationals as part of the Juan Soto trade. The Nationals have been careful with Susana, who dealt with several injuries last season, since he was acquired. Nonetheless, he remains one of the premier pitching prospects in the game.
The 21-year-old struck out 79 over 47.1 IP with Double-A Harrisburg, juxtaposed to 32 walks. Susana recorded a 39.4% Whiff% in the Eastern League last season, fifth-highest in the circuit and fourth-highest among starting pitchers.
With Susana, the right-hander can overwhelm opposing hitters with a true plus slider that hovers at around 90 MPH. That pitch is paired with a blistering fastball that’ll hit 100-101 MPH.
The Nationals also invited the team’s two first-round picks from 2024: Seaver King & Caleb Lomavita.
King, selected 10th overall, is a very interesting prospect. A shortstop taken out of Wake Forest, King slashed .244/.294/.337 with six home runs, 34 extra-base hits, as well as 40 stolen bases between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg. He hit much better in the AFL, as King picked up eight extra-base hits over 18 games and posted a 1.031 OP.
The 22-year-old likes to swing, as noted by his sub-46% take rate in Double-A last season. Will make consistent contact (23.9% Whiff%).
Lomavita, taken 39th overall, slashed .275/.340/.374 with six home runs and 25 extra-base hits. The 23-year-old catcher hit two home runs in nine games with Harrisburg, half of what he recorded in the South Atlantic League (note: Wilmington is a pitcher-friendly ballpark).
The Nationals also invited Andrew Pinckney, Yohandy Morales, Phillip Glasser, and Cayden Wallace to camp.
Pinckney (10.1% Barrel%) can hit for power. The former fourth-round pick hit 20 home runs for Triple-A Rochester last season. He also added 34 stolen bases. However, high swing-and-miss (34.6%).
Yohandy Morales (35.9% Whiff%) also had similar swing-and-miss troubles. Morales, though, also hit for power. The former second-round pick picked up 34 hits across 95 games with the Red Wings last season.
Glasser had one of the 10 lowest Whiff% (15.8%) in the Eastern League last season.
Wallace slashed .242/.310/.376 with 10 home runs and 34 extra-base hits for Double-A Harrisburg. Washington acquired him as part of the return for Hunter Harvey in 2024.
Other notables
Trey Lipscomb, who received 211 plate appearances with the Nationals in 2024, will also be in camp. Lipscomb spent most of 2025 with Triple-A Rochester and received only four plate appearances last season. Washington outrighted him off the 40-man roster in November.
The 25-year-old was well-known for his penchant for expanding out of the strike zone with the Nationals in 2024. That was on display (36% Chase%) in Rochester. It didn’t lead to a lot of swing-and-miss or strikeouts but Lipscomb’s numbers remained less-than-stellar.
Across 489 plate appearances with the Red Wings, Lipscomb slashed .249/.305/.392 with 11 home runs and 41 extra-base hits.
The other player with MLB experience among the Nationals’ non-roster invites was Shinnosuke Ogasawara.
Ogasawara was signed to a two-year deal last January, one of several notable additions from the Nationals during the 2024-25 winter. However, the 28-year-old lefty didn’t make the team out of camp but ultimately worked in a relief role last season with Washington.
The left-hander didn’t miss many bats (23.5% Whiff%) and gave up nine home runs over 38.2 IP. Washington outrighted him off the 40-man in late October.
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