Nats prospect King (oblique) placed on MiLB IL

King was batting .336/.427/.562 with five homers and five steals for Harrisburg. Exclusively a shortstop previously, he’s played five of his 35 games at second base. If he starts seeing more time at the keystone, that could be a sign that the Nationals plan to give him a look over Nasim Nuñez at some point. Shortstop might also be a possibility if they decide to trade CJ Abrams before the deadline, though such a move seems less likely than it did a few months ago.

Gott, Lipscomb, and Mervis all have prior MLB experience but were unable to win an Opening Day job with the Nationals. As a 33-year-old veteran, Gott has no more minor league options remaining, so it remains to be seen where he goes from here. Seaver King is the Nationals’ 5th-ranked prospect and is coming off a strong Arizona Fall League season. He was 6-for-16 in MLB spring training with five singles and a stolen base, and he will now either head to Double-A or Triple-A to try and continue his strong run of production.

King, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, hit .359/.468/.563 line with three homers, a 15/11 BB/K ratio, and 11 steals over 18 games in the AFL. The 22-year-old had a down season in 2025, but looks to have figured things out towards the end of the season and in Arizona. He’ll likely start the year in Double-A with the chance to get promoted if he continues playing like this.

Valdez has been the talk of the desert this fall, slashing .370/.519/.870 with eight homers and 26 RBI across 18 games. The 21-year-old slugger’s emergence gives the Pirates another potential high-impact bat to pair with blue-chip prospects Konnor Griffin and Edward Florentino, who will enter next season among the top-ranked talents in baseball. Here’s the full lineup: Nick Morabito (CF), Seaver King (2B), Parks Harber (1B), Valdez (RF), Owen Ayers (C), Nacho Alvarez Jr. (3B), Chris Suero (DH), Starlyn Caba (SS) Josh Adamczewski (LF) and Karson Milbrandt (P).

King has been one of the main standouts on the fall circuit, batting .419 (13-for-31) with two homers and 15 RBI through seven games. The 22-year-old shortstop was the 10th overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft posted a .631 OPS with six homers and 30 steals across 125 games between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg this past season. He’ll open next year back in the upper minors where his combination of athleticism and bat speed put him on the fast track to the big leagues, especially if he adds some defensive versatility. He’s fast enough to make a fantasy impact on the basepaths as a stolen base source down the road.

Through five games, King leads the AFL in hits, doubles, and RBI while slashing .417/.462/.750 with one home run and 10 RBI to go along with a 3/1 K/BB ratio. The 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft is starting to come into his own a bit and could be in for a breakout season in Double-A in 2026.

King was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft as an advanced hitter out of Wake Forest. However, he had an inconsistent first full year in pro ball, hitting .244/.294/.337 in 125 games between High-A and Double-A with six home runs and 30 steals. The 22-year-old had a great showing on Wednesday and is learning a lot from his AFL teammate, Tigers’ infielder Kevin McGonigle, the second-ranked prospect in all of baseball. King had been focusing so much on finding the right swing path, but McGonigle told him, “‘It’s never the swing. It’s always pitches and timing and all those things.’ So he kind of simplified it for [King] today, and you know, it worked.” During the regular season, King posted a .440 OBP and .912 OPS with the count in his favor and a .196 OBP and .410 OPS when he was behind in the count, so an improved approach could lead to a breakout 2026 season.

The 21-year-old college superstar out of Wake Forest will get a $5.15 million signing bonus according to Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline. That’s slightly under the recommended slot value of $5,953,800, which could give the Nationals more flexibility to get a few of their other top signings done quickly. King, 21, could be a quick riser through the Nationals’ system and is highly intriguing from a fantasy perspective.

King, 21, was a big reason for Wake Forest’s success in 2024 with 16 homers and 11 steals while playing four different positions for the Demon Deacons. Many believe his best position is shortstop, but with plus-plus speed and a solid arm he has the ability to play in center or handle the hot corner as well. His bat plays best up the middle as there isn’t huge power potential, but he sprays the ball to all parts of the field with a chance for a plus hit tool and the wheels to be a major threat to steal bags. The lack of top-of-the-scales pop is a little concerning, but the ability to help in several categories is obviously intriguing.