Harry Ford hits first MLB home run against A’s

Ford has settled into about a 60/40 timeshare in deference to the veteran Keibert Ruiz as the season winds down. He’s played 23 games since his recall on July 17, starting 19, and is hitting .197/.303/.409 with three homers and a stolen base. Not exactly numbers that have us rushing to the waiver wire, but he certainly hasn’t embarrassed himself early.

He’ll probably split time with Keibert Ruiz fairly evenly, so he’s not necessarily a must-roster in shallow leagues. Ford hit .223/.370/.335 in 58 games in Triple-A Rochester, but .292/.486/.542 in eight July contests that convinced the Nationals that he might be ready.

Ford came to the Nationals in the offseason in a trade for reliever Jose A. Ferrer and immediately became one of the top prospects in Washington’s system. He was sent to Triple-A, where he played through a shoulder injury and hit .223/.370/.335 in 58 games with four home runs, 34 runs scored, and 22 RBI. However, Ford has been improving of late, posting an .841 OPS in June and then hitting .292/.486/.542 in eight games in July with a 7/9 K/BB ratio. Keibert Ruiz is hitting .275/.302/.465 with seven home runs and 35 RBI in 62 games this season, so Ford is not going to immediately supplant him, but the young prospect could see regular starts against left-handed pitchers early on. He remains off the fantasy radar for now.

Ford didn’t help his chances of making the Nationals by going to play for Great Britain in the WBC, but his bigger problem is that Keibert Ruiz has had a nice spring to date. The Nationals weren’t going to keep the 23-year-old Ford as a backup to Ruiz, so he’ll have to wait and see what happens once the games start counting. With Adams also being dropped, it’s clear that Drew Millas will serve as Ruiz’s backup.

The homer was a 418-foot shot off Jared Koenig. Ford probably isn’t helping his chances of making the Nationals by taking part in his second World Baseball Classic, but barring quite the upset by Great Britain in Pool B, he could be back with the team in a week. He could wind up Triple-A for a spell to start the year while the Nationals decide what they’re doing with Keibert Ruiz.

One imagines there’s some pressure on the newly acquired Ford to be in Nationals camp gaining reps with all of the team’s pitchers, but at least Great Britain probably isn’t in for a lengthy WBC run. It still might lessen his chances of breaking camp with the Nationals, though giving Keibert Ruiz one last chance as a starter is probably the team’s plan anyway.

The 22-year-old backstop was the 12th overall pick from the 2021 draft. Ford spent most of the 2025 season at Triple-A Tacoma where he slashed a healthy .283/.408/.460 with 16 homers, 74 RBI and seven stolen bases in 458 plate appearances. With the struggles of Keibert Ruiz and the rest of the Nationals’ catching depth being unsettled, the door is open for Ford to seize a significant role on the club’s Opening Day roster, which could lead to fantasy relevance.

With the bases loaded and no one out in the 12th, the Mariners had no choice but to turn to Ford, and he rewarded with them with a flyball just deep enough to score Jorge Polanco. Ford has significant fantasy upside, but he’s not going to get enough playing time in 2025 to have relevancy in fantasy.

Ford, the 12th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, will make his major-league debut after hitting .283/.408/.460 with 16 homers and seven steals for Tacoma. He possesses incredible athleticism and stolen base prowess for a catcher, which gives him immediate fantasy relevance. After seeing a little time in the outfield last year, he was exclusively a catcher this season. He probably won’t be a full-timer for the Mariners, but he could see some action between DH and catcher in tandem with Cal Raleigh, at least when Jorge Polanco is starting in the infield. Mitch Garver is surely in line for less playing time.

Clark and fellow Tigers top prospects Kevin McGonigle and Josue Briceño, who were all promoted earlier this month to Double-A Erie, anchor a junior circuit lineup that is jam-packed with intriguing talents. McGonigle might be the top pure hitter in the minor leagues and has cemented his status as a legitimate top-five prospect for dynasty purposes thanks to his blend of elite plate skills and consistent hard contact. The rest of the lineup features fellow elite shortstop prospect Sebastian Walcott in addition to fascinating slugger Jhostunxon Garcia, also known as The Password. Here’s the full lineup: Clark (CF), Braden Montgomery (LF), C.J. Kayfus (1B), Garcia (RF), Harry Ford (C), Briceño (DH), Walcott (3B), McGonigle (SS), Lombard Jr. (2B) and Parker Messick (P).