MLB Pipeline released its annual top 100 prospects ranking Sunday just two weeks before the 2022 minor-league seasons get underway. The Nationals landed two prospects on the list: a pair of names that have made the rounds this offseason as Washington’s consensus top two farmhands.
Not only did right-handed pitcher Cade Cavalli and shortstop Brady House make MLB Pipeline’s top 100, they landed on all six of the most prominent preseason rankings released the last few months. Catcher Keibert Ruiz, who barely exceeded rookie limits last season, appeared on three different rankings while left-handed pitcher Cole Henry was a surprise addition to FanGraphs’ list.
Here’s a look at where the Nationals’ top prospects appear on each of the major top 100s:
- Cade Cavalli – 39th
- Brady House – 49th
- Keibert Ruiz – 11th
- Cade Cavalli – 27th
- Brady House – 59th
- Cade Cavalli – 19th
- Keibert Ruiz – 39th
- Brady House – 66th
- Cade Cavalli – 74th
- Cole Henry – 82nd
- Brady House – 98th
The Athletic (Keith Law)
- Brady House – 46th
- Cade Cavalli – 48th
ESPN (Kiley McDaniel)
- Keibert Ruiz – 27th
- Brady House – 41st
- Cade Cavalli – 65th
On average, Cavalli was ranked as the 45th overall prospect in baseball and House finished 60th. Ruiz is technically no longer a prospect anymore, but his average ranking on the three lists he did appear on was 26th. Overall, the rankings represent a significant step forward for the Nationals, who entered the 2021 season without a single consensus top 100 prospect — though MLB Pipeline did rank Cavalli 99th.
Cavalli, 23, led the minor leagues with 175 strikeouts last year in what was his first professional season since being drafted as a two-way player out of Oklahoma with the No. 22 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. The Nationals invited him to spring training this year for the second-straight season and he’s a candidate to reach the majors by mid-summer if he makes strides at Triple-A Rochester.
House, 18, landed with the Nationals at No. 11 overall in last year’s draft listed at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. His profile carries promise of some serious power, a trait he put on full display in a short rookie ball stint last summer when he hit .322 with four home runs and a .970 OPS in 16 games. Nationals Director of Player Development De Jon Watson said in February he expects House to begin 2022 in Single-A.
FanGraphs notably also included Henry, 22, in its rankings, projecting him as a potential “dominant” reliever with three plus pitches in his arsenal. The 2020 second-round pick out of LSU is still expected to work out of the rotation this year, but the Nationals are easing him into the season after injuries limited him to 47 innings in 2021 (he added another 19 in the Arizona Fall League, impressing with a 3.32 ERA).
The Nationals’ farm system has been on the rise since the team started prioritizing youth development with its trade deadline fire sale last July. In addition to Henry, other players that could soon make their way into Top 100 rankings with strong 2022 seasons include recent international signees Cristhian Vaquero (OF) and Armando Cruz (SS), as well recent top draft picks Daylen Lile (OF) and Jackson Rutledge (RHP). Washington also has the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft.