The Washington Nationals are starting to see some payoff from the work they’ve put into their pitching pipeline, and the current big league group has given them a few reasons to feel better about what’s coming next.
Luis Perales is already on the major league roster, though the results haven’t been there yet. Even so, there’s still optimism tied to the kind of stuff he brings. Will Dion, meanwhile, has been excellent since arriving in a trade deadline deal, and rookies Erik Tolman and Jared Simpson have both stood out in limited major league action.
That’s a promising sign for a club that has spent years fighting through rough stretches on the mound. But even with that group drawing attention, the next wave of arms may carry even more upside for Washington.
Most Nationals fans and evaluators have been focused on Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana. Ranked No. 2 and 3 in the organization’s farm system by MLB Pipeline, the right-handers are generally viewed as the two best pitching prospects in the system.
Keith Law of The Athletic thinks another name belongs in that conversation.
After seeing Single-A Fredericksburg in person, Law came away with a strong opinion on right-hander Landon Harmon. In his latest scouting report, he wrote, "... this is high-end starter stuff. He might be the Nats' best pitching prospect."
Law saw Harmon’s fastball sit in the 95-98 mph range early in the outing before it dipped to 91-94 mph in his final inning. He suggested fatigue played a role, noting that Harmon appeared to "hit a wall around 50 pitches."
The command, though, was a problem throughout the start. Law said Harmon walked four batters and "threw a ton of non-competitive pitches," a level of inconsistency he called "hard to accept" given the quality of the arsenal.
Even with those issues, Law still left impressed enough to say Harmon could be the best pitching prospect in the organization. And the outing backed up the raw numbers: four innings, four strikeouts, no earned runs and just one hit allowed.
Harmon’s season has been limited by an oblique injury, which has kept the 19-year-old to 11 starts with Fredericksburg. Still, he’s posted a 1.24 ERA in his first professional season, and the upside is obvious if he can clean up the command.
In Other News...
Nationals Were Helpless As Ronald Acua Jr. Made More Braves History
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The bigger takeaway for Washington was how quickly Acua has now separated himself from the rest of the sports elite company. By reaching the 200-homer, 200-steal mark in record time, he moved past Alfonso Soriano for a place that may stand for a long while, and he did it in a game where the Nationals never had a real answer for him or Atlantas lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Affiliate Let A Winnable Week Slip Away In Painful Fashion
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By the end, the Senators were left with the kind of series that lingers because it never felt far out of reach. After splitting the first two games and hanging around through the middle of the week, Harrisburg still had openings to seize control, only to watch Chesapeake close with the better finish and leave the Nationals affiliate searching for what slipped away. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals May Have Just One Real Fix For Their Bullpen Problem
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That is where the real tension sits for Washington. The front office can keep shopping for relievers on the open market, but the smarter long-term play may be to build the next bullpen from within, especially with several current and minor league pitchers in the mix as possible contributors. There is also ongoing discussion about whether some starters could be better used in shorter bursts, which would give the Nationals more internal options without paying premium prices for established relievers. The challenge now is figuring out which arms can actually make that move and become dependable late-inning pieces. [Read more 🡒]