The Washington Nationals’ big-league season has been better than expected, but the more encouraging story may be what’s happening underneath it. The system keeps pushing talent forward, and on Sunday two of the organization’s newest names made immediate impressions in their first games with their new clubs.
Chris Hacopian, Washington’s 2026 first-round pick, wasted little time showing why the Nationals sent him straight to High-A Wilmington to open his pro career. The 21-year-old has always been known for his bat after three strong college seasons, and that reputation showed up right away against the Brooklyn Cyclones.
In the bottom of the third inning, Hacopian lined a 2-1 pitch to right field for his first career hit. He couldn’t drive in the runner from second for his first professional RBI, but the hit itself was the important part - a clean first step for a player the Nationals clearly trust with a fast assignment.
Hacopian finished 1-for-3 with a strikeout in Wilmington’s 8-6 loss. He’ll now settle in alongside a crowded group of high-end infield talent at High-A, where Eli Willits, Ronny Cruz, Angel Feliz and Luke Dickerson are all part of the roster mix.
The alignment Sunday was worth watching, too. Willits was at shortstop, Hacopian played second base, Feliz handled third, Cruz served as the designated hitter and Dickerson was in center field. How that infield eventually settles in is something to monitor, but for now the Nationals appear intent on getting their last two first-round picks comfortable together in the middle of the diamond.
Cebert made his own statement at Double-A Harrisburg. The right-hander, acquired from the New York Yankees in the Luis Garcia Jr. trade, looked every bit the part of a pitcher who can move quickly through a system.
In his team debut, Cebert threw four scoreless innings and allowed just one hit while striking out six and walking two. The outing featured the kind of arsenal that has made him such an intriguing arm, with a fastball that jumps and breaking pitches that can finish at-bats.
The underlying numbers back up the buzz, too. Cebert entered with a 28.4% strikeout rate, an 8.4% walk rate, a 30.3% chase rate and a 28.7% whiff rate at Double-A, marks that all sit above average. Sunday’s performance fit right in with that profile.
There’s plenty of confidence inside the organization about what Cebert can become, and his first Harrisburg outing only reinforced it.
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King has already moved steadily through Washingtons minor league ranks and is projected to be in position to reach the majors next season. Burns praise has only added to the intrigue, with the former teammate pointing to Kings leadership and athletic ability as traits that stand out beyond the stat sheet, which is exactly the kind of endorsement Nationals fans tend to notice when a prospect starts to look more like a real big-league piece. [Read more 🡒]