Seaver King is putting together the kind of season that changes the conversation.
The Nationals’ 2024 first-round Draft pick reached 20 homers for the first time in his young career Wednesday night, continuing a 2026 surge that has turned him into one of the organization’s brightest breakout names. The 23-year-old shortstop finished with two hits and two RBIs as Triple-A Rochester rolled past Buffalo 12-4 at Sahlen Field.
King’s biggest swing came in the fifth inning, when he went back-to-back with fellow infielder Cortland Lawson. The 411-foot shot to center field left the bat at 104.9 mph and put Rochester ahead 5-4, a lead it would keep the rest of the way.
He kept the pressure on later, adding an RBI single in the seventh. That gave him multiple hits in four of his last six games. King also had another loud moment early, lining out to right field in the first inning on a ball that traveled 374 feet at 101 mph.
Now the Nationals’ No. 4 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 70 prospect overall, King leads Washington’s system with a .305 batting average and sits second with a .901 OPS.
The path to this point has not been smooth. King posted a .752 OPS in 20 games during his Draft year, then ran into real trouble in 2025.
Across High-A and Double-A, he managed a .631 OPS with only six home runs in 125 games. The Wake Forest product had issues chasing pitches out of the strike zone and put too many balls on the ground.
This year has looked much different. After a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League last year, King has gone back to lifting the ball and showing off the raw power that made him such an intriguing prospect in the first place. He’s also a threat once he gets on base, bringing 70-grade speed and 15 stolen bases this season, even though he missed time with an oblique strain.
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