Seaver King’s 2026 surge has spilled into October.
The Nationals’ No. 4 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 68 prospect overall delivered three hits, including a home run, in Game 1 of the International League Finals for Triple-A Rochester, helping the Red Wings edge Memphis 4-3 at AutoZone Park.
King set the tone early with a broken-bat grounder in the first inning that found its way into the outfield. In the third, he lashed a 96.6 mph opposite-field liner that carried over the fence for an automatic double. Then came the swing that changed the game: a 382-foot, 104.2-mph solo blast to left field in the fifth that put Rochester ahead 2-1.
The 23-year-old shortstop finished the regular season as the Nationals’ top full-season Minor League hitter in batting average (.303) and OPS (.898). He also set a new career high with 21 homers across two levels, a sharp jump from the six he hit last season.
King’s hot stretch isn’t just a one-night story, either. His three-hit performance in the opener extended a run in which he has posted multiple hits in seven of his past 11 games, stretching back into the regular season.
A Wake Forest product, King had a tougher time in his first taste of pro ball in 2025, when he struggled to keep the ball off the ground and chased outside the zone too often.
This year has looked much more like the player scouts expected. The power is back, the overall production is up, and his 70-grade speed still adds another layer, even if the stolen-base total dipped to 15 after he swiped 30 a year ago. He also dealt with an oblique strain earlier in the season.
With a strong arm and the kind of all-around profile that plays in the middle of the diamond, King remains an interesting part of the Nationals’ future, whether that ends up being at shortstop or somewhere else. He also played third base and center field at Wake Forest.
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Washington also got another look at how fragile these gains can be, even in a game it controlled for most of the night. Relief work from Will Dion, Yovanny Cruz and others helped preserve the lead, but the finish still required the kind of late-innings survival the Nationals have had to navigate during this run, which is part of why every additional positive sign matters as they try to keep the surge going. [Read more 🡒]