Here¡¯s the Nationals¡¯ new Top 30 Prospects list
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WASHINGTON -- Between the 2022 MLB Draft and a blockbuster deal at the Trade Deadline, the Nationals revamped their Minor League system in a span of just two weeks. Their Top 30 Prospects list -- re-ranked recently by MLB Pipeline -- includes eight new additions. Of those eight, three are on MLB¡¯s overall Top 100 Prospects list.
? Nationals' top prospects stats | MLB's Top 100 Prospects
The season began with right-hander Cade Cavalli, shortstop Brady House and right-hander Cole Henry ranked as the Nats¡¯ top three prospects. While the trio still is on the list, outfielders Robert Hassell III, Elijah Green and James Wood now hold those spots.
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Read on to see which prospects round out the Nationals¡¯ Top 30 list -- including notable additions, rises and falls -- in an improved farm system that was ranked No. 23 at the start of this season.
Here¡¯s a look at the Nationals top prospects:
1. Robert Hassell, OF (No. 23 overall)
2. Elijah Green, OF (No. 29 overall)
3. James Wood, OF (No. 35 overall)
4. Cade Cavalli, RHP (No. 58 overall)
5. Brady House, SS
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Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:
Jump: T.J. White, OF (Preseason: 27 | Midseason: 20)
Drafted by the Nationals in the fifth round in 2021, White slashed .238/.333/.406 with seven home runs, 31 RBIs and 38 runs scored in his first 73 games this season with Single-A Fredericksburg. Only 19 years old, White has a projected Major League ETA of 2025.
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Fall: Branden Boissiere, 1B (Preseason: 17 | Midseason: N/A)
Boissiere, a 2021 third-round pick of the Nats, dropped from the club¡¯s Top 30 rankings. He has been playing at Single-A Fredericksburg this season, where he slashed .236/.365/.324 with three homers, 40 runs scored and 42 RBIs through his first 76 games.
New to the list
Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:
No. 1 Robert Hassell III, OF (Acquired from Padres)
No. 2 Elijah Green, OF (2022 Draft, No. 5 overall)
No. 3 James Wood, OF (Acquired from Padres)
No. 8 Jarlin Susana, RHP (Acquired from Padres)
No. 9 Jake Bennett, LHP (2022 Draft, second round)
No. 17 Trey Lipscomb, 3B (2022 Draft, third round)
No. 21 Brenner Cox, OF (2022 Draft, fourth round)
No. 22 Jared McKenzie, OF (2022 Draft, fifth round)
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Impact callup
Cade Cavalli, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 58)
At the beginning of the year, Cavalli looked like a likely first-half debutant for the Nats. Command issues have delayed that, but the 23-year-old right-hander has been rounding into form lately, posting a 2.20 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 10 walks in his last seven starts (32 2/3 innings). A spot in the Washington rotation is there for Cavalli's taking whenever the organization deems him ready, and that time appears to be getting closer by the start.
Top 30s:
ALW: HOU | LAA | OAK | SEA | TEX
ALC: CLE | CWS | DET | KC | MIN
ALE: BAL | BOS | NYY | TB | TOR
NLW: ARI | COL | LAD | SD | SF
NLC: CHC | CIN | MIL | PIT | STL
NLE: ATL | MIA | NYM | PHI | WSH
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 60 -- Robert Hassell III
Power: 60 -- Elijah Green (James Wood, Brady House, Cristhian Vaquero, T.J. White)
Run: 70 -- Elijah Green
Arm: 60 -- Elijah Green (Israel Pineda)
Field: 60 -- Armando Cruz (Elijah Green)
Fastball: 70 -- Jarlin Susana (Cade Cavalli)
Curveball: 60 -- Cade Cavalli (Evan Lee)
Slider: 60 -- Cade Cavalli (Jackson Rutledge, Gerardo Carrillo)
Changeup: 60 -- Jake Bennett
Control: 55 -- Jose A. Ferrer (Cole Henry, Aldo Ramirez)