Inaugural Nats Futures Game offers glimpse of young stars

WASHINGTON -- Their travel plans aren’t changing. Later this week, James Wood knows he’ll board a flight to New York, bound for Opening Day with Triple-A Rochester. Dylan Crews is flying to West Palm Beach, Fla., the Nationals’ spring home, then reporting to Double-A Harrisburg. Throughout the 25-man prospect roster the Nationals put together for their first-of-its kind Futures Game on Tuesday, the destinations will vary. But the reality is the same: to a man, they won’t be starting the 2024 season in the nation’s capital.

But Tuesday was a reminder to each, to the organization, and to the fanbase, that they aren’t far away. That they’ll be here, soon, to stay. And that the future is bright.

“I love watching them play, but sometimes I have to put the blinders on,” manager Dave Martinez said. “We just want them to get them going, get them off to a quick start and then we’ll see where we’re at in a month, two months, three months, however long it takes. They’re ours and we know they’re coming. The exciting thing is they’re all going to be here and most of them might be here together.”

So it was Tuesday, when the jewels of the Nationals’ vastly improved farm system made an unusual spring detour to give D.C. a glimpse of its future. And though the prospects lost 13-1 to the big league Nationals in what amounted to the club’s last exhibition before Opening Day, the tone of the day was rooted in what will come after that.

“It’s awesome to be here,” Crews, the second pick in the 2023 Draft and the club's No. 1 prospect, said in the visitors' clubhouse. “First off, being here and just having an opportunity to play the other guys here in D.C., it's pretty awesome. But we’re treating it just like another game. Nothing is bigger than the game itself, so we’re going out there and we’re trying to win the game … hopefully we have bragging rights in the future.”

For big-time prospects like Crews, Wood (club No. 2), third baseman Yohandy Morales (No. 5) and outfielder Elijah Green (No. 6), this wasn’t their first trip to Nationals Park. They’d toured the stadium, taken batting practice and traveled to D.C. to accept Minor League awards in the past. But Tuesday was their first competitive game situation on the diamond they hope to call their home ballpark in the near future.

And along with this year’s inaugural Spring Breakout, this past month gave many the opportunity to play on the same team together for the first time. The event Tuesday came on the eve of a season the Nationals hope represents a turning point of their rebuild, after enjoying a 16-win improvement from 2022 to ‘23.

“They’re good players,” said left-hander MacKenzie Gore, who used the start as a final tune-up for the regular season. “They’re going to be good. They’re going to eventually keep getting better like everybody else up here and we’re going to have some fun.”

For Crews, Wood and catcher Drew Millas (club No. 20), that big league opportunity could come as quickly as this summer. One member of the Prospects' team still has a chance to make the Opening Day roster: No. 16-ranked infielder Trey Lipscomb, who made a big impression this spring (and was charged with a throwing error Tuesday).

Martinez said those final roster decisions would come either Wednesday or Thursday, before the team opens its season against the Reds in Cincinnati.

“They're coming, and we're all excited about that -- the fans have a lot to be excited about,” Martinez said. “A lot of these guys are a part of our future. To get them out on the field, have them take ground balls, go through batting practice, it was a lot of fun. We're excited about it. I'm excited to see those guys play.”

Worth noting:

• No. 8 prospect Robert Hassell III progressed enough from the groin strain that’s sidelined him for the past few weeks to play three innings Tuesday, as scheduled. He is still expected to begin the year on the Minor League IL but isn’t expected to be sidelined for long. He’s looking to bounce back after a difficult 2023 split between Single-A Fredericksburg and Double-A Harrisburg.

• The prospect team’s lone run came on a T.J. White homer off Trevor Williams in the seventh inning. White, the team’s No. 30 prospect, is on track to return to High-A Wilmington to open 2024.

“That was a surreal experience,” White said.

• The best prospect pitching performance of the day came from right-hander Jarlin Susana, who struck out two during a perfect eighth inning. One of those strikeouts came on a 102.4 mph fastball to Joey Gallo. Susana, the team’s No. 10 prospect, routinely sits in the triple digits with his 70-grade fastball.