Breaking: Rising Washington Nationals Prospect Overshadowed by Injury

The Washington Nationals have another potential future third baseman who hasn’t had the chance to get a foothold in the organization yet.

The Washington Nationals aimed to add power to their corner infield during the offseason and secured one piece of the puzzle by trading for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.

However, third base remains an unresolved issue, like an open ticket in IT support.

The Nationals have yet to secure a permanent third baseman. While Amed Rosario could spend some time there, he is versatile enough to play almost any position except pitcher and catcher. Additionally, he is only on a one-year deal with Washington.

Brady House, the Nationals’ 2021 first-round pick, is on the verge of making his MLB debut and has primarily played third base in the minors. He posted a .241/.297/.402/.699 line last season, with back-to-back 21-homer seasons. With the power profile teams seek for the position, House is ranked as the Nationals’ No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

House will likely be given a strong chance to claim the third base job in spring training, potentially adding another young star to the Nationals’ core.

Baseball is all about development and having depth at every position. While Brady House is one of the top prospects in the Nationals’ system, there are no guarantees regarding his future performance.

The Nationals do have additional depth at third base in the minor leagues, thanks to a relatively new prospect, Cayden Wallace.

Wallace came to Washington as part of the trade that sent pitcher Hunter Harvey to the Kansas City Royals in July. Wallace was the Royals’ second-round pick in 2022. In that same trade, the Nationals also received Kansas City’s second-round pick, which they used to select catcher Caleb Lomavita.

Wallace is currently ranked as the Nationals’ No. 11 prospect, while Lomavita holds the No. 10 spot.

A former college player at Arkansas, Wallace was advancing in the Royals’ system before a rib injury sidelined him for much of last season. Nevertheless, the Nationals were impressed enough by his potential to make the trade, knowing he would need time to fully recover.

In fact, Wallace spent much of last year on the 60-day injured list at Double-A Harrisburg. When he returned in September, he posted a .186/.222/.209/.431 line in 11 games, driving in three RBIs. He also played three games in the Arizona Fall League, where he batted .250.

Overall, his career numbers are stronger, with a slash line of .260/.337/.407/.744 over 1,616 games, including 18 home runs and 124 RBIs.

Wallace recently told Baseball America that he’s excited for a fresh start with the Nationals. He also shared that the organization made him feel better about the trade by emphasizing how he fits the mold they were seeking.

“The Nationals built my confidence up just by saying how I fit the mold they were looking for,” he said.

For now, the focus is on House fitting the mold, but if that plan doesn’t pan out, Wallace could serve as a backup option.