Nats No. 8 prospect Petry ready to flex big power in AFL

This fall, Ethan Petry could be a walking, talking, slugging billboard for the Southeastern Conference in the heart of the southwest.

Back in 2023, while at the University of South Carolina, the then-freshman outfielder faced future Major Leaguer pitchers Chase Burns, Chase Dollander, Paul Skenes and Hurston Waldrep, and he went a combined 4-for-9 with two homers against the advanced competition. The two dingers came on a 99 mph fastball from Skenes and Waldrep’s trademark splitter, respectively, both in home games in Columbia.

It’s experience that Petry -- now the Nationals' No. 8 prospect -- will call upon in this year’s Arizona Fall League.

“Seeing those guys every single weekend is just preparing me for every step in affiliated baseball,” he said.

Taken in the second round back in July, Petry is a rare player who heads to the Fall League in his Draft year, but there is a clear reason for that. He set the South Carolina freshman record with 23 homers in that '23 season and added 21 more dingers as a sophomore in 2024 before an MVP turn in the Cape Cod League, during which he lead the prospect-laden circuit in homers, slugging percentage and OPS. He was set to be a closely followed right-handed bat as a junior, only to suffer a sprained left shoulder joint when he slammed into a wall against Kentucky on April 26. He managed to play only one more game after that, capping his season at 44 games -- he produced a .321/.437/.590 line and 10 homers in that limited span.

Petry was a participant in the MLB Draft Combine in Arizona in June before the Nationals signed him for just above slot at $2.09 million, but it still took some time for him to get back to full health.

“It took about a couple months to feel right again,” Petry said. “About in July when I first got to the complex for Draft minicamp, my body felt great, shoulder felt great and [I was] ready to keep rolling.”

The former Gamecock made his pro debut with Single-A Fredericksburg on Aug. 12 and hit .287/.386/.414 with two homers in 24 games the rest of the way. That resulted in a 137 wRC+, a sign of a promising foundation of pro ball. But with the opportunity to make up for even more missed at-bats with Scottsdale in the AFL, the Nationals sent him to the desert as well.

With the pure strength in his right-handed swing and his 6-foot-4 size, Petry draws some comps to Pete Alonso (including from himself), and he’ll mention Austin Riley when asked about whose offensive career he’d model his own after. There is some defensive work needed ahead, too, however. He has the arm for the outfield corners, but below-average speed could move him to first base (where he made four starts with Fredericksburg) long-term.

At least when it comes to the bat, Petry can rely on something many prospects can’t -- the fact that he’s already gone deep against multiple Major Leaguers. And in the AFL, he can add to that tally.

“The best way to get your feet wet,” he said, “is to face the best.”

Nationals hitters in the Fall League

Seaver King, SS (No. 7): A former standout at Division II Wingate and a loaded Wake Forest, the 10th overall pick from 2024 struggled to find the same success in his first full season, hitting just .244/.294/.337 with six homers in 125 games between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg. He got swing-happy at times and expanded the zone against virtually all pitch types, leading to softer contact. King was named the organization’s Baserunner of the Year after swiping 30 bags in 34 attempts, and his time in the desert could offer a much brighter ending to his 2025 campaign.

Sam Petersen, OF (No. 24): The 2024 eighth-rounder missed the start of his first full season with a hamstring injury but was supremely productive when he was on the field for High-A Wilmington, producing a .297/.398/.490 with six homers and 31 steals in 44 games. He had a reputation as a speedy runner who could play above-average defense in center field but has shown a bit more pop in pro ball than initially expected, thus upping the interest around his profile.

Nationals pitchers in the Fall League

Jake Bennett, LHP (No. 10): The 2022 second-rounder underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2023, forcing him to miss the entire 2024 season. He was effective when back on the mound this summer with a 2.27 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, 64 strikeouts and only 19 walks in 75 1/3 innings across three levels, ending the year at Double-A Harrisburg. Bennett, who is Rule 5-eligible this offseason, works 92-95 mph with his fastball and has flashed an upper-80s cutter and low-80s slider in his early AFL looks. But his best grades are reserved for his mid-80s changeup, a potential plus pitch that gets a ton of empty swings.

Sean Paul Liñan, RHP (No. 14): The Nationals picked up Liñan at the Trade Deadline as part of the return for Alex Call, and the 6-foot right-hander instantly owned the best pure changeup in the Washington system. Liñan used that cambio to strike out 106 batters in only 77 1/3 innings this season, working mostly at the Single-A and High-A levels. He also works with a 91-94 mph fastball and mid-80s slider that earn average grades.

Pablo Aldonis, LHP: Aldonis is coming off a breakout 2025 season in which he posted a 1.64 ERA with 64 strikeouts and 10 walks in 55 innings (all but two of which came in relief) with most of that work coming at Single-A and High-A. His low-80s slider is his best offering, while his fastball sits 89-93 and his changeup in the mid-80s.

Austin Amaral, RHP: A 16th-round pick out of Stetson in 2023, Amaral carved out a more prominent spot for himself in Washington’s pitching depth with a breakout 2025 campaign. The 6-foot righty sported a 2.45 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP with 59 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings of relief across the Single-A, High-A and Double-A levels. He comes with a long arm action in the back of his delivery, and he works with a four-seamer, sinker, cutter, slider and changeup.

Jared Simpson, LHP: Simpson joins Petersen as the second member of the Nationals-Iowa connection. The 6-foot-4 southpaw will focus on control in the AFL after posting a 6.23 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 52 innings at High-A Wilmington this summer, but his sinker-slider mix can fool batters when landed appropriately.