The Nationals are at the dawn of a new era under first-year manager Blake Butera and new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni. The Nats also have a glut of promising prospects who will soon be expected to lead this franchise into a brighter future. And you can get a look at many of those young players during Washington’s upcoming Spring Breakout game.
Twenty-seven of the Nats’ Top 30 Prospects are a part of the team’s 40-man player pool for Spring Breakout. Although its top pitching prospects, Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana, will miss this showcase event due to injury, Washington's system will have a lot of talent on display, including the top selection in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Here is what you need to know about the Nationals’ 2026 Spring Breakout game.
What is Spring Breakout?
In 2026, MLB Spring Breakout will again be a four-day event showcasing baseball’s future -- the current stars of Minor League Baseball – in 16 exhibition games played between teams composed of each MLB organization’s top prospects. The third edition will be held from March 19-22 at Grapefruit and Cactus League stadiums during Spring Training.
In 2027, Spring Breakout will be expanded into a single-elimination tournament format, with champions being crowned in both the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues.
When is the Nationals’ game?
The Nationals will visit the Cardinals on March 19 for their Spring Breakout game. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET.
How can I tune in?
COMPLETE NATIONALS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Notable position players
The Nationals’ Spring Breakout roster is headlined by their No. 1 prospect and the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s Draft, shortstop Eli Willits. The No. 13 prospect in baseball, Willits batted .300 and had a .397 on-base percentage in his first 15 games as a pro last year. He turned 18 just a couple of months ago, but the switch-hitter has already made his MLB Spring Training debut.
The Nats’ next two top position-player prospects -- catcher Harry Ford and infielder Gavin Fien -- were both added to the system via trades this offseason. Ford, MLB’s No. 71 prospect, was acquired from the Mariners in December. Fien was the centerpiece of Washington’s return from the Rangers for left-handed starter MacKenzie Gore. The 18-year-old was taken 11 picks after Willits in the 2025 Draft.
If you’re looking for standout tools, watch out for Andrew Pinckney, the Nats’ No. 19 prospect. He possesses top-of-the-scale speed, has a plus-plus arm in the outfield and generates a lot of loud contact at the plate. The 25-year-old does have a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, but the raw materials are special.
Notable pitchers
Right-hander Luis Perales is the top-ranked pitcher on Washington’s Spring Breakout roster. The club’s No. 6 prospect, Perales was acquired via trade from Boston in December. He lit up the radar gun during the Arizona Fall League, topping 100 mph with his four-seamer 20 times. He pairs that pitch with a low-90s cutter that is the best in the Nationals’ system.
Yoel Tejeda Jr. was not among the Nats’ top prospects one year ago. Now, the 6-foot-8 righty checks in at No. 13 thanks to his four-pitch mix that’s spearheaded by a mid-90s fastball and a 60-grade slider. A 14th-round Draft pick in 2024, Tejeda’s stock is on the rise entering ‘26.
At just 18 years old, Miguel Sime Jr. is already unleashing triple-digit heat. A fourth-round pick last year and Washington’s No. 16 prospect, Sime already has a good feel for his low-80s curveball and is developing his slider and changeup.
Roster details
To accommodate the player movement involved with the World Baseball Classic and to create greater flexibility for clubs and farm directors, Spring Breakout rosters are being constructed in two phases in 2026. Clubs initially submit a preliminary 40-man player pool on Thursday, March 5, which will then be pared down to the official 23-27 man rosters on March 18.
The preliminary 40-man player pools consist of the team’s Top 30 prospects, as determined by MLB Pipeline, minus any injured players, players on a Dominican Summer League roster or players on the 40-man roster who have elected not to participate. The pools also include 10 or more additional unranked prospects submitted by the club to replace the above ranked prospects who are not participating.
Preliminary 40-man player pool (Nationals Top 30 Prospects list):
PITCHERS (17)
Alex Clemmey, LHP, No. 11
Riley Cornelio, RHP, NR
Jose Feliz, RHP, NR
Davian Garcia, RHP, NR
Landon Harmon, RHP, No. 10
Jackson Kent, LHP, No. 14
Darrel Lunar, RHP, NR
Isaac Lyon, RHP, NR
Erick Mejia, RHP, NR
Sean Paul Liñan, RHP, No. 27
Luis Perales, RHP, No. 6
Josh Randall, RHP, NR
Miguel Sime Jr., RHP, No. 16
Jared Simpson, LHP, NR
Eriq Swan, RHP, No. 26
Yoel Tejeda Jr., RHP, No. 13
Erik Tolman, LHP, NR
CATCHERS (3)
Kevin Bazzell, C, NR
Harry Ford, C, No. 3/MLB No. 71
Caleb Lomavita, C, No. 28
INFIELDERS (13)
Sam Brown, 1B, NR
Brayan Cortesia, INF, NR
Ronny Cruz, SS, No. 25
Luke Dickerson, SS, No. 8
Angel Feliz, SS, No. 23
Gavin Fien, SS, No. 5
Devin Fitz-Gerald, INF, No. 9
Marconi German, SS/2B, No. 21
Coy James, SS, No. 17
Seaver King, SS, No. 7
Yohandy Morales, 1B/3B, No. 29
Abimelec Ortiz, 1B/OF, No. 24
Eli Willits, SS, No. 1/MLB No. 13
OUTFIELDERS (7)
Yeremy Cabrera, OF, No. 20
Nauris De La Cruz, OF, No. 30
Christian Franklin, OF, No. 18
Phillip Glasser, OF, NR
Sam Petersen, OF, No. 22
Ethan Petry, OF, No. 12
Andrew Pinckney, OF, No. 19