2026 has seen a massive breakout from Seaver King, the Nationals’ 2024 first-round Draft pick. He punctuated it by reaching the 20-homer mark for the first time in his young career.
King went deep Wednesday night for No. 20, part of a two-hit, two-RBI night for the 23-year-old shortstop. He and Triple-A Rochester routed Buffalo 12-4 at Sahlen Field.
King’s homer came in the fifth inning, going back-to-back with fellow infielder Cortland Lawson. The 411-foot drive, hit at 104.9 mph to center field, gave Rochester a 5-4 lead from which it never looked back.
With an RBI single in the seventh, King has now recorded multiple hits in four of his last six games. He also made a loud out in the first inning, flying out 374 feet to right field at 101 mph.
The Nationals’ No. 4 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 70 prospect overall leads Washington’s system in batting average (.305) and ranks second in OPS (.901).
After a solid showing in 20 games in his Draft year (.752 OPS), King struggled to get much going in 2025. He posted a .631 OPS across High-A and Double-A with just six home runs in 125 games. The Wake Forest product struggled with chasing out of the strike zone and hit the ball on the ground often.
COMPLETE NATIONALS PROSPECT COVERAGE
But now, after a nice showing in the Arizona Fall League last year, King is back to lifting the ball and tapping into solid raw power at a premium defensive position. He’s also a major threat on the basepaths with 70-grade speed, and he’s stolen 15 bases this season, though he notably missed time with an oblique strain.
King, knocking on the doorstep of a Major League callup, earned the Nationals’ in-house Minor League Hitter of the Year honors for his standout campaign.