Matt Mervis grew up in the DMV area. He was originally selected by the Nationals in the 39th round of the 2016 Draft. Ten years later, the first baseman has the opportunity to make his hometown Major League roster.
Mervis will be among those vying for a spot on the Nats when Spring Training begins next month in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Nationals signed the lefty-hitting Mervis, 27, to a Minor League contract with an invitation to big league camp. Washington has a vacancy at the first-base position.
Mervis made his Major League debut in 2023 with the Cubs and has played three seasons in the Majors, most recently last year with Miami. He got off to a hot start with seven home runs and 14 RBIs in his first 19 games. But Mervis then went into a slump, going 7-for-60 in 23 games. He was designated for assignment by the Marlins on May 30 after slashing a cumulative .175/.254/.383 in 42 games.
Mervis spent the remainder of 2025 in the Minor Leagues. He hit .250 with 13 home runs in 35 games for Triple-A Jacksonville (Marlins), then signed a Minor League contract with the D-backs in August and batted .245 with six homers in 30 games for Triple-A Reno.
Mervis grew up in Potomac, Md., and attended Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, Md. A two-way player in high school, he led his team to the 2015 Interstate Athletic Conference championship with a .409 batting average and 0.10 ERA. Mervis entered the 2016 Draft as Maryland’s highest-ranked prospect at any position.
After being selected by the Nationals with the No. 1,174th pick, Mervis pursued a four-year college career at Duke. As team captain his senior year, he led the Blue Devils in hits, home runs and total bases during the abbreviated 2020 season.
The Cubs signed Mervis to a Minor League contract that June. He spent two seasons in their farm system before debuting on May 5, 2023. Mervis appeared in 36 games with the Cubs from 2023-24. Chicago traded Mervis to Miami in late December ‘24.
In 2023, Mervis participated in the World Baseball Classic with Team Israel.
Mervis will join No. 21 prospect Yohandy Morales as Minor League contenders at first base. The Nats also could give second baseman Luis García Jr. reps at the position. Josh Bell, the Nationals’ starting first baseman down the stretch last season, signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Twins in December.
Mervis joins infielders Warming Bernabel and Orelvis Martinez, and right-handers Tyler Baum and Eddy Yean as players the Nationals have signed to Minor League deals and invited to Major League Spring Training this offseason.