Nationals are "Reluctant" to Move Seaver King to the Majors 11mLink copied!

Aug 17, 2026, 2:28 PM ET

Fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues who have been stashing Washington Nationals middle-infield prospect Seaver King all year shouldn't necessarily be expecting him to make his major-league debut late this year now that the Nats are moving CJ Abrams to second base, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. King, who is a top-100 prospect in MLB and Washington's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has had a breakout 2026 campaign at Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester, slashing a combined .316/.398/.529 with a .928 OPS, 14 home runs, 59 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 66 runs scored across 82 games played and 375 plate appearances. According to people familiar with the team's thinking, the Nationals are "reluctant" to rush King to the majors, and he can still benefit from more at-bats and defensive reps at Rochester. Nationals officials are also interested to see whether Abrams and Nasim Nunez can thrive in their flipped roles up the middle. Nunez offers more defensive upside and stability at the 6, but he's hitting just .228 with a .578 OPS in 408 plate appearances. In theory, Nusbaum writes that the Nationals could keep King at Triple-A for the rest of the season. There are multiple things to consider here for the Nats, but the optics of moving an All-Star (Abrams) off his primary position, and then having a rookie take his spot, "could have awkward consequences," especially if King is eventually moved off shortstop in the coming years.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum