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Nationals Promote Yohandy Morales After Strong Showing at Triple-A
The Washington Nationals called up corner-infield prospect Yohandy Morales from Triple-A Rochester with rosters expanding on Tuesday, Sept. 1, sources told Francys Romero. The 24-year-old former second-round pick in 2023 from the University of Miami gets his first call to the big leagues after hitting .286/.363/.519 with an .881 OPS, 25 home runs, 76 RBI, 82 runs scored, and six stolen bases in 104 games across 455 plate appearances for Rochester this year. Morales is not listed among the team's top-30 prospects at MLB Pipeline, but his strong season could not be ignored with rosters expanding for the final month of the season in September. He has experience at first and third base, and the Nats could also use him as a designated hitter, giving him multiple avenues to playing time to close out the season. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues may want to give Morales a look off the waiver wire for power to see if he can continue his strong 2026 season at the major-league level.
Source: Francys Romero
Source: Francys Romero
Abimelec Ortiz an Under-the-Radar Source of Power
Washington Nationals rookie first baseman/outfielder Abimelec Ortiz can be a nice under-the-radar source of power for fantasy managers in deeper leagues for the rest of the 2026 season. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting Puerto Rican made his major-league debut on July 12 but was sent back to the minors immediately. He resurfaced in the majors on Aug. 3, although he has gone only 12-for-60 (.200) at the plate in 19 games and 63 plate appearances, he has added five home runs and nine RBI for the Nats. Per MLB Pipeline, Ortiz is ranked as the club's No. 19 prospect. The 5-foot-10, 230-pounder hit .244/.348/.497 with an .845 OPS, 18 home runs, 74 RBI, and 55 runs scored in 85 games across 365 plate appearances at Triple-A Rochester before getting the call again in early August. Ortiz packs a punch with plus raw power from the left side, and he consistently knows how to access his pull power. Plate discipline is not his strong suit, but with 25-30-homer power over a full season, fantasy managers in deeper leagues seeking pop may want to give Ortiz a look. He is rostered in 14% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Yohandy Morales Maintains Stash Appeal for Power Potential
Washington Nationals corner infield prospect Yohandy Morales has cooled off at the plate, going 3-for-24 (.125) over the last six games at Triple-A Rochester. Despite the slowdown, the Nats' 26th-ranked prospect has had a solid campaign overall, hitting .287 with an .892 OPS and 23 home runs in 94 games for the Red Wings. There is a ton of pop in his bat, with average exit velocity, max exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate all registering in the 91st percentile or better at Triple-A, so there is some intrigue for fantasy purposes, especially if he were to be placed in the middle of MLB's highest-ranking team in terms of runs scored per game (5.28). There is some batting average risk due to elevated chase and whiff rates, but the 24-year-old represents an under-the-radar stash option for home runs and RBI for a late-season run to the fantasy playoffs.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Yohandy Morales an Intriguing Stash for Power
Washington Nationals corner infield prospect Yohandy Morales continues to produce at Triple-A Rochester, belting a home run in two of his last three games and drawing a walk in six straight contests, bringing his season-long slash line to .296/.373/.549 with 23 home runs. The Nats' 26th-ranked prospect's strikeout rate remains elevated at 25.3 percent, but it's an improvement over the 30.3 percent rate he registered at Triple-A in 2025. His power metrics such as average exit velocity, max exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate all rank in the 91st percentile or better at Triple-A, so there is plenty of pop in his bat. Look for the former 40th-overall draft pick to get a shot in the majors in the coming weeks, and for fantasy managers in deeper 14+ team leagues searching the wire for home runs, the 24-year-old is a worthy stash option ahead of an eventual call-up.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Yankees Acquire Luis Garcia Jr. From the Nationals
The New York Yankees are acquiring infielder Luis Garcia Jr. from the Washington Nationals on Sunday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Per Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic, the Nationals will receive right-handers Ben Grable, Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert, and Jake Bird. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter leads the National League with a .560 slugging percentage and is hitting .283/.313/.560 with 23 home runs on the year. He's also under club control through the end of the 2027 season. Garcia is a bit of an odd fit for the Yanks, who were believed to be seeking a right-handed bat at the trade deadline this year. Not only does he hit from the left side, but he's been playing first base, where New York is already set with Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt. However, the Yankees still have Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list, and they've scored the fifth-fewest runs since Judge got hurt. Garcia will most likely split time at DH (until the Yankees get healthier) and second base, but he could continue to be shielded against left-handed pitchers (he has only 57 plate appearances against them in 2026).
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
Yankees in Talks to Acquire Luis Garcia Jr.
The New York Yankees are reportedly in talks to acquire infielder Luis Garcia Jr. from the Washington Nationals. Garcia was scratched ahead of Sunday's game without a reason. According to Joel Sherman, the two sides are discussing a trade that could include Yankees' Double-A starting pitcher Jack Cebert. This season, Garcia is slashing .283/.313/.560 with a career-high 23 home runs, 76 RBI, and four stolen bases in 104 games. The 26-year-old would be a welcome sight to a lineup that has been crushed by injuries lately. Fantasy managers should stay tuned to see if this deal gets done before Monday's trade deadline.
Source: Joel Sherman
Source: Joel Sherman
Luis Garcia Jr. Leaves Friday's Game Early With Knee Soreness
Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. (knee) left Friday night's game early against the division-rival Atlanta Braves with soreness in his right knee in the seventh inning, according to Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com. Garcia went 0-for-3 at the plate with a strikeout in the eventual 6-2 loss at Truist Park. He was replaced at first base by Andres Chaparro. Until we know more about the severity of the 26-year-old's injury, we'll consider him day-to-day. But if the injury forces him to miss extended time, Chaparro could be the leading candidate in D.C. to see most of the playing time at first base. Garcia has been mentioned as a potential trade chip this summer with the deadline quickly approaching on Monday, Aug. 3, and it remains to be seen if this injury will scare contending teams off. The lefty hitter has an intriguing power profile and came into Friday's contest hitting .286 (100-for-350) with a career-high 23 home runs, 76 RBI, 48 runs scored, four stolen bases, and a league-high .566 slugging percentage in 102 games played. Check back to see if Garcia is available for Saturday's game in Atlanta.
Source: NatsJournal.com - Mark Zuckerman
Source: NatsJournal.com - Mark Zuckerman
Yohandy Morales Racking Up Power Numbers at Triple-A Rochester
Washington Nationals corner-infield prospect Yohandy Morales continues to hit for power at Triple-A Rochester and is making a case for a potential promotion. The No. 26 overall prospect for the Nationals, Morales has been consistently producing all season at Triple-A with 21 homers, 62 RBI, and 66 runs scored with a .294 batting average. The numbers beg the question if Morales deserves a shot with the Nationals, a team with a lineup loaded with young talent. Morales was a second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, and his 55-grade power makes him an option as he can play either corner infield position. Morales could be worth a look in deep leagues as a sleeper stash, as his power bat would be a welcome addition to a deep Washington lineup at the big-league level.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Luis Garcia Jr. Drawing Interest as Trade Deadline Nears
Multiple MLB teams are showing interest in acquiring Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. in a trade, according to Will Sammon and Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Garcia could present an intriguing opportunity for contending teams, with the possibility that the trade market this summer will lack power-hitting options. However, any talks between the Nats and other teams regarding Garcia are in the preliminary stages, and Washington hasn't seriously engaged on the topic. The Nationals are open to listening to offers on Garcia, but they value him because of his talent and an additional year of club control at a reasonable dollar figure. The 26-year-old is making $6.875 million in 2026 through arbitration and can become a free agent after the 2027 season. The lefty hitter has already reached career highs in homers (20) and is batting .284/.317/.554 with an .871 OPS, 68 RBI, 45 runs, and four steals in 90 games going into Saturday. Garcia still mostly sits against lefties, but his underlying metrics in the last three seasons show that he has an above-average bat. If the Nats pull the trigger on trading Garcia this year, they will most likely be looking to get back young, controllable pitching.
Source: The Athletic - Will Sammon and Spencer Nusbaum
Source: The Athletic - Will Sammon and Spencer Nusbaum
Andres Chaparro Heating Up in July, Homers Twice on Friday
Washington Nationals first baseman Andres Chaparro and the rest of the team were seeing the ball well on Friday night in their 23-4 trouncing of the Athletics at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. Chaparro went 4-for-5 at the plate as the three-hole hitter with two home runs, eight RBI, four runs scored, and a walk. The 27-year-old Venezuelan first baseman has only played in 32 games (71 plate appearances) in his third year in the big leagues with the Nats, and he's now hitting .220/.352/.424 with a .776 OPS, three home runs, 15 RBI, 13 runs scored, 11 walks, and 18 strikeouts. In an even smaller sample size since the start of July, Chaparro has gone 6-for-14 (.429) with all three of his home runs, 10 RBI, and five runs scored in seven games played. While Chaparro will likely continue to be a part-time player, it's hard to ignore his recent hot streak, potentially making him a short-term waiver-wire pickup in deeper fantasy leagues. Right now, he's not rostered in any Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Nationals Promote First Base Prospect Abimelec Ortiz, a Top Target for Power?
The Washington Nationals recalled first baseman/designated hitter Abimelec Ortz from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday and designated left-hander Matt Krook for assignment in a corresponding move, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Ortiz, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Washington's No. 25 prospect, was acquired in the trade that sent left-hander MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers. He will be making his major-league debut the next time he gets on the field. Nusbaum adds that the Nationals are "obviously high" on Ortiz. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021 and sent to the Dominican Summer League in an unconventional move. The 24-year-old Puerto Rican left-hander has done nothing but hit, and he gets his first big-league call-up after slashing .235/.332/.481 with an .813 OPS, 16 home runs, 59 RBI, and 48 runs scored in 71 games for Rochester this year. Ortiz hit safely in his last 10 games with the Red Wings, batting .381/.438/.952 with seven home runs and 23 RBI in that span. He should see pretty regular playing time in D.C., making him a waiver target in deeper fantasy leagues for his power from the left side of the plate. UPDATE: Ortiz is serving as the DH and is batting third in Sunday's series finale against the New York Yankees and right-hander Will Warren.
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum
Has Abimelec Ortiz Fallen Off the Stash Radar?
Washington Nationals first baseman prospect Abimelec Ortiz is just 2-for-21 (.095) in July, but both of his hits have been home runs, giving him 16 on the season at Triple-A Rochester. The Nats' 25th-ranked prospect was batting .277 through June 4, but has seen his average drop all the way to .239 since then. While his strikeout rate for the season stands at 19.7 percent, concerningly, that number has spiked to 40.6 percent over his last eight games. While a 10.4 percent walk rate in 2026 has helped maintain a decent on-base percentage, any chance for an MLB debut in the short term has likely been eliminated, but should he catch fire again like he did in late May to early June, a promotion to the big leagues could happen later in the second half. However, although there is some pop in his bat, he is a literal zero in the stolen base department and could be a batting average liability in the majors, so he'll likely only be relevant in very deep or NL-only leagues whenever he debuts.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Yohandy Morales Belts Two More Home Runs, a Top Stash for Power?
Washington Nationals corner infield prospect Yohandy Morales blasted a pair of home runs on Wednesday in a continuation of his breakout 2026 campaign. The Nats' 28th-ranked prospect spent 95 games at Triple-A last year, slashing .249/.330/.401 with 11 home runs and a 30.3 percent strikeout rate, but in 79 games in 2026, he's slashing .304/.373/.551 with 20 home runs, and the strikeout rate is a more tolerable 25.4 percent. The 6-foot-3 slugger ranks 90th percentile or better at Triple-A in average exit velocity (92.7 mph), max exit velocity (113.1), barrel rate (13.3 percent), and hard-hit rate (55.5 percent), and with the likelihood of a call-up in the coming weeks, fantasy managers in deeper 12-team leagues searching for power production should consider stashing the 24-year-old in an NA spot ahead of his eventual debut.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Luis Garcia Jr. Now has Nine Homers in his Last 15 Games
Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. has been tearing the cover off the baseball lately. That trend continued in Friday night's 9-5 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park, with Garcia going 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, and a walk to raise his season batting average to .283 and his OPS to .874. There aren't many hitters hotter than Garcia right now. The 26-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder wasn't the only one that was feeling it on Friday night, as the Nationals slugged a total of five home runs to put the Pirates away without much of a fight. Garcia now has a whopping nine home runs in his last 13 games and is up to a .396/.453/.1.021 slash line with 17 RBI in his last 15 games played. The recent hot stretch has definitely attracted the interest of fantasy managers, and Garcia is now rostered in 75% of Yahoo leagues. Through May, Garcia was hitting .268 (48-for-179) with only five homers, 30 RBI, 21 runs, and two stolen bases in 54 games.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Curtis Mead a Priority Waiver-Wire Target Amidst Breakout Campaign
Washington Nationals infielder Curtis Mead has been one of the bigger breakout surprises of the 2026 season thus far, hitting .227/.323/.468 with 14 home runs, 39 RBI, 36 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 251 plate appearances. The 25-year-old has reduced his strikeout rate to a career-best 18.7% while upping his barrel rate to a career-high 11%. Mead has also emerged as a near-everyday fixture in the Nationals lineup at third base after opening the year in more of a short side platoon role. He got off to a slow start to the month of June but has turned it on of late, logging six hits and two home runs in his last 21 plate appearances. In leagues where he's not already rostered, Mead profiles as a priority waiver wire target.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
