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Red Sox Showed Interest in Zach Neto and CJ Abrams
The Boston Red Sox "checked in" on Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto and Washington Nationals shortstop/second baseman CJ Abrams during the 2026 season, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. McCaffrey writes that the Red Sox ultimately determined that the asking prices for both players, which included top Boston shortstop prospect Franklin Arias and more, were too high. Still, it's noteworthy that the Red Sox could potentially be in the market for veteran infield help this winter. Boston got highly underwhelming production at shortstop in 2026 from Trevor Story, who has one year and $25 million remaining on his current contract. If the Red Sox feel that Arias is not ready to take over in 2027, they could look to make a move for a more established option. Both Neto and Abrams would likely see their fantasy value improved by a trade to Boston.
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Devin Fitz-Gerald Has Stellar Minor-League Season at 21
Washington Nationals shortstop prospect Devin Fitz-Gerald split his minor-league season between two levels but finished with nice overall numbers in his age-21 season. Between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg, Fitz-Gerald combined to hit .251 with 20 homers and 67 RBI, along with 15 stolen bases and 78 runs scored. The switch-hitter was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers and came to the Nationals organization in the MacKenzie Gore trade. Fitz-Gerald is the No. 5 prospect for the Nationals and has a 50-grade hit tool with 50-grade power and 45-grade speed. Fitz-Gerald looks like he could be an impact player for the Nationals, but Washington does have another elite shortstop prospect in Seaver King, so Fitz-Gerald's future could involve another infield position.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Seaver King Producing Tremendous Minor-League Season at Age 23
Washington Nationals infield prospect Seaver King hit his 20th homer of the season on Wednesday night at Triple-A Rochester to put an exclamation point on his breakout 2026 season in the minor leagues. Between Double-A Harrisburg and Rochester this season, King has hit .306 with those 20 homers and 73 RBI to go with 85 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. It's a complete stat line from the Wake Forest grad, but he hasn't received a call-up yet from the Nationals. He is the No. 4 prospect in the Nationals system and has a 50-grade hit tool with 45-grade power and 70-grade speed. Look for King's strong minor league season at age 23 to give him a shot at breaking camp with the major league team in 2027. He has done everything he can to prove worthy of the opportunity and would be a good fantasy player to target in 2027 drafts.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
CJ Abrams Returns to the Lineup Against Phillies
Washington Nationals middle infielder CJ Abrams (neck) is starting at second base and will hit cleanup for the Nats on Wednesday at home against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Zack Wheeler, per MLB.com. The Nationals scratched Abrams from Tuesday's win over Philly due to tightness in his neck, but he is back a day later and will be making just his sixth career start at the keystone as the team slowly transitions him from shortstop to second base to end the 2026 season. Fantasy managers will want to get Abrams back in their lineups immediately during his breakout season, in which he has hit .264/.339/.494 with an .834 OPS, 30 home runs, 96 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 29 stolen bases in 542 at-bats. The former first-rounder needs just one stolen base to join the elusive 30-30 club in his fifth year in the big leagues. Abrams is slowing down late in the year, though, hitting just .173 (17-for-98) in 24 games in August while going 10-for-44 (.227) with a homer, three doubles, four RBI, seven runs, three steals, four walks, and 14 strikeouts so far in 11 games in September. He has hit .296 with two RBI and a .914 OPS in 27 career at-bats against Wheeler.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
CJ Abrams Scratched on Tuesday with Neck Tightness
Washington Nationals infielder CJ Abrams (neck) was scratched from his team's lineup on Tuesday due to neck tightness, per Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal. It's not yet clear if Abrams will require a trip to the injured list or if he will be able to return to Washington's lineup within the next few days. Across 613 plate appearances this season, the 25-year-old is hitting .264/.339/.494 with 30 home runs, 96 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 29 stolen bases. While Abrams has had an excellent year overall, his production has fallen off of late. Across 155 plate appearances since the start of August, Abrams is hitting just .192 with two home runs and a 33.5% strikeout rate. In addition to his current neck issue, Abrams has also dealt with back tightness. If he misses time, Nationals infielder Jorbit Vivas would likely see an increase in at-bats.
Source: Nats Journal - Mark Zuckerman
Source: Nats Journal - Mark Zuckerman
Eli Willits Makes Debut At Double-A Harrisburg
Washington Nationals 18-year-old shortstop prospect Eli Willits made his debut at Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday and has gone 1-for-8 in his first two games at his new minor league level with an RBI in each of his first two contests. Willits is known as a speedster and has 60 stolen bases combined between three levels of the minors. The switch hitter also has 13 combined home runs with 72 RBI and 100 runs scored. Willits was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and is top prospect in the Nationals system. He has the looks of a future league winner in the category of stolen bases. His stolen base prowess alone makes him worth a dynasty addition . He has a 60-grade hit tool and a 60-grade run tool with 50-grade power. The speed is off the charts and he looks like a future fantasy difference maker.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Eli Willits Will Finish Off 2026 at Double-A Harrisburg
Washington Nationals infield prospect Eli Willits was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday after a strong campaign split between Single-A and High-A, per Spencer Nusbaum of the Athletic. The Nats' top-ranked prospect (MLB No. 4) slashed .300/.418/.500 in 47 games at Single-A, then .230/.392/.420 in 64 games at Double-A. Though the batting average took a dip at the higher level, his strikeout rate improved by more than four percent, settling in at 19.0 percent, which was also right around his walk rate of 18.7 percent. The speed was evident regardless of level, with the former first-overall draft pick swiping 60 bags in all this season. With a strong combination of contact, power, and speed, there's a reason why the switch-hitter is so highly regarded, and although the 18-year-old won't debut for a couple of years, he's a prized dynasty asset.
Source: Spencer Nusbaum
Source: Spencer Nusbaum
Seaver King Still a High-Upside Stash Candidate
Washington Nationals infield prospect Seaver King just had a great month in August at Triple-A Rochester and is worth keeping on the stash radar this season despite not being called up at the beginning of September. In August, King launched nine homers with 17 RBI and stole five bases while hitting .330. King is the Nationals' No. 4 prospect with a 50-grade hit tool and 70-grade speed. In the minors this season, King combined to steal 14 bases across two levels. With CJ Abrams and Nasim Nunez in the infield for the Nationals at shortstop and second base, respectively, King could find it a little bit tough to break through for playing time in the middle infield. However, the Nationals may want to take a chance and give King some playing time at the end of the year, and he would be a great potential five-category contributor if so.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
CJ Abrams Returns From Back Injury on Tuesday
Washington Nationals middle infielder CJ Abrams (back) is starting at shortstop and will bat leadoff in Tuesday's contest at home against the division-rival Atlanta Braves and right-hander A.J. Smith-Shawver, per MLB.com. Abrams, who continues to slowly transition over to second base on defense, was scratched from Monday's series opener against Atlanta with back tightness. He is back a day later, though, and fantasy managers need to get him back into their starting lineups as one of the most productive shortstops in the game this year. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter is slashing .267/.343/.506 this year with an .849 OPS, 29 home runs, 92 RBI, 26 stolen bases, and 81 runs scored across his 498 at-bats in his fourth full season in D.C. August was Abrams' worst month of the year, though, batting .173 (17-for-98) with a .519 OPS, one homer, five doubles, a triple, nine RBI, 12 runs scored, seven steals, seven walks, and 38 strikeouts in 24 games. He will try to turn things around over the final month in September. Abrams has hit .286 with an RBI in seven career at-bats against Smith-Shawver.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Seaver King Stays Hot, Adds Some Positional Versatility
Washington Nationals infield prospect Seaver King homered in his latest game this past Sunday, now hitting .340 with a 1.077 OPS, nine home runs, and five stolen bases in 26 games since his return from the injured list on July 30. The Nats' fourth-ranked prospect is now slashing .304/.378/.536 with 14 home runs and nine steals at Triple-A Rochester in 59 games since earning a promotion to the minors' highest level in mid-May. Impressive as he's been, the organization has already stated that they don't intend to promote him to the big-league club this year, but that hasn't stopped them from preparing him to be with the team next season, as the former first-rounder manned third base for the first time in his career two weeks ago, and did so for a second time last week. The 23-year-old can be left on the waiver wire in redraft leagues, but his dynasty stock has helium, and with multiple pathways to the majors (including shortstop and second base), he could have an impact early next year.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
CJ Abrams Scratched on Monday With Back Tightness
Washington Nationals middle infielder CJ Abrams (back) has been scratched from the starting lineup on Monday against the division-rival Miami Marlins due to back tightness, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Nasim Nunez is starting at shortstop and is batting eighth, while Jorbit Vivas will make the start at second and hit sixth versus Marlins right-hander Ryan Gusto. The Baltimore Banner's Kyle W. reports that manager Blake Butera said on Monday that Abrams is going to be closer to a 50/50 split between shortstop and second base for the rest of the season. Butera said that Abrams has played a "lights-out shortstop" over the past couple of weeks. Fantasy managers should consider the 25-year-old to be day-to-day for now and check back on his status before Game 2 of the series against Miami on Tuesday. The former first-rounder and two-time All-Star has been one of the most valuable shortstops in fantasy in 2026, and he will soon be gaining second base eligibility. Abrams came into Monday's series opener with a .267/.343/.506 slash line, an .849 OPS, a career-high 29 home runs, 92 RBI, 26 stolen bases, and 81 runs scored across 131 games. His first 30-30 campaign is well within reach as long as his back injury is not serious.
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum
Seaver King Worth Stashing Ahead of Fantasy Playoffs
Washington Nationals infield prospect Seaver King is putting together an excellent month of August at Triple-A Rochester with a .356 batting average, eight homers and 16 RBI. King's red-hot hitting month could force the hand of the Nationals and he could be a priority pickup in fantasy leagues down the stretch this season. King is the No. 4 prospect in the Nationals system and the 23-year-old has a 50-grade hit tool with a 70-grade run tool. King brings a stolen base threat to the table and has combined for 14 stolen bases among the two minor league levels he has played at this season. He can bring that threat to the major leagues and give fantasy managers that extra category help with stolen bases being a possibility at the big leagues. King could be a difference maker late in the fantasy season.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Devin Fitz-Gerald Settling in at Double-A
Washington Nationals infield prospect Devin Fitz-Gerald scuffled in his first taste of Double-A pitching, slashing .179/.248/.225 with one home run, a 27.3 percent strikeout rate, and a 5.5 percent walk rate over his first 38 games with Harrisburg. However, since then, the Nats' fifth-ranked prospect has slashed .364/.442/.591 with three home runs in his last 12 games, and lowered the strikeout rate to a more palatable 23.1 percent with a 9.6 percent walk rate. The 21-year-old still has time to develop and remains on track to see some time at Triple-A next year. If he can stay on course, a late-season debut in 2027 is possible; otherwise, look for the switch-hitter to have an impact in the big leagues in 2028. For now, he's simply a name to monitor in redraft leagues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
CJ Abrams Back as the DH on Monday
Washington Nationals middle infielder CJ Abrams (ankle) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting leadoff for the Nats in their series opener on Monday at home against the Colorado Rockies and right-hander Ryan Feltner, per MLB.com. It will be Abrams' first game since spraining his left ankle last Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. Fantasy managers will want to get him back into their starting lineups in all traditional leagues amid a breakout 2026 campaign. The 25-year-old two-time All-Star is returning to a .279/.354/.530 slash line with an .884 OPS, 29 home runs, 91 RBI, 24 stolen bases, and 77 runs scored across his 470 at-bats in 2026. Although the former first-rounder was not happy when Washington recently asked Abrams to make the move from shortstop to second base, he is putting his ego aside in the best long-term interests of the organization. The left-handed slugger is hitless in just three career at-bats against Feltner, and he has gone just 15-for-70 (.214) with a .619 OPS, a homer, eight RBI, and five steals in 17 games so far in August.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Seaver King Establishing Himself as Priority Stash Target
Washington Nationals infield prospect Seaver King has seen his production soar at the Triple-A level and is making a strong case to be viewed as the No. 1 prospect to start in all of fantasy baseball. Over his last 20 games, King has posted an elite .388/.490/.762 slash line with four doubles, one triple, eight home runs, and five stolen bases. King began the 2026 season at the Double-A level, where he posted a similar .336/.427/.562 line with a .989 OPS. In total, the top-ranked infield prospect in D.C. has posted a dominant .325/.410/.563 line with 18 home runs and 14 stolen bases over 88 MiLB games this season. While the Nationals are out of the playoff race, King has put himself in strong consideration to earn a cup of coffee with the club, which would set him up for a larger role in 2027. His five-category upside puts him high on all stash rankings ahead of Week 22.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
