South Capitol Nats Prospect Weekly: Willits Arrives at Double-A, Clemmey Dominates in Harrisburg
By Marcus Bailey ·
Nationals Prospect Weekly covers the last 7 days of action for the Nationals farm system.
Willits Steps Into Double-A and Doesn't Blink
Eli Willits (AA, SS, Rank: 1) was assigned to Harrisburg on September 8, jumping from High-A Wilmington to Double-A with two weeks left in the minor league season, and he made the promotion feel routine despite being 5+ years younger than his competition. Over three games and 21 plate appearances at Harrisburg, he went 6-for-21 with a double, a triple, a home run, five RBI, and three walks against five strikeouts. The slash line across all three levels this season sits at .265/.406/.463 with 14 home runs, 62 stolen bases, and a 17.7 percent walk rate in 538 plate appearances, and those numbers came almost entirely against A-ball competition. The 18-year-old now has production at three levels in a single professional season, which is not standard operating procedure for a first-overall pick in his debut year.
The debut line fits the profile cleanly. A 60 hit tool and 60 speed grade drive the projection toward a perennial all-star ceiling, and what Willits has done all year shows that both tools are already functional at full-season levels. His contact rate of 74.4 percent across the season is solid for a teenager, and his swing rate of 43.2 percent sits below average, meaning he is generating walks through patience rather than passive hacking. The home run and triple in his first Double-A week show that the 50 power grade is not a ceiling, and his last 30 days at High-A included four triples. The strikeouts ticked up over his final month at Wilmington, with a 27.5 percent rate over that stretch, so the main test at Harrisburg will be whether upper-level pitching can push that figure higher. Based on three games, the answer is still inconclusive, but the walk rate held and the barrel found gaps. There is every reason to believe he starts 2027 at Harrisburg and moves fast from there.
Clemmey Shuts the Door at Harrisburg
Alex Clemmey (AA, LHP, Rank: 22) delivered 4.1 innings of one-hit, scoreless ball this week, striking out eight and generating 11 swinging misses against 15 batters faced. He threw 39 of 66 pitches for strikes, which is a meaningful marker for a pitcher whose command grades at 40 and whose season walk rate of 13.8 percent has been the central obstacle to a more reliable outing-to-outing profile. The last 30-day ERA at Double-A sits at 5.32, so this week was a clear outlier in terms of run prevention, but the 30.7 percent whiff rate for the season and a 31.3 percent mark over the last 30 days confirm that the miss potential has always been present.
The arsenal is built around a four-seamer that grades at 60 and sits 94-99 mph, paired with a power curveball and a developing slider, both grading at 55. When the release point holds and he stays within himself rather than hunting max velocity, the combination produces the outing he had this week: a pitch-efficient, short-count performance where hitters cannot get comfortable against his angle from the left side. The season ERA of 4.64 across 128 innings reflects what happens when he loses that release point and the walk total climbs, and the 78 free passes this year are a real number. The upside here is a number four starter if the walk rate comes down even a few points; this week showed what that version of Clemmey can look like. His last two starts before this one were rougher, so sustaining it over consecutive outings remains the open question heading into the offseason.
Quick Hits
Devin Fitz-Gerald (AA, SS, Rank: 5) · went 5-for-21 with three home runs, four RBI, and three walks against six strikeouts over his week at Harrisburg. The three-homer week is his best power output in any seven-day stretch this season, and it fits his last-30-day surge: a .326/.404/.618 line over 104 plate appearances at Double-A with seven home runs and a 10.6 percent walk rate. For the season across both levels he has posted 20 home runs, 20 doubles, and a 9.7 percent walk rate, a significant step forward from his brief 2025 debut. A 50 hit and 50 power grade project him as a versatile up-down second baseman, but he has been outpacing that ceiling all August and September.
Cayden Wallace (AAA, 3B, Rank: 41) · drove in four runs on seven hits, adding a double and a home run across 24 plate appearances at Rochester. He is the hottest bat in the system over the last 30 days, slashing .355/.419/.667 with seven home runs and 22 RBI in 105 plate appearances. The season line of .302/.355/.552 with 29 home runs and 85 RBI across Double-A and Triple-A looks nothing like the .242/.310/.376 he posted all of last year. I would bet on him getting a second look in Washington before the year is out.
Kevin Bazzell (AA, C, Rank: 54) · had one of the more eye-catching weeks in the system: 7-for-14 with two doubles and two home runs, driving in two runs across 14 plate appearances at Harrisburg. The nine home runs he had coming into the week already represented a massive jump from the zero he posted in 335 professional at-bats last year. Over the last 30 days at Double-A, he is slashing .340/.396/.574 with a 9.4 percent strikeout rate that reflects the 55 hit grade projectors always believed in. The power development is ahead of schedule; the 40 power grade may need a second look.
Sam Petersen (AAA, OF, Rank: 25) · went 7-for-22 with two doubles, a triple, five RBI, and four combined walks and hit-by-pitches at Rochester. The contact was productive even if the 33.0 percent strikeout rate over the last 30 days continues to be the friction point. A 60 speed grade and enough pull-side pop give him a fourth-outfielder floor, and he has shown 35 stolen bases this season across Double-A and Triple-A. The bat will need to cut the chase-driven swing-and-miss to hold a roster spot consistently.
Josh Hartle (AA, LHP, Rank: 46) · gave up just two hits over 4.2 scoreless innings this week, walking two and striking out three with nine swinging misses against 20 batters. Since arriving at Harrisburg via trade from Cleveland, he has posted a 2.15 ERA in 29.1 innings with a 23.1 percent strikeout rate. The season ERA across both organizations stands at 3.45. He does not miss many bats, but a 55 changeup and four pitches he can throw for strikes give him a real shot at a back-end rotation role.
Seaver King (AAA, SS, Rank: 4) · had a rough week at Rochester, going 5-for-27 with one double, no extra-base power beyond the double, and 11 strikeouts against one walk. The 11 punchouts against one free pass is a sharp reversal from a season that has generally featured improving plate discipline; his 2026 line of .306/.384/.517 with 19 home runs remains a genuine step forward from his flat 2025 campaign. The contact rate over the last 30 days has dipped to 64.1 percent, and the swing rate has crept up to 51.4 percent, so there may be some late-season fatigue at play. One tough week does not undo a strong year, and a 50 hit grade with shortstop eligibility gives him a second-division regular profile worth monitoring.
Jarlin Susana (AA, RHP, Rank: 8) · allowed four earned runs on five hits in six innings this week, walking three while striking out 11 and generating 22 swinging misses against 29 batters. The four runs are a blemish, but 22 whiffs over six innings against Double-A hitters is a reminder of why he carries a 70 four-seamer and a 65 slider. The season ERA sits at 5.09 in just 17.2 innings, as he is still building back from arm surgery. A 45.1 percent strikeout rate over the last 30 days is the number that matters most for his long-term outlook as a potential high-leverage reliever.
Gavin Fien (A, SS, Rank: 7) · went 3-for-13 with two walks and five strikeouts over his week at Fredericksburg. The 13-plate-appearance sample is thin, but the season line of .242/.337/.401 with a 26.5 percent strikeout rate reflects the adjustment grind for a 19-year-old facing full-season pitching for the first time. He drew walks in two of the five strikeout games, which at least shows the approach is not fully absent. The 50 hit and 50 power grades point toward a corner profile with second-division upside if the timing issues smooth out over the next year or two.
Andrew Pinckney (MLB, LF, Rank: 24) · was recalled from Rochester by Washington on September 10. He slashed .268/.345/.423 with 14 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 402 plate appearances at Triple-A this year. In his brief big-league time this season, he has gone 3-for-11 with a home run. A 60 speed grade and outfield versatility give him a legitimate fourth-outfielder argument at the major-league level.
Chase Hampton (MLB, RHP, Rank: 30) · was claimed off waivers from the Yankees and optioned to Harrisburg. He pitched at three levels in the Yankees system this year, posting a combined 6.56 ERA in 54.2 innings with walk totals that have been the persistent issue, particularly his 28 walks in 35.2 innings at Double-A Somerset. The Nationals get a look at a 99-100 mph fastball arm who has not yet found the strike zone consistently at the upper levels. No game logs yet with Washington.