The Washington Nationals are promoting surging prospect Seaver King to Triple-A Rochester after his recent hot streak. Reported by Spencer Nusbaum.
The 2024 first-round pick (No. 94 in Keith Law’s Top 100) has reached base in all 35 games he’s played this year.
Hit .336 with a .989 OPS in Double A.
King, 23, was D.C.’s first-round pick in the 2024 MLB draft. After being selected tenth overall out of the highly esteemed Wake Forest University, where other talents like Cincinnati’s Rhett Lowder and the Athletic’s Nick Kurtz have come from, he was expected to be a force.
The Georgia native struggled out of the gate. In his introductory season, King recorded a .751 OPS in 20 games. Respectable, but not first-round pick production. Then, he started to spiral.
In 2025, between Double-A and High-A, King struggled mightily. The top prospect had a .631 OPS in 125 games and only hit six home runs. In comparison, albeit with metal bats, the premier talent swatted 16 long balls in 60 games during his last season as a Demon Deacon.
After his unanticipated fall from grace, something clicked in the Arizona Fall League (AZFL). In case you’re unfamiliar, the AZFL is a league where teams send their top prospects to get extra reps against the minor league’s best talent. King got a bid from the Nationals and took off.
In 18 games against some elite competition, King posted a 1.031 OPS and recorded 23 hits. His bat had finally come alive.
Welcome back to the present, where, before his promotion, D.C’s eighth-ranked prospect was slashing .336/.427/.562 with five bombs and 22 walks. His combination of power, speed, and discipline has realigned his trajectory to The Show.
MLB Reacts to Seaver King Promotion:
Here’s what people are saying about King’s great start and call-up:
Baseball Unstitched: “Seaver King was taken by the Nats in 2024 well under slot value. That seems to have been the right play, as his game has taken huge strides in 2026. A little more drive in the lower half + a far more fluid swing from start to finish has created more consistency for the 23 y.o.”
The Call Up: “The Washington Nationals are promoting former first-rounder Seaver King to Triple-A, per @spencernusbaum_. Through 35 games this season, King has slashed .336/.427/.562 with 5 HRs and a 160 wRC+.”
TheNatsReport: “KING OF ROCHESTER? Per @spencernusbaum_ the Washington Nationals are promoting SS Seaver King to @RocRedWings. The 2024 first-round pick (No. 94 on Keith Law’s Top 100) reached base in all 35 games this season, hitting .336 with a .989 OPS at Double-A.”
Nationals Advisory: “The Washington Nationals are promoting infielder Seaver King to Triple-A (Rochester); per @spencernusbaum_. King, 23, hit to a .336 AVG in 137 at-bats with 27 RBI’s and 5 homeruns. Seaver King was the Nationals 10th pick in the 1st round of the 2024 MLB Draft.”
The Nationals Are Outperforming Expectations
Through about a month’s worth of games, the Nationals are sitting right around the .500 mark.
Although King likely won’t see any MLB action in 2026, this promotion lines him up for playing time as early as next season.
The Washington outfield is jam-packed right now with Daylen Lile, James Wood, and Jacob Young. The latter seems the most likely to be offloaded although recently, his bat has piqued fans’ interest.
The Nationals will need to continue sorting through players at the MLB level to decide who stays and who vacates to make room for the King’s arrival.
Nationals’ Promoting ‘King-Sized’ Prospect to AAA After Hot Start