Lesser-Known Washington Nationals Prospect Shines in Spring Breakout Outing
The Washington Nationals seem to have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to young starters pushing for a Major League spot to start the year.
They signed Trevor Williams and Michael Soroka to short-term deals this winter as stopgap solutions until Cade Cavalli, DJ Herz, Mitchell Parker or Josiah Gray are ready to step into the rotation behind established stars MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin.
It looks like the starting staff could be a strength in the near future, but perhaps the next crop of starting pitchers currently in their pipeline have the potential to exceed everyone who is currently on the Major League roster.
Both Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana have generated tons of headlines during their minor league careers thus far, turning heads with elite strikeout stuff, overwhelming velocity and other dominating fassets of their games.
However, those two aren't the only ones who Nationals fans should keep an eye on.
Alex Clemmey was acquired as part of the Lane Thomas trade last year, and since he wasn't a draft pick of the franchise, having been taken in the second round by the Cleveland Guardians in 2023, he is one of the lesser-known star prospects in Washington's pipeline.
But that will change after what he did during the Spring Breakout game.
Facing the New York Mets, Clemmey was dominant.
In three innings pitched, he struck out six batters, giving up three hits and an earned run on a homer while also issuing one walk.
6 K's for @Nationals No. 6 prospect Alex Clemmey at #SpringBreakout!@Nats_PlayerDev | @FXBGNats pic.twitter.com/8wWTp5RhU9
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) March 16, 2025
It was a great sign for the 19-year-old after he put together a lackluster season in his first year of professional baseball in 2024 with a 4.58 ERA across his 25 starts at the Single-A level.
Going forward, the left-hander will have to continue to show the type of command he had in the Spring Breakout game. He walked 63 batters in 92.1 innings pitched compared to recording 123 strikeouts in 2024.
Sykora and Susana look like they have ace potential based on what they've shown during their limited time in the minors, and if Clemmey can have these types of outings going forward, that could be his ceiling, too.
If that's the case, Washington's pitching staff could be dominant for years to come when this trio is ready to be called up to The Show.
