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Washington Nationals Expected to Promote 2026 First Round Pick
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- Washington Nationals Expected to Promote 2026 First Round Pick
(Ron Schloerb/Cape Cod Times / USA TODAY)
The Washington Nationals were able to somewhat turn the tide this week after what proved to be a grueling eight game road trip materialized into seven losses, a trip that seemingly flipped the script on the outlook of the season, before securing wins in two of their last three games ahead of Saturday afternoon.
Friday night came at the hands of just enough offense after Harry Ford's two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning proved to be the difference in the eventual 5-3 win, marking an encouraging win as the bullpen closed out the final three innings convincingly. Washington will now look to parlay that success into a two game win streak in hopes of shifting the narrative about the season, but there was also reason for confidence in the future.
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Chris Hacopian is scheduled to be promoted from the Florida Complex League to High-A Wilmington with his first start expected to materialize on Sunday. It marks a quick honor for Hacopian, who became the team's first round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft to kick off a new era of drafting under president of baseball operations Paul Toboni.
The promotion also serves as a chance for Hacopian to prove himself after cementing himself as one of the best hitters in college baseball with multiple All American selections to show for it. After starting in 107 games during his two seasons at Maryland with 29 home runs and 103 RBIs, Hacopian spent his junior season at Texas A&M where he materialized into a First Team All-SEC selection.
Yet the promotion to Wilmington could also serve notable for the future of the organization.
Projections point to second base as his best fit, but where he ultimately plays in Wilmington will be another question given Hacopian has experience at first, second, third, shortstop and the outfield. In Wilmington, Devin Fitz-Gerald has drawn the bulk of the work at second base with Randal Diaz at third, Ethan Petry at first and Eli Willits at shortstop.
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While Sunday will mark the chance to answer that question, it also marks a notable move given he joins the roster with several other top prospects including Willits, Fitz-Gerald, Gavin Fien, Ronny Cruz and Yeremy Cabrera -- all prospects ranked inside the organization's top 20 prospects.
Hacopian and the Blue Rockets will look to take on the Brooklyn Cyclones for a 1:05 PM opening pitch on Sunday.
