The Washington Nationals updated farm system is trending well under new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and the new-look front office with a handful of moves able to restock the depth this offseason, while manager Blake Butera has four top-100 prospects to look forward to, possibly as early as 2026 for one of them.

But with pitcher and catcher report date one week away and the start of spring training inching closer for the Washington Nationals, multiple outlets released their updated farm system rankings with the team almost ranked in the top half of the league across every outlet.

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The Athletic was most bullish on the Nationals, slotting Washington at sixth overall and in the second tier after noting the addition of four prospects now ranked inside the team’s top 20 prospects following the MacKenzie Gore trade last month. The return of Harry Ford, who could dethrone Keibert Ruiz at catcher in 2026 whether on Opening Day or during the season, also adds optimism alongside the former top overall pick in last year’s draft in shortstop Eli Willits, who will now team up with Gavin Fien in the infield after being selected 11 picks later in the same draft.

But that may have been the outlier, though, with ESPN ranking the Nationals 14th across baseball and one spot behind cross-town rival Baltimore. ESPN also noted the presence of Travis Sykora, Luke Dickerson and Seaver King as part of the future that could arrive in 2027. While also noting Landon Harmon as one to watch, ESPN pointed to Luis Perales as one who could be “a big mover on next winter’s list if he can improve his control to approaching average.”

Baseball America, meanwhile, was most bearish on the Nationals farm after checking in at 16th in the 2026 rankings. That marks a surprising two spot decline from last year and one spot lower from 2024, a surprising turn for a Nationals team that invested in the future with several picks. But that’s also partially due to graduation – and some setbacks – given some like Dylan Crews, Cade Cavalli, Brady House and Daylen Lile are no longer prospect eligible. It does not help that Baseball American also ranks Willits, the Nationals’ highest current prospect, at just 30th overall.

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Of course, Toboni has made clear he will look to bolster the top of the Nationals’ minor league system after making several waiver claims through January with a chance to tweak the roster and depth ahead of the 2026 season. Whether the Nationals make other moves, as Toboni hinted, remains the biggest question mark ahead of Opening Day with still several question marks and a pair of prove-it internal candidates looking to fill Jose Ferrer’s role in the closing spot. As for the future, the Nationals could find themselves climbing the charts into 2027 with prospects like Seaver King looking to bounce back in 2026 after a disappointing 2025.

Pitchers and catchers are set to report next Wednesday, Feb. 11 before the starting of spring training on Feb. 21.