LF/RF/DH

Franchy Cordero

Franchy Cordero signed a minor league contract for this upcoming season. He has played for the San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Cordero was once considered to have elite speed, leading all the minor leagues in triples in 2016 and 2017. He also had elite power, and in 2017, his average batted ball exit velocity was one of the highest in the minor leagues.

Cordero also has quite a bit of major league experience, with 722 at-bats with four different teams. In the majors, he has hit 37 doubles, five triples, 27 home runs and 87 RBIs, along with 66 walks and 278 strikeouts. His career MLB batting average is 0.217. In 2023, he was called up to the Yankees and played in 24 games for the Bronx Bombers and had 13 hits. Eight out of his 13 hits were for extra bases, six were for home runs, and two were doubles.

PREDICTION FOR 2025: Franchy Cordero will open in Rochester and probably play most of his season here. I’ve been a season ticket holder in Rochester for five years, and Cordero has hit some of the longest home runs ever hit in Rochester. He definitely has a power swing and will get several extra-base hits and several strikeouts. I would look for him to be primarily used as a DH. If he does get called to Washington, it would be as a DH later in the year..

LF/CF/RF/1B

Carlos De La Cruz

After 6 years in the Philadelphia Phillies Minor League system, 25-year-old Carlos De La Cruz signed as a minor league free agent with the Nationals and has been assigned to the Rochester Red Wings. De La Cruz brings his large 6’8” frame and power swing to Innovative Field in Rochester this spring. His exit velocities are among the best in the minor leagues, but he also has a high swing-and-miss rate.

De La Cruz has a very aggressive approach at the plate and rarely walks. His career batting average in the minors is 0.242, with a 0.314 OBP and a 0.714 OPS, but he also has 178 extra-base hits. He’s hit 99 doubles, nine triples and 70 home runs. De La Cruz has played all three outfield positions, and he’s also logged some time at first base. His long strides make him better suited for the outfield because he can cover a lot of ground defensively. His arm strength is graded low by scouts so he will probably be best suited to left field.

PREDICTION FOR 2025: Carlos De La Cruz has been assigned to Rochester. Last year in AA Reading his batting average was 0.262 with a good 0.341 OBP. He was promoted to AAA Lehigh Valley, and his batting average plummeted to 0.190 and had a low 0.240 OBP. I believe De La Cruz will play the entire season in Rochester..

Become a paying subscriber of Nats Report+ to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.

A subscription to Nats Report+ gets you:

• • In-depth Nationals Prospect Profiles
• • In-depth Nationals Game Previews
• • In-depth reporting on the Nationals Minor League teams