Devin Fitz-Gerald, Washington Nationals, Single-A (end of 2025), Rank: 23

Deep in the heart of Texas, the Texas Rangers seem to be growing hitting prospects that take off and rise faster than you can blink. From Wyatt Langford, to Evan White, to Sebastian Walcott, and to Josh Jung, we might have the next in line for the annual rocketship for a Rangers hitting prospect. Nevermind, we blinked and Devin Fitz-Gerald is poised to be the breakout star of the 2026 season, however; not with the Texas Rangers anymore. He began his career with the Rangers, but now has moved on to the Washington Nationals following a trade. There, he will look to continue the rise that started last year with a spectacular pro debut.

Fitz-Gerald was drafted in 2024 during the fifth round by the Texas Rangers, out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. He would burst onto the minor league scene with an outstanding display in the Arizona Complex League. He was a Rookie-ball standout, slashing .318/.423/.542 with six home runs and six doubles. His plate discipline stood out to the tune of more walks (15) than strikeouts (12) in his 31 games there. He would get the boost to Single-A Hickory for a short 10 game sample before the end of his season. His walk rate jumped to 25.6% and his strikeout rate followed, increasing to a 20.9% rate. Still, very good for a 19-year-old at Single-A. His wRC+ across both levels on the year was 143 and his strikeout rate was just 13.9%. On the season, he displayed a hit tool far better than initially projected and better in-game power than expected as well. He even added eight stolen bases and it looks like he won’t be a zero in that category in the future. His season was cut short by a shoulder injury and he was traded in the offseason to the Washington Nationals.

What stands out to me about Fitz-Gerald is he has come out looking like Kevin McGonigle with his pro debut in 2025. Here is McGonigle’s player profile from last season.

Fitz-Gerald appears to be on the same minor league path McGonigle set forth once he entered with his pro debut in 2023. McGonigle slashed .315/.452/.411 across Rookie-ball and Single-A. His 2024 was very similar and he jumped this year going from High-A to Double-A seeing a power surge. Fitz-Gerald mimicked his first season, but put up better power numbers and could push to follow McGonigle’s second season in 2026. For Fitz-Gerald to reach McGonigle’s stardom of this past year, he will need to stay healthy and keep putting up those monster numbers fueled by his contact skills and plate discipline. To continue the comparison, Fitz-Gerald has a similar swing to McGonigle from the left side, but in my opinion it is a much faster swing speed and better hands. To help Fitz-Gerald as he moves up levels he is a switch hitter, so there shouldn’t be an issue with splits like there usually are with minor league left-handed hitters. His right-handed swing is very quick and contact oriented like his left-handed one, but showing less power at this current time.

2026 could be a big year for Fitz-Gerald and big things may be on the horizon if he can lift the ball more like he did in Rookie-Ball. It was a small sample size in Single-A, but his groundball rates did jump in the 10 game sample, from the 74th percentile to the 45th percentile. If he can tap into some power from the right side, we could be looking at the switch-hitting version of McGonigle, a player who hits the ball in the air, with above average power, exceptional hit tool, top level plate discipline, and adds a little on the bases. Hopefully, we see more of the breakout from Fitz-Gerald and he could continue to soar up the rankings. He could potentially end 2026 as a top 50 prospect and the next star in the minor leagues for the Nationals.