Scouting Report: Nathaneal Cruz
Overall
Summary
Nathaneal Cruz is a 19-year-old Dominican shortstop prospect acquired by the Washington Nationals from the Chicago Cubs at the 2025 trade deadline. He has rapidly ascended prospect rankings, jumping from the Nationals' #26 prospect to #3 in just a few months. Cruz was promoted from Single-A Fredericksburg to High-A Wilmington after less than a month and now ranks #96 in Baseball America's Top-100 prospect rankings. The Cubs originally drafted him in the 3rd round of the 2024 draft and invested $620,000 in a below-slot signing bonus. His rapid rise has been characterized as "grand larceny" by the Nationals organization.
Strengths
- Rapid prospect ranking ascension (#26 to #3 in Nationals system)
- Promoted from Single-A to High-A within a month
This is a preview of the full scouting report. Subscribe for complete analysis including hit/HR probabilities, all strengths/weaknesses, injury details, and confidence modifiers.
Unlock Full Report