Shortstop Eli Willits and pitcher Miguel Sime will both represent the Washington Nationals in the upcoming 2026 All Star Futures Game
The Washington Nationals will likely be represented in the All Star game with CJ Abrams in the mix to start and James Wood a contender to become a reserve selection, but the Nationals will officially be represented in another All Star game with the rosters revealed on Wednesday.
Shortstop Eli Willits and right handed pitcher Miguel Sime Jr. were both named to the 2026 All Star Futures Game after the MLB released the full roster. This year's game is set to kick off at noon ET on Sunday, July 12 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa. with the game again set for seven innings.
This marks the first selection for Willits, yet it's a deserving honor in what appears to be the first of many for the former top overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Willits enters July as the only player across the minor league with at least ten home runs, 35 stolen bases and 65 runs scored so far in 2026.
His 67 runs also ranks seventh and his 37 stolen bases ranked eighth, while he leads the Nationals' entire farm system in multiple categories including runs scored (67), stolen bases (37) and OPS (.940). After playing in only 15 games in 2025, Willits owns a slash line of .287/.418/.522 in his first full professional season.
Yet Sime isn't far behind on the list of impressive Nationals out of the farm system so far in 2026.
The 19 year old right hander leads the entire minor league with 16.69 strikeouts over nine innings so far this season, totaling 81 strikeouts across 43.2 innings pitched. Sime owns a 3.71 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 15 games as the former fourth round pick in the 2025 Draft continues to add optimism for what's ahead despite his first season pitching.
Sime appeared in ten games and pitched in 26.1 innings in Single A Fredericksburg where he recorded 54 strikeouts despite a 4.44 ERA and 1.52 WHIP, yet he dazzled after being promoted to High-A Wilmington after notching 27 strikeouts across 17.1 innings. Sime is also holding opposing batters to just a .164 batting average through the first three months of his minor league career, yet maybe most impressive is allowing just two home runs all season. For a Nationals pitching staff that ranks third across MLB with 123 home runs allowed so far in 2026, Sime adds reason for hope.
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