Welcome back to theFUTURE for a mid-June edition. We are almost to the halfway point of the 2025 Minor League Baseball season and we are starting to see which Nationals affiliates are going to sink to the bottom or rise to the top in their respective leagues. Also, the Nationals have an insane prospect pitching depth at Wilmington. How did they do this week? Spoiler very well. Player promotion, demotion, and surprise signings. Finally, what is going on in Rochester? We get into all of it on this edition of theFUTURE.

Weekly report from Rochester

The Rochester Red Wings fell to 22-45 after being swept for the second week in a row, this time by the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami). Rochester has lost 12 games in a row, dating back to June 3. The Red Wings struggled on the mound, giving up 18 runs in the first game of the series as well as allowing at least five runs in five games of the six-game set. Third baseman Brady House and outfielder Daylen Lile carried the offense most of the week, with both of them going a combined 20-51 in six games. Unfortunately for Rochester, both players would be called up to Washington on Monday morning. Struggling first baseman Juan Yepez was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster, while outfielder Robert Hassell III and third baseman Jose Tena were optioned to Rochester to make room for the aforementioned House and Lile on the MLB roster. Part of Rochester’s struggles of late have been because of the play of outfielder Andrew Pickney and first baseman Yohandy Morales. Pickney, since the start of June, has been sluggish at the dish, slashing .118/.231/.206 while Morales, since getting called up from Double-A Harrisburg on May 23, has slashed .176/.256/.243 with only one RBI for the 2023 second rounder out of Miami.

The Rochester Red Wings will hit the road and play six games at the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Philadelphia). The Iron Pigs are 46-23 on the season and are first in the International League East Division. The Pigs are led offensively by Phillies top prospect, starting pitcher Andrew Painter. The 22-year-old has 35 strikeouts in 31 innings this year and he has a repertoire of pitches, including a fastball that can go consistently North of 100 MPH. The first game of the series is set for Tuesday, June 17 at 6:45 p.m. EDT in Allentown, Pennsylvania.