Nunez committed to Clemson before 2019, his senior year in high school in Georgia.

June 10, 2019: Nunez was Miami’s second-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, out of Collins Hill High School, Suwanee, GA. He signed above slot at $2.2 million, via scout Christian Castorri. The slot value for the 46th pick was $1.6 million. 

A day after officially signing with the organization, the 18-year-old shortstop from Collins Hill (Ga.) High School, went through batting practice with the Major Leaguers at Marlins Park.

He worked alongside shortstop Miguel Rojas in infield drills, and was getting additional pointers from veterans like Martin Prado and Curtis Granderson.

“I had those guys in my video game,” Nunez said. “I just enjoyed every bit of it. It’s a true blessing.”

Accompanied by his parents and brother, Nunez also spent some time with Marlins chief executive officer Derek Jeter and manager Don Mattingly.

“I just love how they’re so open to me,” Nunez said. “It’s like I’m a teammate already. They’re giving me knowledge that some people haven’t given me yet. I’m not going to take that for granted, and I'll use that in my craft.”

In 2020, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Nunez as the 18th-best prospect in the Marlins system. And he was at #20 in the spring of 2021. Nasim rose to 15th-best prospect in the winter before 2022 spring camps opened. He was at #14 early in 2023.

After being selected by the Nats in the Rule 5 Draft, Nasim fell to #16 in the Nats organization in early 2024. He fell to #25 in the spring of 2025.

Nunez: I think it was going into my mid-junior summer, after junior nationals. I knew my glove was really good, but I realized that I also had one of the best arms in the class. If I had those things, then anything can work.

MLB Pipeline: What was your first Spring Training experience as a pro like?

Nunez: It’s not what everyone thinks. You get a lot of work in, but you also have to be kind of selfish and try to get extra work in. That’s what me and Osiris Johnson would do, figure out ways coaches could get us in early in the morning -- get there at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. -- and do everything you can. Just be a dog out there.

MLB Pipeline: So, I heard that you really like Shirley Temples … what’s up with that?

Nunez: Ha! No way, who told you that? That’s wild. But yeah, I’m in love with Shirley Temples. I’ve always just drank Shirley Temples from about ninth grade when I had my first one. It just stuck, become my thing. Every time Osiris, Monte and I all go out dinner, they all order, like, Sprites, Cokes, waters -- and I’m like, “Can I get a Shirley Temple?” And they’re all like, “Dude, are you serious?” I had them both taste it, and now we’re all drinking Shirley Temples.

MLB Pipeline: You’re someone who is passionate about giving back to your community and just being a good person. How have your parents and the lessons they’ve taught you along the way helped to make you the person you are today?

Nunez: My mom would always remind me when I was younger that no matter how big you get, no matter how much you accomplish, no matter how much money you have, you have to remember where you came from. My mom would always take me to food drives and charity drives, and living with my family in New York and Atlanta, you just see so much that makes you want to help.

There are always people in your life that put you ahead of them to help you get to where you’re at in your life right now. I just try to always remember that there are people out there who need you, and just because you’re [well off] doesn’t mean that everyone else is. The blessings you get should be everyone else’s blessings, too.

MLB Pipeline: What is one weird hobby/skill/fun fact about yourself that people don’t know about you? Like are you secretly a trained opera singer or something?

Nunez: I’m addicted to collecting shoes. It’s been a thing since about seventh grade. I’ve always loved to keep my sneakers, but obviously the collection got a little bit bigger this year. Osiris and I kind of have a sneaker-collection battle these days, but neither of us are close to Monte. Monte’s sneaker collection is ridiculous.

MLB Pipeline: Okay, Nas, one last very important question. Musical preference: Nas or Lil Nas X?

Nunez: Nas.  (Rosenbaum - mlb.com - 4/6/2020)

2021 Season: Nasim Nunez (Marlins No. 13): .243 batting average, 33 stolen bases, 33 runs scored in 228 plate appearances.

Nunez is a Gold Glove-caliber defender and a phenom on the basepaths, but he missed significant time down the stretch, with his final game for Class A Jupiter coming on July 28.

Jan 30, 2023: "We're getting out of here. Let's get to work."

Those are the words Marlins No. 23 prospect Nasim Nuñez wrote in his journal upon his promotion from High-A Beloit to Double-A Pensacola last August, 2022.

After walking into meetings and noticing that players had to bring their own piece of paper to take notes, director of Minor League operations Hector Crespo felt it might be impactful to create notebooks for them. So he and Colleen Mitchell, manager of player care and service, made sure every player received one in 2022.

"If anything happened during the season that was memorable, or they just wanted to keep an account of what happened, they could have these journals to write certain things down," Crespo said. "We didn't give them parameters of what to write. It was more free-spirited. It was something good, something bad, something that happened during the day, something that you enjoy doing. Just anything that you write down to visualize it, and get it on there. I know a good amount of our guys use it, so it was a good reference point for us." 

One of those players is Nuñez, whose parents encouraged him to write in a journal when he was younger but who didn't do so until the Marlins distributed one. It quickly became second nature for him to compose motivational -- and sometimes humorous -- tidbits. How much and how frequently Nuñez writes depends on the day. It's usually about baseball, and he rarely uses complete sentences.

"I believe everybody needs that time to themselves, because if you're always so consumed in doing something else, and too busy, you don't get time to reflect on that stuff, and that's what helps you grow and develop," Nuñez said. "I usually write in there when my mind starts getting full, and I want to express some stuff, but I don't want to express it to everybody or to people, so I just write it down and it kind of clears my mind."

It came in handy when the 22-year-old got off to a slow start in the cold weather of Beloit. Things had been easier in the lower levels of the Minors and at Collins High in Suwanee, Ga., where Nuñez was selected in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft as the best defensive shortstop available. But that adversity helped him grow mentally, especially while writing down how he was feeling.Nuñez regrouped by slashing .288/.426/.381 from May 7-July 31, prompting his promotion to the Blue Wahoos. His first Double-A homer -- a go-ahead shot to stave off elimination in the semifinals -- was instrumental in Pensacola's Southern League championship run.

The 5-foot-9, 158-pounder isn't known for power (20 grade on the 20-80 scale), but rather his speed (70 grade) and defense (70). In fact, Nuñez finished with 70 steals -- third most in Marlins affiliate history, behind Quincy Foster (73) and Yefri Perez (71).

"What I learned most about myself was that as long as I keep going, and I set my mind on something I can accomplish, whatever it is that I want to, always have a positive mindset and want to learn," said Nuñez, who was named Beloit's MVP and received a non-roster invite to Major League camp this spring. "You don't know everything. So I'm always asking questions, trying to find the answer, just like an annoying little kid." (CD Nicola - MLB.com - Jan 30, 2023)

Nunez represented the Marlins at the 2023 All-Star Futures Game. Thanks to his bases-clearing double, Nuñez took home the Larry Doby Award as the Futures Game MVP. He became the first Marlins player to win the award.

2023 Season:  Nuñez enjoys creating chaos on basepaths in Fall League.

Getting on base consistently is what has enabled Nuñez to show off his electrifying 70-grade speed through four seasons in the Marlins system. Since 2019, Nuñez’s 183 stolen bases rank second in the Minors, but it’s his career .358 on-base percentage that perhaps better illustrates just how much he’s been able to showcase his wheels. “I would say it's always important to get on base,” he said. “That's part of the main purpose of the game is scoring runs, so if I get on base, I have a chance to score the runs. But I think the way that I changed my mindset about it and looked at it is, I used to be happy or consider a day great when I would have a hit or an RBI. Now I just want to get on base. And if I get on base a certain number of times, that’s just an equivalent to having hits and RBIs in my book.”

But the Marlins prospect also showed off his glove and arm on Tuesday, making a pair of slick plays at shortstop, including an off-balance throw to third base off a backhanded stab that retired Pineda in the fifth. Nuñez, who was rated the best defensive shortstop in the 2019 Draft, has also made a name for himself with his Gold Glove-caliber play on the infield.

“I've always had the defensive ability,” he said. “Defense has always been my thing, but toward the end of this season, I learned how to use my ability for me, not just have it. I take pride in it. I love defense, it’s fun.”

This combination of speed and elite defense took Nuñez to new heights in 2023, even after a breakout 2022 campaign in which he accumulated 70 stolen bases and 95 walks. He was named the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game MVP in Seattle this summer, and while his .225/.341/.286 slash line doesn’t jump out, he still managed 87 walks in 585 plate appearances.

He’ll continue to work on his offensive approach in the Fall League -- he’s hitting .250/.364/.297 in 64 at-bats -- but his speed and defense have made him one of the most exciting talents on the premier prospect circuit.

And Nuñez knows how to stick to his strengths. (C Bradley - MLB.com - Oct 31, 2023)

Dec 10, 2023: Since 2019, Nasim Nuñez had pursued his Major League aspirations as a member of the Marlins organization. Drafted by Miami as a second-round pick out of high school, Nuñez reached Double-A last season with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

This season he has the chance to achieve those big league goals with a new club, as the Nationals selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, held during the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn.

“It was bittersweet,” Nuñez said. “Coming up through the Marlins organization, I created so many bonds with my teammates, the coaches, and even the medical staff and everybody else that was there. So it was kind of a wave of emotions of not wanting to leave, but knowing that there’s an opportunity out there for me to pursue my dreams.”

Nuñez, who was ranked as the Marlins’ No. 16 prospect by MLB Pipeline, entered the Nats’ system at No. 23 behind catcher Drew Millas. He brings versatility that Washington covets -- the ability to play the middle infield with a best fit at shortstop, as well as the speed to pinch-run.

“We were really trying to get as many toolsy players up the middle of the field as possible,” said general manager Mike Rizzo. “And we thought this was a way to get some kind of an elite type of tools player onto the roster.”

An area of emphasis for Nuñez will be improving his production at the plate. Last season he hit .224 with a .627 OPS, five home runs and 52 stolen bases in 125 games. The Nats lauded him for his plate discipline; he was tied for fourth in Double-A in walks, with 87. “We think that there’s some upside with the bat,” said Rizzo. “The bat’s far behind the defense, but [he’s] a guy that we think has more bat in there.”

Said Nuñez: “It’s just reps. It’s just trusting in your ability and swinging at good pitches, because I’m a big believer that if you get the right pitch and you are on time and put any type of swing on it, you have a chance to get a hit.”

Nuñez sees being picked by the Nationals as the beginning of a new chapter. When a player is selected in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, the team pays $100,000. If that player does not stay on the active big league roster for the entire season, he must be offered back to his former club for $50,000. 

“That's a great opportunity for him,” said Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. “That's the cool thing about the Rule 5 Draft: It provides an opportunity for players to go show what they can do in a new organization. It's difficult to stick all year, but some guys are able to do it, and he'll have his chance.”         

When Nuñez reports to Nats Spring Training in West Palm Beach, Fla., he will find familiar faces. He has known shortstop CJ Abrams since high school, and he played in the 2023 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game – for which he was named MVP -- with third baseman Brady House and outfielder James Wood. In addition, he is friends with Christian Cairo, the son of Nats bench coach Miguel Cairo. Nuñez will also see his former club, as the Marlins’ training facilities are close by, and the teams are frequent Grapefruit League opponents.

"It's tough,” said Hector Crespo, the Marlins’ director of Minor League operations. “You hate losing good players but even better people, and we've had Nas, we developed Nas. I'm really close, and I love the kid. I'm so happy for him that he gets this opportunity. Hate that he's no longer ours, but just so happy for the person in general. So I wish him nothing but the best, love him to death, and he's going to be great." (J Camerato - MLB.com - Dec 10, 2023)

Nasim Nuñez said he was scared when presented with the idea of working with a mental health coach during his time in the Marlins' Minor League system. After receiving encouragement from his parents, he decided to try it out.

“It started off as visualization and stuff, and understanding that things are going to be OK,” Nuñez said. “It flowed, and then I started journaling with that.”

After the Nationals selected him in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, Nuñez brought his journal and what he learned about mental health to Washington, D.C. He decided he was not going to work with a mental health coach the same way he had with Single-A Jupiter, the Marlins' affiliate. Instead, he would take the tools he learned to take care of his own mental health.

“I always believe that at the end of the day, you’re your best coach,” Nuñez said. “As long as you continue to work on yourself and get help when you need it, you’ll be good. … You should know you better than anyone else.”

Nuñez has felt the effects of prioritizing his mental health, even if he doesn’t see it himself. He said that he is able to see his progress by comparing how he and his teammates handle certain situations. He doesn’t journal as much as he used to, although his journal sits in his locker ready to be used at any moment. Nuñez has opted to try two new exercises this season:

1. Reading: Lately, the 23-year-old has gotten into reading or listening to books in order to help him. His go-to book is “Chop Wood, Carry Water: How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great,” by Joshua Medcalf. Nuñez will sometimes listen to a chapter before a game to get in the right headspace.

“Everyone should listen to ‘Chop Wood Carry Water,'” Nuñez said. “Each chapter is valuable.”

2. Meditation: Nuñez has started meditating to clear his mind. He said he sits outside, closes his eyes and simply relaxes. He struggles with determining when he needs to meditate, but he gets some help from his girlfriend. When she says they need to take a moment to clear their heads, he listens.

 “I think about what I want to do the next day or how the day went,” Nuñez said. “Just breaking it down so it’s not all a rush. When you do it, you realize how much stuff goes on through your mind that you don’t notice it’s affecting you.”

His biggest takeaway from going through this journey of taking care of his mental health is controlling the controllables. Whether it’s critics on social media or getting caught stealing, Nuñez said it’s important to not let fear take over.

“You have no control over anything, but you can control your mind,” Nuñez said. “You can be relaxed and know that it’s going to come to you.” (Melanie Martinez-Lopez - June 2, 2024)

2025 Spring player making biggest impression on the Nationals: INF Nasim Nuñez: 

In a battle for the 26th spot on the roster, Nuñez has made a strong case for the Nationals to consider. A 2023 Rule 5 Draft pick, Nuñez hit .246 with a .632 OPS in 51 games as a rookie last year. This spring, he is batting .462 with a 1.033 OPS in his first 15 Grapefruit League games. Nuñez could set himself apart with his speed as a pinch-runner; he has stolen seven bases and has been caught only once. (J Camerato - MLB.com - March 16, 2025)

 The irony surrounding the league’s top base-stealer is that he has one of the slowest animals as a pet.

Introducing Nasim Nuñez and his turtle, George.

The story began about 15 years ago in South Carolina, when a young Nuñez stumbled upon a group of the reptiles with his family.

“My cousins found a whole bunch of snapping turtles in the backyard, and I wanted to keep one,” Nuñez, now 25, said. “I was crying and throwing a fit. Then my cousin said if I stopped crying and we’d get in the car to leave, he'd get me a turtle.”

Nuñez obliged. His parents were on board, too. But before his mother’s cousin, Kevin, took him to the pet store, there was another caveat.

“He made me go to the library to do all my homework,” Nuñez recounted. “And then we went to go get it.” Once at the store, Nuñez was prepared. He selected his turtle and promptly named him.

“Curious George was pretty big back then,” he explained.

Nuñez grew up with George living in a tank in the dining area and now in the living room. Nuñez gave credit to his father for taking the lead on cleaning the tank all these years, while Nuñez prefers to help with feedings (shrimp is George’s favorite treat). George still resides at Nuñez’s parents’ house, and Nuñez visits during the offseason.

“I learned that they grow based on their environment,” Nuñez said. “It’s kind of a life lesson. If you stay in a small environment, you’ll stay small. If you get into a bigger environment, you’ll grow.”

Nuñez has applied that outlook to baseball this season.

A 2023 Rule 5 Draft pick from the Marlins’ organization, he earned a consistent spot in the Nationals’ starting lineup for the first time in his career. He’s embraced that larger role and has done damage on the basepaths in that increased playing time.

“He's been great,” said president of baseball operations Paul Toboni. “I think what I've loved is, he plays so free out there, and clear-minded.

Oftentimes, I think when you see folks trying to steal bags, they can hesitate a little bit, they maybe overthink it. He's exceptionally clear-minded when he's on the basepaths, and I think it allows his athleticism and his instincts to really play. Hopefully that can continue going forward.” 

Along with his league-high 14 stolen bases, Nuñez ranks in the 99th percentile in sprint speed (29.8 feet per second). He leads all players in stolen bases of second base vs. average with 10, has two runs via a stolen base and he is second in stolen-base advance attempts with 12.

Manager Blake Butera credited first-base coach Corey Ray for the work he has put in with Nuñez since Spring Training to pick his spots. Nuñez stole his first base of the season on Opening Day.

“Teams are aware that he's going to run every time he gets on base, so they might pick once, they might pitch out, they might pick back-to-back [and] then pitch out,” Butera said. “I think [Ray’s] done a really good job of making sure Nas isn't getting too aggressive over there, and being a little bit more mindful of, ‘They know you’re on base. You're not sneak attacking anybody here.’ So just being a lot more thoughtful in times to run.”

Ray was impressed with Nuñez’s natural baserunning abilities when they began working together. Nuñez had stolen a total of 17 bases in 90 games across his first two seasons. He has already nabbed 14 in his first 33 games this year.

“You can overanalyze and talk yourself into not stealing base, or you can overanalyze and talk yourself into getting picked off or getting caught stealing,” said Ray. “I just try to put Nas in positions where all he's got to do is be athletic and be himself.”  (Jessica Camerato - May 6, 2026 - Natitude)

TRANSACTIONS

Nunez is a switch-hitter. He displays better balance and barrel skills from the right side, has quick hands and a very high contact approach, less bat speed from the left side but still handles the barrel well. 

Nunez has a good feel for the strike zone and plus bat-to-ball skills. After the 2024season, the switch-hitter worked to be shorter to the ball and to maximize his barrel time in the zone. He’s also working to control his head during his swing. (Savannah McCann - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2025) 

Nunez is small in stature at 5-foot-9 but has plus bat-to-ball skills and an outstanding feel for the strike zone. The switch-hitter has a simple setup with low, loose hands and a compact, direct swing. Nunez has looser, whippier hands from the left side, which is also where he produces most of his power. He is a hit-over-power profile with strong feel for the barrel and all-fields approach. Nunez has strong on-base skills with a career .359 OBP in the Marlins’ pitcher-friendly home parks. He walked nearly 15% of the time at Double-A in 2023 and is a tough at-bat for opposing pitchers. (Savannah McCann - BA Prospect Handbook - Spring 2024)

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 158 pounds, Nuñez lacks physicality and struggles to turn on pitches or drive them with any authority. He added 10-15 pounds of muscle during the offseason, but scouts still fear he'd be overpowered by big league pitches. A switch-hitter, he knows his limitations and concentrates on getting on base by using his plus-plus speed to beat out hits and by drawing walks -- he ranked 12th in the Minors with 95 last year -- but produced just a .238/.367/.287 batting line in his first three pro seasons. It’s that lack of a bat that will hinder his chances of sticking next season, but the Nats will want to give his speed and glove close consideration. (MLB Prospect Pipeline - Spring 2023) 

Nasim is small in stature at 5-foot-9 but has plus bat-to-ball skills and an outstanding feel for the strike zone. He has a simple setup with low, loose hands and a compact, direct swing. Nuñez has looser, whippier hands from the left side, which is also where most of his power comes from. He is undoubtedly a hit-over-power profile with strong feel for the barrel and all-fields approach. Nuñez has strong on-base skills with a career .359 OBP in the Marlins’ pitcher-friendly minor lg. home parks. He walked nearly 15% of the time at Double-A in 2023 and is a tough at-bat for opposing pitchers. (Peter Flaherty - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2024)

Nasim has the strongest knowledge of the strike zone in the Marlins' organization. The Marlins worked withNuñez to be less passive on hittable pitches, and it showed up in the summer months, when he hit .278 from May 1 through July 31 before a promotion to Double-A. The Marlins’ player development staff also worked with Nuñez to get him to hit the ball out in front more often. In Nuñez, scouts see a player who can make contact and cause havoc on the bases while playing excellent defense up the middle. (Josh Norris - BA Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

Switch-hitting shortstop Nasim Nuñez—one of the fastest men in baseball—is making adjustments to his lefthanded swing.

“When I went to big league camp this year, (the Marlins) did some (mobility) measurements on me, and they said my hips on my left side are a little tight,” said Nuñez, 22. “I’m kind of closed when I hit. I’m working on opening up, giving my hips the freedom to do what they have to do.

“My righty swing is fluid. It’s weird when you have to make an adjustment on one side and not the other, but they are two completely different swings.

“Coaches have always told me that I can do better with my hips if I weren’t closed up, but the Marlins showed me with measurements that my body doesn’t like being in that position. It’s comfortable, but it’s not as efficient and effective.”

Nuñez is a natural righthanded hitter who took up switch-hitting at his suburban Atlanta high school.

“I had a really good freshman year playing on varsity,” Nuñez said. “Sophomore year, I saw a lot more curveballs and sliders, and I didn’t like those pitches starting behind me. I decided to become a switch-hitter. “It was hard at first, and it still is. People think I can’t hit. But I hit from both sides, and I’m still learning. My goal is to hit line drives in the gaps.

“As an offensive player, it’s going to be hard to strike me out," Nuñez said. "I’m going to be a pest when I’m hitting, and if you leave me a cookie I’m going to smack it.” (Walter Villa- BA - May, 2023)

Nunez lacks physicality at 5-foot-9 and 158 pounds and won't produce any power with his contact-oriented, grounder-heavy approach. The switch-hitter does understand his limitations and focuses on getting on base by beating out grounders and controlling the strike zone. He has plus-plus speed and tremendous instincts on the bases, enabling him to steal 61 bases in 103 games with an 84 percent success rate in his first two years as a pro. 

Nuñez’s bat lags well behind his glove. His average exit velocity in 2021 was roughly 84 mph and he has just nine extra-base hits—and zero home runs—in 454 plate appearances. His saving grace on offense is a keen knowledge of the strike zone. (Spring, 2022)

Nunez' defense and speed alone should make him at least a utilityman, but his bat will determine if he's a regular. While lacks physicality at 5-foot-9 and 158 pounds and won't ever hit for power, he's a switch-hitter with bat-to-ball skills and a disciplined approach. He focuses on making contact and using a patient approach to get on base, and he displayed improved exit velocities at instructional league. (Spring 2021)

Nunez makes contact at the plate, but his power is well-below-average. and limits his ability to impact the ball. He struggled, particularly against righties during his first pro action. He shows a patient approach and uses his speed to steal bases, but he has a long way to go to become an average hitter. The Marlins expect him to develop more offensive consistency and impact the ball to all fields as he matures. (Spring 2021)

There are concerns about how much offensive impact the 5-foot-9, 160-pound Nunez will have, and he didn't ease them by posting a .565 OPS with an excessive 2.8 groundout/airout ratio in his pro debut. A switch-hitter with a better swing from the right side, he'll never have much power but will need to get stronger so he can keep pitchers honest by developing the ability to drive the ball on occasion. He focuses on making contact and using a patient approach to get on base, where he can make things happen with his well-above-average speed. (Spring 2020)

Jan 8, 2021: Marlins: Nasim Nunez, SS (No. 20) - 2021 Breakout Prospect

Perhaps the best defensive shortstop in the 2019 Draft, Nunez signed as a second-rounder out of a Georgia high school. He's also a well-above-average runner and the Marlins are encouraged by how he has added strength since batting .200/.327/.238 in his 2019 pro debut, when he topped the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League with 28 steals and finished second with 35 walks. (J Callis - MLB.com - Jan 8 - 2021)

 2024 Season: Stats: 51 G, 78 PA, 61 AB, 14 R, 15 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 8 SB, 2 CS, 12 BB, 15 SO, .246 AVG, .370 OBP, .262 SLG, .632 OPS, 85 OPS+, 2 DRS, 2 OAA, 0.7 bWAR, 0.4 fWAR

Quotable: “Look, the kid worked his butt off every day. He works on all of his game. He really made the conscious effort to get better with his swing, be more consistent, understand how to play the game. And you can see when he’s out there playing, he’s done really well. But it was the work ethic he had all year long that enabled him to do what he’s doing. He doesn’t play that much, but he keeps himself ready every single day, which is awesome.” – Davey Martinez

2024 analysis: Nasim Nuñez had never played above Double-A prior to this season. The Nationals, though, saw potential in his glove work and baserunning skills, and believed it was worth taking a flier on him with the No. 1 pick in last winter’s Rule 5 Draft. They understood the risk: Nuñez would have to remain on the big league roster the entire season, the active roster at least 90 days. They decided it was worth it.

The plan all along was to play Nuñez sparingly, instead using this opportunity to work extensively with him in the field and at the plate. Third base coach Ricky Gutierrez (who also coaches the infielders) could be found with Nuñez almost every afternoon working on the field long before the rest of the team took batting practice, teaching the young player the finer points of defensive work at the major league level.

Playing time initially was incredibly rare. Nuñez started only three of the Nationals’ first 116 games, appearing off the bench another 24 times as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement. He took only 17 plate appearances during that time, going 3-for-15 with two walks and three strikeouts.

But the season’s final two months finally brought more playing time, especially in September when CJ Abrams was first dealing with a nagging injury and eventually was demoted to Triple-A for disciplinary reasons. Nuñez responded with his best performances of the season, both at the plate (12-for-46 with 10 walks and 12 strikeouts) and in the field (a host of highlight-reel plays).  (Mark Zuckerman - Oct. 13, 2024)

Quotable: “I see the comments. I see the things people say: ‘Can’t hit.’ And even for myself, it’s not about proving to everyone else. It’s about proving myself right. I really proved myself right. I have to be the one to believe I can hit. When you go out there and see it, it gives you a little more belief.” – Nasim Nuñez

2025 analysis: There was no question about the Nationals’ intended plan for Nuñez this season. After surviving the entire 2024 campaign on the major league roster and satisfying Rule 5 Draft requirements, he would finally get a chance to play every day at Triple-A and continue his development. That plan quickly got thrown out the window when both CJ Abrams and Paul DeJong were injured in mid-April, prompting the club to promote Nuñez to the big leagues.

He wound up with the Nats for two months, though there still wasn’t consistent playing time available to him. Nuñez took only 49 plate appearances between mid-April and mid-June, and he did little with those plate appearances, batting .186 with two doubles and a .503 OPS.

So, the Nationals sent Nuñez back to Triple-A with instructions to play every day and finally develop as intended. Admittedly frustrated with the situation and his own lack of offensive success, Nuñez struggled at first and even considered giving up switch-hitting. But at the urging of coaches and others in the organization, he stuck with it, made some changes to his left-handed swing and saw positive results. Over a 19-game stretch in August with Rochester, he hit .365 with a .425 on-base percentage, one homer and 18 RBIs.

That earned Nuñez another promotion to D.C. when rosters expanded Sept. 1. And he was given a bit more opportunity to play, starting 10 of the team’s final 24 games. Showing off that new swing, he managed not only to hit .282 but also to hit the first four homers of his major league career, proving he does indeed have the ability to hit for power. Combined with his already elite infield defense and baserunning skills, he wound up one of the most encouraging players at the end of an otherwise dismal season.

2026 outlook: Did Nuñez manage to play his way into the Nationals’ future plans with his surprising September? It certainly was an eye-opening performance, with a display of power potential never previously seen from him at any level of baseball. If he could continue to do that on a semi-regular basis while continuing to play great defense and aggressively run the bases, he could provide real value to the club.

The question is whether what we all saw in such a limited sample was a legitimate sign of improvement that can be sustained in the long run, or merely a fun burst of production unlikely to be duplicated again. Nuñez’s track record should leave everybody skeptical. This is a guy with a career .290 slugging percentage and .645 OPS across 1,820 minor league plate appearances. It’s tough to believe someone like that could suddenly become a productive offensive player at the major league level.

Nuñez does have some good underlying qualities as a hitter, though. He’s very patient, chasing only 21.7 percent of pitches outside the strike zone (well below the MLB average of 28.4 percent). He hit .394 (15-for-38) against four-seam fastballs, with all four of his homers coming off that pitch. He did not, however, have any success against breaking balls (.087, 2-for-23) or off-speed pitches (.188, 3-for-16).

Nuñez may have shown enough in September to warrant a more extensive look in 2026, but the Nationals should not assume he’s ready to be a consistently productive big league hitter yet. (Mark Zuckerman - MASN Nationals - Oct 17, 2025)

Nasim is a super smooth shortstop with quick-twitch athleticism for excellent range. He has quick feet and impressive internal clock. He is a 70 grade defender with a 60 grade arm.

Where Nunez shines is at shortstop. He is an outstanding defender and a double-plus runner. In his limited time on base in MLB, he managed to steal eight bases in 10 attempts. He posted nearly elite Statcast sprint speeds of 29.5 feet per second. (Savannah McCann - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2025) 

Nunez’s calling card is his outstanding defense. He is a double-plus defender at shortstop with a nearly double-plus arm. He is comfortable throwing from any arm slot and does an excellent job coming in on the baseball and moving laterally. He is a double-plus runner who has been successful on 84% of his stolen base attempts. (Savannah McCann - BA Prospect Handbook - Spring 2024)

Nuñez’s calling card is his outstanding defense. He is a double-plus defender at shortstop with a plus arm and is a slam dunk to stick at the position. He is comfortable throwing from any arm slot and is comfortable coming in on the baseball and moving laterally. (Spring, 2024)

A fast-twitch athlete with smooth actions at shortstop, Nuñez has quality range to both sides, quick hands and the well-above-average arm strength and agility to execute any throw from any angle. His defensive instincts enhance his physical gifts, and he'll contend for Gold Gloves as soon as he's promoted to the Majors. He can improve his consistency, however, after committing 23 errors in 118 games at age 21 last year. (BA - Spring 2023)

Nunez has excellent first-step quickness and a strong throwing arm that needs a touch more in the way of accuracy. (Spring, 2023)

Nunez might contend for a Gold Glove in the big leagues right now. He's silky smooth with fast-twitch actions, quick hands and feet and a plus-plus arm that delivers accurate throws from any conceivable angle. He can make plays that most shortstops can't and also is remarkably consistent for a young defender. (Spring 2022)

Nuñez is one of the best defensive shortstops in the minor leagues, with true80-grade potential. His instincts are so sharp, scouts say, that it appears he is moving toward the ball before it is hit. He has the range to track down balls to his right and left and will go all-out to get fly balls even if it means sacrificing his body. His arm is strong enough to make accurate throws from different angles at any spot on the diamond. (Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2022)

Nunez' speed, arm strength and overall defense all earn plus-plus grades from some evaluators. He's a smooth shortstop with quick-twitch actions, fast hands and feet and the arm to make any throw from any angle. He gets to balls and pulls off plays that many shortstops can't, and he also has the consistency to take care of routine grounders as well. (Spring 2021)

Nasim's defensive skills and instincts at short are advanced. His plus speed gives him plenty of range, and his plus arm make him a lock to stay at that position. he has a tendency to make highlight worthy plays. (Spring 2021) 

A fast-twitch athlete, Nunez looks destined to win Gold Gloves. He has silky smooth actions, quick hands and feet as well as the arm strength to make any throw from any angle. If he doesn't provide enough offense to become an everyday player, his tools will allow him to play anywhere on the diamond in a utility role. (Spring 2020)

He is a plus defensive shortstop with elite, quick-twitch hands and a knack for throwing accurately from tough arm angles and while on the run. Watching Nunez play defense can be mesmerizing—both in pregame warmups and during the game—because of his fluid actions.

Nunez is an acrobatic, quick-burst athlete with fast hands, smooth actions and a plus arm. He has the athleticism, range and body control to making exciting defensive plays, throwing accurately on the run from different angles. (Spring, 2020)

Nunez has a strong arm, and his throws get good carry. He also has a knack for throwing accurately from multiple arm angles and positions on the field.

2022: Marlins Best Defensive Prospect - Nasim Nunez, SS (No. 20)

A second-round pick out of a Georgia high school in 2019, Nunez is on the short list of the very best defensive shortstops in the Minors. He's a quick-twitch athlete with well above-average speed, silky smooth actions, quick hands and plenty of arm. (Mayo, Callis, Dykstra - MLB.com - Feb 24, 2022)