In a spring training exhibition in West Palm Beach, Florida, young pitcher Alex Clemmey and catcher Harry Ford teamed up for the first time, offering a preview of the Washington Nationals' potential future battery. The Nationals fell 4-1 to the Miami Marlins, but the duo impressed with a strong outing. Manager Blake Butera praised their performance.
On a Saturday afternoon in March 2026, the Washington Nationals hosted the Miami Marlins in a Major League exhibition game at their West Palm Beach spring training facility. Twenty-year-old left-hander Alex Clemmey took the mound for his first appearance alongside 23-year-old catcher Harry Ford, marking the initial collaboration between the two prospects who met just two hours before the noon start.
Clemmey, ranked as the Nationals' No. 11 prospect, was acquired from Cleveland in the 2024 trade for outfielder Lane Thomas. Last season, he advanced to Double-A Harrisburg, with MLB Pipeline projecting a Major League debut in 2027. Ford, the team's No. 3 prospect and ranked No. 71 overall by MLB, debuted with the Seattle Mariners in September 2025 before being traded to Washington in December for pitcher Jose A. Ferrer. This game was Ford's return after representing Team Britain in the World Baseball Classic, and he is competing for the backup catcher role.
The pair delivered three hitless innings on 50 pitches, with Clemmey striking out two batters, walking one, and allowing two unearned runs. He relied on a slider, four-seam fastball, sinker, and changeup, maintaining his usual Minor League preparation routine. "He pounded the zone, did a really good job getting ahead of hitters -- obviously didn’t allow a hit," Butera said. "It was awesome."
Clemmey appreciated the matchup: "I saw he did really well in the WBC. From Seattle, I heard a lot of good things about him. It was great to finally put a face to a name and throw to him, so I’m excited for what the future holds."
Ford highlighted Clemmey's slider: "It plays well off of his fastballs because it’s not so big to where it pops out compared to the other ones. It really blends in well."
The exhibition also featured No. 1 prospect Eli Willits starting at shortstop, as CJ Abrams and Nasim Nuñez rested. Butera emphasized the value of exposing Minor League players to big-league action: "The more we can get our eyes on them, the more they get familiar with our staff -- pitching in a stadium like this in a Major League game, I think it’s only good for them."
Despite the loss, the game provided Ford an early chance to learn the Nationals' pitchers. "It’s always helpful, no matter what. It’s always nice getting good looks at the guys," he noted.
