Washington Nationals Projected to Land Slugging Outfielder in Latest Mock Draft
The Washington Nationals are on the upswing portion of their rebuild and could prove to be one of the more frustrating teams in the National League this upcoming season.
With a young core that has been built through trading away superstars and deftly selecting college and prep amateurs, this rebuild has been far shorter than most.
Star outfielders James Wood and Dylan Crews made their Major League debuts for the club in 2024, to varying levels of success. Wood was consistent throughout after being promoted, though Crews struggled to find consistency despite showing flashes of the greatness that many have expected from him.
The Nationals have been projected to land another slugging outfielder in the latest mock draft from Bleacher Nation, with Matt Rooney projecting the club to take Texas A&M Aggies standout Jace LaViolette.
LaViolette was born on December 4, 2003, in Pensacola, Florida, but attended Tompkins High School in Katy, Texas before committing to the Aggies for college baseball.
In two seasons at the collegiate level, the outfielder has batted .297/.433/.683 across 614 plate appearances in 132 games with 50 home runs and 141 RBI.
LaViolette has shown great plate discipline for a slugger with a career walk rate of 18 percent at the college level, though he does carry a strikeout rate of 25 percent. For context, the Major League averages for walk and strikeout rates are 8.2 and 21.7 percent, respectively, since 2012.
Defensively, the college phenom has played all three outfield positions throughout his time with Texas A&M. His hitter profile, however, projects more as a corner outfielder than as a centerfielder, despite the lion's share of his games coming in center.
Washington landed the number one overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft through the lottery, with only a 10.2 percent chance of doing so. While it was not the best odds of taking the top spot, their 2024 record of 71-91 afforded them a better chance than most.
Even with a rough 2024, the Nationals look to be far better in the coming campaign with their young core expected to take another step forward and the additions that they have made to their roster this offseason.
It is an exciting time for fans in Washington, and landing another slugging outfielder with a plus eye for the zone can only increase the hype surrounding the team's future.
