Washington Nationals Select Intriguing Prep Infielder in New Mock Draft

It’s not too early to project how the Washington Nationals might spend their first-round pick in 2025.

May 12, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A detailed view of the Washington Nationals logo on a weighted bat during the seventh inning of the game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets at Nationals Park. / Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Nationals look like they’re headed for another non-playoff season and likely a spot in the MLB draft lottery, which will be held in December at MLB’s Winter Meetings.

The 2024 draft was held just a month ago, but already some sites like Bleacher Report are projecting what the Nationals and the rest of the Majors might do with their first-round picks in 2025.

If the site is correct, Washington might go after a prep player for the first time since 2022. The Nationals are projected to have the No. 4 overall pick and select Corona (Calif.) shortstop Brady Ebel.

He played in the 2024 Perfect Game All-American Classic and has already committed to play college baseball at LSU. He will turn 18 next summer.

He has also played for USA Baseball since his Under-15 days and is also part of the 16U/17U National Team Development Program.

The last prep player the Nationals took with their first-round pick was outfielder Elijah Green in 2022, who was selected No. 5 overall out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He is currently the Nats’ No. 21 prospect per MLB Pipeline and is at Class A Fredericksburg.

Washington has gone with college players for each of their last two first-round picks.

A month ago the Nationals selected shortstop Seaver King out of Wake Forest and he’s already playing at Class A. He can also play second and third base and was installed as the organization’s No. 5 prospect recently.

Last year Washington picked LSU outfielder Dylan Crews at No. 2 overall. He was the second of two Tigers to be picked, as teammate Paul Skenes, a pitcher, was No. 1 overall and selected by Pittsburgh. He is already in the Majors.

Crews is a Triple-A and could be an option for the Nationals when rosters expand next month.

Going back to 2019, Washington selected pitcher Jackson Rutledge No. 17 overall from San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas; selected pitcher Cade Cavalli No. 22 overall out of Oklahoma in 2020; and selected shortstop Brady House No. 11 overall out of Winder-Barrow High School in Winder, Ga.

Rutledge, Cavalli and House are all Top 30 prospects, with House the No. 2 prospect in the organization behind Crews.

Two teams that are having awful seasons, the Chicago White Sox and the Oakland Athletics, are not allowed to have a Top 10 selection because they’ve selected in the Top 10 each of the last two drafts.