The Washington Nationals are at a pivotal point in their rebuild to relevance, owning the No. 1 overall pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft that begins on Sunday night in Atlanta.
There are multiple intriguing prospects they can choose from, including prep shortstop Ethan Holliday, the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday and brother of Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick in 2022 and is now in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles.
Washington this week fired longtime general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez.
Bold choice.
The Nats’ head-scratching move — more for the timing than the actual decision — injected another layer of uncertainty to a draft that might be one of the most unpredictable in recent years. The first three rounds of the 20-round draft will take place on Sunday with the rest of the selections on Monday.
Washington promoted Mike DeBartolo to interim GM and he’ll supervise the team’s selections. He was previously the team’s assistant general manager and has been with the franchise since 2012.
DeBartolo said he’ll lean on the evaluations of the team’s scouting department but also has his own opinions about the process and will be the decision maker. Money will also be a factor, as teams have to work within their bonus pool.
The Orioles are at the high end this year with more than $19 million to spend. The Yankees — who don’t pick until No. 39 — are at the bottom with roughly $5.3 million.
“They’ve been working hard for this moment, almost even before the last draft ended,” DeBartolo said. “So, I’ll bring my own voice to that process, and I’ll work collaboratively with them, and take what they have to say and ultimately be responsible for making the picks.”
There is little consensus about whom the Nats might select at No. 1, though some of the top prospects are a pair of left-handed pitchers — LSU’s Kade Anderson and Tennessee’s Liam Doyle — along with Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette and prep shortstops Holliday and Eli Willits.
“There are several really talented players that are going to be in the mix for us,” DeBartolo said. “We have to decide how to strategize with our bonus pool money and what the player bonus pool demands are and run through all those scenarios over the coming days.”
After the Nationals, the Los Angeles Angels have the No. 2 selection. The Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals round out the top five.
Several of the top prospects are left-handed college pitchers, including Anderson, Doyle and Florida State’s Jamie Arnold.
Anderson helped LSU win the College World Series title last month, throwing a complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the championship series. He finished 12-1 with a 3.18 ERA with 180 strikeouts in 119 innings.
Anderson had Tommy John surgery in high school.
