Well, both this year and last, the top pick was a HS position player. On Day Two—rounds 3-10—they took two (2) more HS position players. With ten more rounds today, it may even be conceivable that they’ll draft two more to exceed last year’s total of four (three of which were signed).
I really don’t have much more to add (but plenty to detract, natch) as I’ve been pretty clear that I’m no draftnik. But what I do know and have propounded for years is that the Nats cannot rely solely on the Dominican Republic and Venezuela for their teenage talent. So I cannot complain about them finally doing what I have been hoping for them to do.
Now, I understand that many of you have doubts about the Nats’ ability to convert those high-ceiling HS picks into major leaguers. I do too. In the tradition of modern blogging, let me steal from Will in the comments, and point out how Nats HSers have fared in terms of BA and K%:
Hayden Jennings (2012) – .218, 36%
Drew Ward (2013) – .254, 28%
Jakson Reetz (2014) – .236, 24%
Blake Perkins (2015) – .233, 22%
Carter Kieboom (2016) – .281 (!), 20% (albeit 31% in MLB)
Justin Connell (2017) – .264, 18% (!)
Sammy Infante (2020) – .219, 30%
Brady House (2021) – .289 (!), 27%
Daylen Lile (2021) – .219, 25%
TJ White (2021) – .260, 29%
Dear MASN Commenters: Bryce Harper was a JuCo pick.
This, of course, is in reference to Elijah Green and his K rate that’s akin to President Biden getting Joe Manchin to toe the party line. OK, maybe not that bad. For (far) more astute commentary/coverage, check out Todd Boss’s post.
But Will’s point is quite valid. The Nats haven’t taken very many HS picks and haven’t been able to convert them into major leaguers.
But we were told this past offseason that things were going to change, so we can at least say this much: They’re now taking more chances with high-ceiling, high-risk players. If even one (1) of these guys makes it, they’ll match the total from the past ten years.