Nationals wrap up MLB draft with a focus on college talent
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The Washington Nationals wrapped up the third and final day of the MLB draft by selecting 10 players Tuesday — eight pitchers and two hitters. In total, the Nationals added three outfielders (including No. 2 pick Dylan Crews), six infielders (headlined by second-round pick Yohandy Morales) and 11 pitchers (led by third-round pick Travis Sykora, a high-schooler from Texas).
The Nationals opened the final day of selections by using an 11th-round pick on Gavin Adams, a right-handed pitcher from Indian River State, a junior college in Florida. Adams is committed to Florida State. Following Adams, the Nationals continued to make a run on college pitchers, taking five right-handers: Travis Sthele from Texas in the 12th round, Mikey Tepper from Liberty in the 15th, Austin Amaral from Stetson in the 16th, Merrick Baldo from Loyola Marymount in the 17th and Isaac Ayon from Oregon in the 20th. Washington added left-hander Liam Sullivan in the 13th round out of Georgia.
The Nationals’ other selections Tuesday: Eljiah Nunez (14th round), an outfielder from TCU; Nate Rombach (18th), a catcher from Dallas Baptist; and James Ellwanger (19th), a pitcher from Magnolia West High in Texas who is committed to Dallas Baptist. Ellwanger was ranked the 107th prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
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In Crews, the Nationals’ highest selection since they took Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg first overall in 2009 and 2010, Washington landed a player many scouts view as the best hitter in the draft. The junior captured the Golden Spikes Award as the top player in college baseball, and he led LSU to the national championship while hitting .432 with 17 home runs and 63 RBI. He was a two-time SEC player of the year.
“He kept getting better and better and better each and every year,” General Manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday. “He’s won every award you could possibly win. He’s been the best player on the best team in the country. And I think that when you talk to him and you watch him play, this is only the beginning. He’s got bigger and better plans than just winning the national championship at LSU.”
Kris Kline, the Nationals’ assistant general manager and vice president of scouting operations, said Monday that he felt the team ended up with three-first round picks. Morales wasn’t expected to fall to the second round, and Sykora was a projected first-round pick entering the season, but mechanical issues dropped his stock. The Nationals took advantage.
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The team used 18 of its 20 picks on college players. Over the first two days, Washington used seven of its 10 selections on college hitters.
“That’s always a plus,” Kline said, referring to accomplished college hitters. “If you can get guys that are more experienced, especially a couple coming from those good programs, with ability, it only helps the younger kids, too. I look at it that way. It makes some of those younger kids, the minor league kids, it helps them to develop and make some better players, so they’re always an asset to the organization.”
Before the draft’s final round Tuesday, the Nationals announced they had already signed five of their picks: LSU second baseman Gavin Dugas (sixth round), Lamar catcher Ryan Snell (seventh), Iowa left-hander Jared Simpson (eighth), Vanderbilt righty Thomas Schultz (ninth) and Indiana shortstop Phillip Glasser (10th). The deadline for the Nationals’ picks to sign is July 25.
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Kline called Dugas an “offensive” second baseman with a short, compact swing that will allow him to have success at the professional level, while Snell has “above-average defensive skills” behind the plate. Kline views Schultz as a starting pitcher with a knack for getting groundballs, with a slider-heavy mix; Kline wants to see him establish his fastball at the professional level. Kline hopes Simpson can tweak his delivery to make it more repeatable but likes that his fastball has life low in the strike zone. Glasser profiles as a utility player, Kline said.
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Source: The Washington Post
