The Nationals have begun to turn a corner in recent years in their rebuild and several of their recent MLB Drat Picks have played a role. Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker gave Washington quality innings amidst injuries to their rotation and look to be keepers. And in the outfield, Jacob Young’s been a sparkplug with his speed. But how has Washington done in general with the MLB Draft in recent years? While the Nationals didn’t land a Harper or Strasburg, Washington’s found some quality big leaguers.
Best Nationals Draft Picks Over Last 10 Seasons
| Name | Position | Year Drafted | Round | Career bWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erick Fedde | P | 2014 | 1 | 3.5 |
| Blake Perkins | OF | 2015 | 2 | 3.1 |
| Dane Dunning | P | 2016 | 1 | 4.8 |
| Jesus Luzardo | P | 2016 | 3 | 6.9 |
| Jake Cousins | P | 2017 | 20 | 1.0 |
| Jake Irvin | P | 2018 | 4 | 3.2 |
| Mitchell Parker | P | 2020 | 5 | 1.5 |
| Jacob Young | OF | 2021 | 7 | 2.8 |
Washington didn’t land a star over the last decade. However, the Nats did land some solid Major League talent.
Five of the players listed above turned into valuable starters. Jesus Luzardo was a highly effective starter for Miami in 2022-23, while Dane Dunning logged key innings for the Rangers and won the World Series in 2023. However, Dunning wasn’t a slam-dunk pick when the selection was made.
The Nationals had the 28th and 29th picks in the 2016 MLB Draft two years later. The 28th overall pick didn’t work well and we’ll get into that in a minute. Dunning, the 29th overall pick, was a reliever on a deep Florida team but was drafted as a starter with the Nats. It was a wise move in hindsight.
Much like the Marlins, Washington hasn’t benefitted much from the players listed above, although several wound up helping the Nationals win their first-ever World Series in 2019. The Nats used Dane Dunning to acquire Adam Eaton from the White Sox, while Jesus Luzardo went to Oakland in 2017 for 2019 champion Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson.
And in the cases of Blake Perkins and Erick Fedde, both found greener pastures outside the Nationals organization. Or in Fedde’s case, a tour of Korea helped net him a deal with the White Sox and resurrect his career after a tough stretch in D.C, where he owned a 5.41 ERA.
Recently, the Nationals have received positive contributions from starters Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker, and speedy outfielder Jacob Young. Young, in his first 103 MLB games, stole 32 bases for the Nats.
Now, we move from the last decade’s best Nationals picks to the worst.
Worst Nationals Draft Picks Over Last 10 Seasons
| Name | Position | Year Drafted | Round | Career bWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhett Wiseman | OF | 2015 | 3 | Never played in MLB |
| Carter Kieboom | SS/3B | 2016 | 1 | -1.8 |
| Sheldon Neuse | 3B | 2016 | 1 | -0.7 |
| Seth Romero | P | 2017 | 1 | -0.2 |
| Will Crowe | P | 2017 | 2 | -0.6 |
| Mason Denaburg | P | 2018 | 1 | Never played in MLB |
| Tim Cate | P | 2018 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Drew Mendoza | 3B | 2019 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
Washington has had significant misses in the MLB Draft in recent years. However, some of their picks were ill-fated for reasons out of their control.
Carter Kieboom was an electric high school bat out of Georgia in 2016. Injuries derailed him. Kieboom sustained a leg injury in 2017, Tommy John surgery in 2022, and a shoulder injury in 2023. Mason Denaburg was derailed by arthroscopic right shoulder surgery in 2019 and Tommy John surgery in 2021. With Fredricksburg in 2023, Denaburg owned a 2.53 WHIP over 36.1 innings.
The Nationals drafted former University of Houston ace Seth Romero in the first round of 2017, a risky pick from the onset. Romero was suspended in April 2017 by Houston for violating team policy and kicked off the team a year later.
Washington banked that Romero would turn things around — but that never happened. He spent most of 2018 on the IL, didn’t pitch in 2019, and then suffered a broken hand in 2020 after making his MLB debut in the shortened season with a broken hand. Romero never pitched in the Majors again and was released in 2022 after two DWI arrests.
Tim Cate, a second-round pick in 2018, remains in the organization but as a reliever. Cate was a starter in the Minors from 2018-22 after Washington selected him out of UConn. Drew Mendoza, though, is no longer in the organization. The Florida State product was released in March 2023.
One player not on this list — but trending downward — is Elijah Green. A standout at the IMG Academy, the Nats selected Green with the fifth overall pick in 2022. It’s far too early to declare Green a bust but he batted just .218/.336/.327 over 83 games in 2023 and posted a .520 OPS in Low-A after 61 contests in 2024.
These lists do not include players selected but did not sign. bWAR figures as of June 2024.