Holding No. 1 pick, Nationals' front-office upheaval injects even more uncertainty into MLB draft
There are multiple intriguing prospects they can choose from, including prep shorstop Ethan Holliday, the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday and brother of Jackson Holliday, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2022 and is now in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles.
In a related note, Washington earlier 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 — injects another layer of uncertainty to a draft that might be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory. 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 handle the draft. 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, which is calculated by multiple factors.
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 who the Nats might select at No. 1 on Sunday, though some of the top prospects are a pair of college 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.
Left-handed college pitchers lead the pack
Several of the top prospects in this year's draft 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 to cement his status as one of the draft's top prospects. He finished with a 12-1 record and a 3.18 ERA with 180 strikeouts in 119 innings.
Anderson had Tommy John elbow surgery in high school, but has obviously come back strong.
Doyle rocketed up MLB mock drafts with a terrific season for the Vols, finishing with a 10-4 record, 3.20 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 95 2/3 innings. Arnold was a breakout star for Florida State in 2024 before regressing a bit last season, but he still finished with an 8-2 record, 2.98 ERA and 119 strikeouts.
'Obviously, college left-handers are kind of a premium right now,' Mariners vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter said. 'There's a few of those at the high end of the draft.'
Corona stars
Corona High School — about 45 miles from Los Angeles — could have three players drafted in the first round.
The prep powerhouse is led by right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez, who is regarded as a potential top five pick. Shortstop Billy Carlson is also expected to be selected early in the first round.
Third baseman Brady Ebel isn't quite as highly-regarded — he's the No. 64 prospect according to MLB.com — but there's potential that he could still sneak into the opening round.
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
A fourth Corona player, Ethin Bingaman, is a two-way player committed to Auburn but could be drafted in the top five rounds.
___
AP Sports Writer Andrew Destin, along with AP freelancer David Solomon, contributed to this story.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
6 hours ago
- National Post
Member of Eagles' Super Bowl champion team dead at 38 after rare cancer battle
Article content Bryan Braman, a member with the 2018 Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, died on Thursday at the age of 38. Article content The former outside linebacker, who spent seven seasons in the NFL, had been battling a rare form of cancer. Article content Article content According to a GoFundMe page set up to help with the costs of treatment, Braman was diagnosed in February with the aggressive form of the disease. The page did not disclose exactly what type of cancer that the former player was stricken with, only that it was 'very rare.' Article content 'The main problem has been that Bryan has not been able to recover from the procedures because of his lowered immunity due to all of these treatments,' an update from June on the fundraising site said. 'By the time he was able to recover so he could continue with the chemo, the cancer has grown exponentially faster, and is now growing around his vital organs.' Article content As of Thursday afternoon, the GoFundMe page had raised nearly US$90,000. Article content Article content The native of Spokane, Wash., signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and played his first three seasons with the franchise before leaving for the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency in 2014. He played three seasons with the Eagles before joining the Saints in 2017, but didn't play a game with New Orleans before being placed on the IR and later released. Article content He returned to the Eagles for the final three games of the season and the team's run to the Super Bowl, where Philadelphia defeated the New England Patriots. It was the final game of Braman's career. Article content Article content Today is a tough day that hits close to home. I always admired Bryan's ability to overcome life's obstacles, his passion for the game, and the love he had for his friends and family. Rest in peace, Brother. @BryanBraman56 — Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) July 17, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Commanders are retiring Hall of Fame receiver Art Monk's No. 81 this season
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Commanders said Tuesday they are retiring Hall of Fame wide receiver Art Monk's No. 81 this season. Monk is the sixth player in franchise history to get that honor, joining Darrell Green, Sammy Baugh, Bobby Mitchell, Sonny Jurgensen and Sean Taylor. The team announced that Monk would have his number retired Nov. 2 when the Commanders host the Seattle Seahawks for a Sunday night game in Week 9. Monk was part of all three of Washington's Super Bowl teams during the organization's glory days and is arguably one of the greatest players in franchise history. He played 14 of his 16 NFL seasons with Washington before finishing his career with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. From his debut in 1980 through 1993, Monk caught 888 passes for 12,026 yards and 65 touchdowns during the regular season and 69 passes for 1,062 yards and seven TDs in the playoffs. An All-Pro pick in 1982 and a three-time Pro Bowl selection, Monk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP NFL:
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
SEC media days: LSU, South Carolina, Ole Miss quarterbacks in spotlight
ATLANTA (AP) — The opening day of SEC football media days Monday featured LSU, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. The Commodores have Diego Pavia at quarterback going into his second season and the other three also have signal-callers entering pivotal seasons: Will Garrett Nussmeier take the Year 2 LSU leap? LSU quarterbacks have a history of taking an impressive jump from year one to two. Before spearheading two of the NFL's most dominant offenses, Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow came into their own during their second seasons in Baton Rouge. Is it Nussmeier's turnn? Nussmeier finished the 2024 season with a 64.2 completion percentage and 4,052 passing yards for 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Limiting turnovers is a big point of emphasis for Nussmeier approaching his final season at LSU. 'There's no hiding from turnovers,' Nussmeier said. 'As an anticipation player, there's going to be some interceptions. The ones I need to eliminate are the ones that don't need to happen, the ones where I'm trying to do too much, the ones where I'm trying to make a play when I don't need to.' Nussmeier understands the stakes are high, especially given the history of year two success for Burrow and Daniels. More than ever, he's motivated to create his own legacy. 'Obviously with the track record that LSU quarterbacks have in the past, it's not a thing of disrespect. I have a lot of respect for Jayden, a lot of respect for Joe and what they were able to accomplish in their second years, and also respectively in their first years. But as I said before, I'm me,' Nussmeier said. 'I'm worried about improving myself, being the best I can be to lead us where we want to go.' The season opener is Aug. 30 at Clemson. High hopes for LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina South Carolina went 9-4 in 2024, the program's first nine-win season under coach Shane Beamer and just its second since 2013. The Gamecocks will have to replace most of their starting defense, but unlike plenty of SEC teams, they won't have to worry about turnover at quarterback. Redshirt sophomore Sellers returns after a breakout season, accounting for 3,208 yards and 25 total touchdowns, saving his best play for the end of the season with 16 total touchdowns and only three interceptions in November. 'I think we're going to be better around LaNorris as well on the offense,' Beamer said. '(We have) more depth and competition at pretty much every position, I feel like that's going to help him. He doesn't have to be Superman for us.' South Carolina closed the regular season with five consecutive wins, and lost two games by a total of five points against LSU and Alabama. The success down the stretch last season combined with Sellers' return is the backbone of the optimism surrounding the Gamecocks and their chances of reaching the College Football Playoff after narrowly missing out last fall. 'We were four to five plays off,' Sellers said. 'That showed us a little bit of success, and showed us that we can make the playoff and make a run for the trophy.' Ole Miss prepares for a massive change under center Ole Miss has the challenge of replacing one the most successful signal-callers in program history. Lane Kiffin's Rebels went 21-5 over the last two seasons with Jaxson Dart under center. Now the offense belongs in the hands of redshirt sophomore Austin Simmons. Simmons appeared in nine games last season mostly late in blowouts, but he did lead one touchdown drive against Georgia when Dart briefly went out injured. 'I'm really just focusing on building my own legacy rather than just focusing on the past,' Simmons said. Simmons is a total 180 from Dart. He was not a full-time football player until this year, also playing with Ole Miss baseball in the spring before transitioning to football full-time. He was a Kiffin recruit as opposed to Dart, who arrived in the transfer portal. Kiffin isn't looking for another Dart. 'Austin has to make sure he doesn't try to be Jaxson,' Kiffin said. 'He'll be fine. He's got elite talent, does a great job, he's maturing and did a great job when he came in in the Georgia game.' Ole Miss went 10-3 last season, following an 11-2 mark in 2023. It was the first time Ole Miss has won double-digit games in consecutive seasons since 1959-60, and 2025 will be an opportunity to do so in three consecutive seasons for the first time. ___ AP freelance writer Alan Cole contributed to this report. ___ AP college football:
