MLB.com photo
When that ping pong ball spun to the top, revealing the Washington Nationals would get the second pick in the 2023 draft, the future of the Washington Nationals might have changed on that. The Draft Lottery system only guaranteed the Nats a top-7 pick. This upcoming draft could have two of the most dynamic players we have seen in recent years. Some have said that the top-2 projected draft picks are the next Mike Trout and Stephen Strasburg. High praise for two college kids named Dylan Crews and Chase Dollander.
This will be a story that we will follow for months to come until the draft picks are revealed on July 9, 2023. While the Pirates have the first pick, many analysts think you have two franchise changers in these two players, and one is a position player and one is a pitcher.
Dollander has received comparisons to Strasburg and Crews has received comparisons to Mike Trout. Obviously players can move up or down in draft rankings but if the draft was today, you pick whoever is available of Dollander or Crews. https://t.co/p9bKeMwfhA https://t.co/iWmCOA5ygG
— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) December 7, 2022
Not since the Nats picked first overall in 2010 to draft Bryce Harper has the team from Washington, D.C. had a pick this high. Picking a college player will also accelerate their time to the Majors. It is very conceivable to think this will only help towards the Nats being a very competitive team in a few years to begin their next great run as their top prospects and core players fill out which could be a homegrown core of position players like we have never seen before. Names like CJ Abrams, Keibert Ruiz, and Luis Garcia who already are up, then you look at top prospects Robert Hassell III, James Wood, Brady House, and Elijah Green, and you might have seven internally developed players without even counting Jeremy De La Rosa, Cristhian Vaquero, Armando Cruz, and T.J. White. This is all before you look at pitchers MacKenzie Gore, Cade Cavalli, and Jarlin Susana who all have nearly full team control to beyond 2027.
Add that key draft pick in 2023, and this could change everything if that player is the next superstar attraction.
MLB image
If we have learned anything about franchise sustained success, it all starts in drafting and signing key young players in the international market, and developing them into stars. This has been the way the Rays, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Astros have been doing it. This is how the Nats had much of their success from 2012-2019 until the player development shutdown.
Now, the Nats will rise up from the proverbial ashes with what they hope will be a great pipeline of talent from their farm system.
