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If you haven't been paying attention this season, you may be surprised to see how the Washington Nationals have been doing. With few expectations, they have come out as a fun team to watch.
They sit with a 48-46 record, just seven games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves. That's still quite the gap, but it's far better than what most people thought the team would look like at this point in the season.
A big reason for that is the high-powered offense. They lead all teams in terms of runs scored, and with the 11th overall pick in the draft, they have the opportunity to draft another big-time offensive powerhouse.
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Analyst urges the Nationals to think about pitching in the draft
Over the last few years, Washington has felt comfortable taking position players with their first-round selections. The last time they took a pitcher was back in 2020 when they selected Cade Cavalli with the 22nd pick.
And with the limited pitching prospects the club currently has, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer suggests they should think about taking a future ace.
"This will be Paul Toboni's first draft as head of the Nationals, so there's no history to go off of. And as for best guesses, the draft is likely to see a run on hitters when the Nationals are on the board with the No. 11 pick. Still, there's a non-zero chance of arms like Jackson Flora and prep lefty Gio Rojas being available at that point. Either could be the future No. 1 that the Nationals don't really have in their system, much less in a dismal major league rotation."
Now, Flora could be gone as he's expected to be the first pitcher off the board. But if he's still available at No. 11, the Nationals should jump on him.
If he is gone, HS lefty Gio Rojas could also be another fantastic pick. He has all the makings to be a future ace, but coming out of high school, it may take him a bit longer to go through the minors.
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