Washington Nationals 2024 MLB Draft Report Card

Best Pure Hitter: Shortstop Seaver King’s (1) excellent barrel manipulation and hand speed allows him to get on plane with baseballs all over the strike zone and could lead to above-average hitting ability even with an overly-aggressive approach. Catcher Kevin Bazzell (3) has a great combination of swing decisions and contact skills and owned a nearly 95% in-zone contact rate last spring with Texas Tech. He’s a career .330 hitter with the program.

Best Power Hitter: The Nationals focused more on up-the-middle athletes in this year’s class than true sluggers, but King (1) has excellent batted ball data for a player of his season and puts a charge into the baseball thanks to his bat speed and hand strength. He swings with intent and homered 16 times with Wake Forest in 2024, though it’s an admittedly hitter-heavy ballpark. Even if he’s not an above-average home run hitter, his speed and impact should provide above-average slugging percentages by way of doubles and triples. 

Fastest Runner: As mentioned previously, King (1) is a good runner. He accelerates rapidly and consistently gets out of the box and down the line quickly, with high-effort run times that yield 70-grade runs regularly. He never stole more than 13 bags in a single season but is an instinctive runner on the bases and covers plenty of ground in center field, as well. 

Best Defensive Player: Catcher Caleb Lomavita (1s) is a unique athlete for a catcher and has the tools to be an above-average defender at the position. He has strong hands and has made great progress as both a receiver and blocker over the years while also boasting an above-average throwing arm.

Best Fastball: Righthander Davian Garcia (6) has a fastball with big-time velocity and big-time life. The pitch was up to 98 mph and averaged nearly 21 inches of induced vertical break during his time with Florida Gulf Coast in 2024.

Best Secondary Pitch: Lefthander Jackson Kent (4) has tons of confidence in a low-80s changeup that he used almost a quarter of the time last spring with Arizona. The pitch has about eight mph of separation off his fastball and 12-inch gap in vertical break. It’s an above-average pitch that yielded a 43% miss rate.

Best Pro Debut: Outfielder Sam Petersen (8) led Nationals hitters with a .991 OPS in his pro debut, though that came in just a seven-game sample with Low-A Fredericksburg. He hit .364/.400/.591 with one triple, three double and five stolen bases. Righthander Robert Cranz (7) struck out seven batters and walked one in six innings across four relief outings and didn’t allow a run. 

Best Athlete: Both King (1) and Lomavita (1s) are high-level athletes at premium positions. King can play all over the infield and outfield with fast hands, fast legs and solid pop, while Lomavita is an elite mover for a catcher and is a legitimate above-average runner who stole 36 bags in his three seasons with California. Shortstop Luke Dickerson (2) fits in this category for reasons we’ll get into next.

Most Intriguing Background: Dickerson (2) was a helium prospect who was one of the biggest risers late in the draft process on Baseball America’s board. His season started late because he’s a New Jersey product and also because he was busy helping his Morris Knolls High team win a state championship in hockey in March. Dickerson is a plus runner with lots of strength packed into his frame and was paid first-round equivalent money at pick No. 44.

Closest To The Majors: Cranz (7) could move quickly thanks to his strong two-pitch mix and solid control in the bullpen, while Kent (4) has a starter profile with a solid-average four-pitch mix, a track record of throwing strikes and impressive pitchability and competitiveness on the bump. 

Best Day Three Pick (Or NDFA): Catcher Sir Jamison Jones (15) was Washington’s big-money day three signing. He inked a $500,000 deal and has a pro-ready 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame with huge power upside and big arm strength, but he’ll need to sharpen up his skills on both sides of the ball.