Bryce Harper – 1st pick, 2010
One year after selecting Strasburg, the Nats had the number one pick for the second year in a row. Normally, that is not in a position you want to be in as a franchise, but the Nats were able to be the lucky ones to take a player from the College of Southern Nevada named Bryce Harper.
In his one year of junior college at age 17, Harper hit .443 with 31 home runs, 98 RBI’s, and had a .526 on-base percentage in 66 games. In May 2012, Harper would make his Major League debut at the age of 19. He hit 22 home runs and 59 RBI’s that season en route to being an All-Star and the National League Rookie of the Year.
While injuries had prevented Harper from reaching his potential in 2013 and 2014, he might have surpassed some expectations in 2015. Last season, he hit .330 with 42 home runs, 99 RBI’s, 118 runs scored, and an on-base percentage of .460 as he won his first National League MVP award.
Now, just like Strasburg, we can rank Harper higher on this list down the road if he decides to stay in DC when he’s a free agent after the 2018 season. However, it has been this pair of number one picks that helped get the Nats to be contenders over the last few seasons.
All in all, while Harper’s career is far from being over (since he’s only 23), he is still one of the best draft picks this team has ever made and he definitely has a bright future ahead of him (if he stays healthy).
Next: Number One