Washington Nationals 2017 MLB Draft Profile: Hagen Danner

Since 2011, the Washington Nationals have selected four right-handed pitchers in the first round of the MLB draft. If they decide to continue this trend, Hagen Danner is a player to watch.

In just 16 short days, the Washington Nationals will make the 25th pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. The Nationals have made some excellent first round picks, including Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, and would not be in the position they’re in today without them.

If you take a look at all the Nats’ first round picks, you may notice a trend; they have a history of drafting right-handed pitchers. As a matter of fact, they have drafted a right-handed pitcher in the first round of four of the last six drafts. If history tells us anything, the Nats could quite possibly use their first round pick on Hagen Danner. I had the chance this week to talk with him.

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Danner, a high-schooler from Huntington Beach, California, is a pitcher and catcher. Given the Nats’ fondness of right-handed pitchers and their organizational catching depth, Danner would most likely be a pitcher if drafted by Washington.

Danner stands tall on the mound at 6’2, and throws hard, with a fastball reaching low to mid 90’s. His repertoire consists of a fastball, curveball, circle change-up, sinker, and hard slider. For now, he mostly relies on his fastball, curveball, and change-up.

While on the mound, Danner stands seven feet tall, and is able to get excellent downward action on his fastball. His curveball also complements his fastball well with a nice change of speed, and resembles Gio Gonzalez‘s curve.

If drafted as a pitcher, Danner said when I spoke to him that he views himself as a starter. He has primarily pitched as a starter throughout his high school career, and most pitchers selected early in the draft typically at least begin their professional careers as starters.

Not many players both pitch and catch due to both positions involving constant throwing, and it has certainly affected Danner, but he has made the most of it. His pitching has been affected because the constant throwing can sometimes cause fatigue, but catching has also helped him learn how to call a game and know how to work a hitter.

Danner is a great competitor, and he told me he feels his game resembles Max Scherzer‘s. Both throw hard, feature a solid curveball, and are fiery competitors on the mound.

Although Danner is still just 18 years old, he has had the opportunity to play against the best competition in the world and has been successful. Danner is a member of Team USA’s 18U team. While playing for Team USA, he has played alongside other top draft prospects such as Hunter Greene, Nick Pratto, and Hans Crouse. Being exposed to the best competition in the world can be beneficial for Danner moving forward, as he will not be intimidated once he begins his professional career.

There is a bit of risk, however, that drafting Danner brings. He is currently committed to play at UCLA next year. While a professional contract and a multi-million dollar signing bonus are very intriguing, some players elect to attend college before going pro.

Danner has been interested in UCLA since he was eight years old. Getting him to sign could potentially become a challenge, and it’s difficult to determine how likely a player is to sign and forego college.

Next: Scherzer's case for Cooperstown

The Nats have a history of drafting right-handed pitchers in the early stages of the draft, and that could continue this year. Although Hagen Danner is still in high school, he is definitely a player to watch when the Nats are on the clock. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if Danner ends up in the Nationals organization in a couple months. The Nats have always had a deep pitching pipeline, and you can never have enough pitchers.

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