As we inch closer towards the 2025 MLB Draft, anticipation is already starting to build about what the Washington Nationals are going to do once they are officially on the clock with the #1 overall pick. In this piece, I am looking to identify the most likely options for the club if they choose to go the collegiate route with the first pick, as many anticipate.
Obviously, we are only about 10 or so games into the NCAA baseball season, so many things can and will change. Guys who might not look the part right now can easily turn it around, and vice versa. These are just the 3 most common names that I am hearing and seeing right now for the Nationals with their top selection.
Jamie Arnold - Florida State LHP
3 GS, 2-0 record, 16.0 IP, 1.13 ERA, 0.563 WHIP, 24:2 K:BB ratio
I will start out by saying this right now, the lefty from Florida State would be my pick if I was the one making the selection for the Nationals. Jamie Arnold looks like a true ace, and given the fact that he could likely develop quickly down in the minors due to his ability to pound strikes and limit free passes, he could truly be the ace that this team has been seeking since the departures of Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer.
Imagine a rotation in 2026 or 2027 consisting of Arnold, Travis Sykora, MacKenzie Gore, Jarlin Susana, and whoever else proves to be a mainstay in the rotation. Truly, with the way the other prospects have progressed, I think it is very possible, and to me that upside is too great to pass on with this pick. We know that while the Nationals were elated to take Dylan Crews back in 2023, many people figured that the club would have preferred Paul Skenes if they had their choice, and that plays right into Rizzo's calling card of power starting pitchers.
Arnold is just that and then some, and monitoring Florida State games when he is on the bump is a must moving forward through the rest of the season. If the Nationals opt for another pitching option, keep an eye on Liam Doyle, a lefty from the University of Tennessee, who is off to an incredible start this season as well.
Aiva Arquette - Oregon State INF
10 GP, .432/.542/.730 line, 1.271 OPS, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 7:8 K:BB ratio
Perhaps nobody in college baseball has seen their stock rise more dramatically than Oregon State infielder Aiva Arquette through the beginning of the season so far. The Washington transfer has gotten off to a scorching start for the 8th ranked Beavers, and he has potentially played himself into top pick discussion. The 6'5" infielder has a very well-rounded game that is easy to fantasize about how he projects at the professional level.
If he can keep this up for the rest of the season, he presents a likely underslot value for the Nationals with the 1st pick, and due to his all-around game, could be a guy who progresses pretty quickly through the minors. He does not really have one standout tool, but he just profiles as a guy who is going to be at least above average in almost every category. Arquette is probably my second choice for the top selection as of right now.
Jace LaViolette - Texas A&M OF
11GP, .243/.451/.514 line, .965 OPS, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 15:13 K:BB ratio
The other name that must be brought up almost every time we discuss the 2025 MLB Draft is Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette. After getting off to a monster start against subpar competition where he clubbed 3 homers in the first weekend, he has cooled off dramatically. He is a guy that I have written about previously, and I am very sure that this will not be the last time I talk about him either.
Many who follow prospects and college baseball like myself are aware of the risk that LaViolette brings due to his swing-and-miss, but his power upside will certainly keep him in the discussion even as he works through a bit of a slump right now. My one hesitation in taking him at 1 is just that I am not sure how well the Nationals organization would be able to fix his contact abilities, given how other players with notable swing-and-miss issues as prospects like Elijah Green and Brady House have fared so far in the minors.
Even still, LaViolette must remain in the discussion at this time, and assuming he comes around like everyone anticipates he will, he is likely going to make the decision with the first overall pick a very difficult one for Mike Rizzo & company.
Who do you want the #1 overall pick? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.