The Washington Nationals hold the 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Amateur Draft, scheduled to begin Saturday, July 11 at 1pm. The first ten selections can be seen on NBC/Peacock, with the rest of the selections available on MLB.com, MLB Network, MLB TV, and other MLB mediums.
One year after selecting 17-year-old shortstop Eli Willits from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School (Oklahoma), the Nationals again have the opportunity to add another premier prospect to their farm system.
This is the first draft under new President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni -- our first opportunity to see the skills, traits, and abilities that he prioritizes in the amateur draft.
With only three days to go before the first round, mock drafts have hardly been helpful to Nationals fans -- this draft seems to be pretty wide open, meaning that there hasn't been much continuity in projected picks.
The top three seems to be set with Texas high school SS Grady Emerson, Georgia Tech C Vahn Lackey, and UCLA SS Roch Cholowsky, but there still doesn't seem to be a consensus order. My point in mentioning that is this: while I don't think any of these three will be available anywhere close to the Nationals at #11, there could be prospects the Nationals (and their fans) may not have expected to be in play for them, and vice versa: prospects that were expected to be in range of Washington's pick could go off the board early.
With that said, let's take a look at some of the prospects that could very well be available for Washington to select at #11.
(All statistics, prospect grades, and other information via MLB.com)
Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, Huntington Beach HS (Calif.)
A 17-year-old left-hander from California, Jared Grindlinger will be one of the youngest players in the draft. With a 55 overall pitching grade, the 6'3 Tennessee commit's fastball has been clocked as high as 96mph, with a changeup, slider, and circle change in the mix too. His fastball and changeup have both been graded at 60.
A two-way player in high school, Grindlinger's bat has not been scouts' focus when watching him. His power is graded a 50, the same as his hit grade. While power could certainly come (again, he's 6'3), scouts believe his arm is what will see him drafted in the first round.
As mentioned, Grindlinger has already committed to play at the University of Tennessee, along with his older brother Trent.
It's clear that the Nationals need pitching at the big league level -- and while the 17-year-old likely would not see the majors any time soon, Washington could, for the second year in a row, choose to select one of the youngest players in the draft, prioritizing development instead of getting prospects to the majors quicker.
Chris Hacopian, INF, Texas A&M
A former Maryland Terrapin, Chris Hacopian slashed .375 with an impressive .502 OBP and 14 homers in his second season at UMD in 2025. He transferred to College Station and the Aggies in 2026, and batted .319 with 11 homers, helping to replace Jace LaViolette's production for the Aggies.
Hacopian only struck out in roughly 10% of his at bats this season -- with a strong command of the strike zone and a 60-graded hit tool, the Gaithersburg native could add a strong bat to the Nationals farm system.
Though he played in the left side of the infield with Maryland, and committed to do so with the Aggies, he found himself playing at second base due to his 45-grade arm and fielding, and his below-average 40 speed.
Regardless, Hacopian's bat is strong enough to have him consistenly mocked in the top-12, and he could be a welcomed addition to Washington.
Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
At only age 21, Cameron Flukey is no stranger to the big stage. Flukey took the mound for Coastal Carolina in Game 1 of the 2025 College World Series against LSU, where he faced off against 2025 3rd overall pick Kade Anderson (Seattle Mariners). Flukey struck out nine batters in six innings.
At 6'6, Flukey's four pitch mix of a fastball, changeup, slider, and curveball made him one of the best pitchers in college baseball. Topping out at 98mph, Flukey has the "stuff" -- good enough for him to be the #3 ranked pitcher in the draft.
As mentioned above, pitching remains a major need for the Nationals in the major leagues. Yes, it would take Flukey some time to get there, but adding one of the best amateur arms to your farm system is hardly a bad step towards fixing your pitching problem. Flukey would fit right into Washington's farm systems, and could rise quickly if he maintains his high-90s fastball, and gets some more juice behind is off speed pitches.
Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
The Crimson Tide's starting shortstop is one of the fastest players in the draft, with a 70-rated speed tool. Place that alongside his 60-rated power, arm, and fielding grades, it's not a surprise that Justin Lebron has been on MLB draft boards for a long time.
However, Lebron's tendency to chase pitches outside the zone, and striking out nearly 25% of the time, have meant his hit grade is only a 45. WIth that said, his .277 batting average with 16 home runs is certainly encouraging. In fact, during his first two seasons in Alabama, he turned in averages of .338 (2024, age 19), and .316 (2025, age 20) -- so it is completely fair to suggest that a different approach at the plate could turn the Bronx, NY native into a very productive player.
With 65 stolen bases in the SEC, the 6'2 Lebron possesses the physical traits to be a star shortstop for years to come -- if he can fix his plate approach slightly. His physical gifts and raw power could be a fantastic add to the Nationals farm. If the Nationals think Lebron is too much of a project, Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell might also be a name to keep an eye on, as he has been a late riser throughout the process.
Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
The second-ranked outfielder in the 2026 draft class, Drew Burress has been absolutely mashing the baseball for Georgia Tech -- in three seasons, he has 250 hits, 60 home runs, and almost 190 RBIs. In his freshman year, aged 19, Burress hit for an unbelievable .381 batting average and .512 OBP and 1.333 OPS -- along with 25 home runs and 83 hits -- in only 52 games.
His average for his Yellow Jackets' college career was .357, only one point lower than his .358 average in his final season this past year.
With a 60 overall scouting grade, the 5'9 Georgia native is sure to here his name called in the first round of the 2026 draft, after missing out in 2023.
If Burress, the #7 ranked prospect is available when the Nationals' are on the clock at #11, it would be an absolute home-run pick if they selected him. Burress' bat might immediately become the best in the Nationals' farm. While it would be almost impossible to maintain such a high batting average as he did in college, Drew Burress would absolutely be a welcomed addition to Washington's minor league system.
Who will it be?
As I mentioned at the start, this draft still remains very fluid. If I had to guess now, sadly I'd have to imagine Burress is off the board by the time Washington goes on the clock.
My choice right now would either be LHP Jared Grindlinger, or INF Chris Hacopian.
What do you think? As always, feel free to discuss in the comments below, or tweet me @andrewpindc.
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