While it has not yet even been a full calendar year since the 2024 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals should be proud of how some of their top picks have performed so far. Their 1st-rounder, infielder Seaver King, was just promoted to AA Harrisburg earlier this week, after rebounding from a brutal start to his season.
The Nationals' pick they received from the Kansas City Royals in the Hunter Harvey trade, slotted in between the 1st and 2nd rounds as the Competitive Balance Round A, turned into catcher Caleb Lomavita, out of California. Given the struggles of Keibert Ruiz at the big league level and the fact that Lomavita is potentially not too far away from earning a promotion to AA as well, the Nationals did very well with their first 2 picks of the draft.
However, where the Nationals might have really found a true gem is in their 2nd-round selection. That pick ended up being prep infielder Luke Dickerson out of New Jersey, who was known for being a great athlete and even a pretty good high school hockey player. The 19-year-old took awhile to debut, as we didn't get a chance to see him play at the professional level until the Nationals' Spring Breakout game before the season, but he has been great in his short sample size.
As the headline says, the Nationals have Dickerson the largest ever signing bonus for a guy who was not selected in the 1st round, with a total of $3.8M going to him in order to back him off of his commitment to the University of Virginia. The Nationals did something similar with #1 prospect Travis Sykora a few years back, giving him an overslot deal to keep him from attending the University of Texas.
But for Dickerson, who has just 26 games at the professional level under his belt, his debut has been pretty amazing to keep tabs on so far. After a short trial run with the FCL Nationals to help him get his feet wet, a 6-game sample in which he drove in 10 runs and hit his first professional homer, Dickerson was quickly moved up to Low-A Fredericksburg, where he has looked fantastic for a guy as young and inexperienced as he is to this point.
In 20 games with Fredericksburg, he has a .268/.372/.451 slash line, good for an .823 OPS, and has hit 2 homers while driving in 13 runs and stealing 2 bags, showcasing his all-around upside. Perhaps most impressively is the fact that he has shown pretty great plate discipline, with a 13:19 BB:K ratio thus far.
Considering the struggles with plate discipline that recent 1st-rounders in Elijah Green, Brady House, Seaver King, and even Dylan Crews have all faced at some point, it is certainly encouraging to see a guy who is so young be so patient at the plate. This will serve him well, and as the youngster continues to fill out his frame, he could easily beat his ETA of 2028, according to MLB Pipeline. Dickerson's start has been incredible, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends the year at High-A or better, if he can continue to progress in this manner.
What do you think of Luke Dickerson's start to his professional career? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.