The Washington Nationals have found themselves in a spot they've gotten well acquainted with in the teams' history: the first selection in the MLB Draft. It seemed far-fetched for Nats fans at a 10.1% chance of landing the pick, but it gave a much-needed shot in the arm for a quiet offseason. This will be the third time in the teams' history that they selected first in the draft, after back-to-back first-overall slots in the 2009 and 2010 drafts. Stephen Strasburg was selected in 2009, with Bryce Harper in the following draft, and both turned into icons in the D.C. area.
In 2009, the Nationals were in a dark place. Fresh off a 102-loss season with not much to look forward to other than the first overall pick in the draft. Headlined by 23-year-old Ryan Zimmerman and 23-year-old Lastings Milledge, being a Nats fan was a tough time to be a Nats fan. The team and city needed a spark. In June 2009, Washington selected Stephen Strasburg out of San Diego State University. Just a year later, the flamethrower would set Nationals Park on fire, striking out 14 Pittsburg Pirates in one of the most memorable debuts in MLB History.
You just had to be at Stephen Strasburg’s debut
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) August 24, 2023
The energy that night was unmatched pic.twitter.com/kW4QwBk0C8
The night before Strasburg's debut, Bryce Harper was selected first in the 2010 MLB Draft. If you didn't live under a rock in 2010, you knew who Bryce Harper was. His debut on the cover of Sports Illustrated was at just 16 years old. Labeled as a "phenom," Harper was the next big thing in baseball. The brand of the Washington Nationals effectively changed in two days with the selection of Harper and the debut of Strasburg. What an impact two days can have on a franchise.
Harper was drafted at 17, requiring more minor-league experience than Strasburg. In his age-18 season at A and AA, Harper hit .297 with 18 home runs and 58 RBI, fulfilling all expectations for his rookie season. After just 21 games at AAA in 2012, it was time for Harper's Major League debut. Oddly enough, his first at-bats in the Majors came in L.A. against the Dodgers. At 19 years old, Harper became the fire of an up-and-coming Nationals team. Bryce would finish the 2012 season with 22 home runs and 70 RBI, and the Nats won 98 games, most in team history. Little did Nationals fans know, it was the beginning of a decade of success.
The Nationals won the N.L. East in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017, a mark of consistency. Harper and Strasburg were two cornerstones of success in the 2010s. In 2018, Harper would depart in free agency to the Philadelphia Phillies. While it left a disgusting taste in Nats fans, what Harper did for the franchise cannot be denied. The 2015 NL MVP was the face of the Washington Nationals for seven seasons. He's continued to build on his legacy, winning NL MVP in 2021 for the Phillies.
Nationals fans moved on from Harper in 2019 in dramatic fashion, watching their team finish a magical run to the World Series. Who was the World Series MVP? None other than Stephen Strasburg, who pitched till he couldn't anymore in that postseason. In the 2019 offseason, Strasburg signed a 7-year/$245 million deal. This proves to be one of the most controversial moves in franchise history. In 2019, Strasburg deserved the contract following his performance in the World Series. But, the underlying injury issues didn't resolve themselves. After the 2019 season, Strasburg pitched in just eight Major League games before retiring due to injury. It was unfortunate, as Stephen gave so much to the franchise and couldn't retire on his terms.
There are two first-overall selections and two different beginnings and endings. What does the future hold for the 2025 first-overall pick? The Nationals find themselves in territory similar to 2010, a rebuilding team with promising players. Some of the most important decisions lie ahead of the Washington Nationals front office.