Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats win MLB Draft Lottery, pick No. 1 overall + Winter Meetings update…

NATIONALS WIN DRAFT LOTTERY; NO. 1 OVERALL PICK:

For the primary time since 2010 after they chosen Bryce Harper No. 1 general the 12 months after taking Stephen Strasburg at No. 1 in ‘09, Washington’s Nationals have the highest choose within the draft after they gained the MLB Draft Lottery final evening on the Winter Conferences in Dallas, TX.

It’s the third time in franchise historical past that the membership has the No. 1 choose.

Going into this 12 months’s lottery, the Nats had a ten.2% probability of getting the highest choose, however they gained the lottery and can as soon as once more select first in what GM Mike Rizzo routinely refers to as his private Tremendous Bowl, the MLB Draft.

Rizzo and Co. within the Nationals’ entrance workplace should be thrilled with the newest improvement as they proceed the reboot of the group they kicked off on the commerce deadline in 2021.

Selecting first general within the draft is an effective way to quicken a return to competition…

“Clearly abilities and instruments are vital, however it’s a must to delve deeper into it,” Rizzo stated of his method to the highest choose in an MLB Community interview after the Nationals gained the draft lottery.

“A variety of stress on [the] 1/1 [pick] and going into this factor,” he acknowledged. “That is my fourth 1/1 choose of my profession, and also you’re in search of character guys that may play the sport and match seamlessly into the group culture-wise, development-wise, and also you’re going for the perfect, most impactful participant you’ll find.”

Requested what he discovered from the earlier three 1/1 picks (together with the 2005 No. 1 choose when he was nonetheless with Arizona), Rizzo stated it’s vital to not simply give attention to one participant.

“I believe that what I’ve discovered from these picks is don’t get too ultra-focused on one participant in a single draft season,” the GM defined. “Have a large scope and actually scour the nation.

“And particularly with the draft swimming pools being so massive and allocating cash in a different way, you’ll be able to actually do some attention-grabbing issues and impression your draft all through the whole lot of it.”

For somebody who loves scouting and the draft, Rizzo was genuinely enthusiastic about attending to make one other No. 1 choose.

“It’s so attention-grabbing and intriguing on so many alternative ranges. A variety of alternative ways we will go,” he advised the MLB Community hosts.

“We’re clearly very enthusiastic about the place we’re at. We’ve obtained an excellent system in place proper now.

“Getting the primary choose is simply going so as to add to that and add worth to our group.

“We’re extraordinarily excited, we’re fortunate, and we don’t wish to be on this place ever once more.”

WINTER MEETINGS UPDATE:

Washington’s 16-win enchancment from 2022 to 2023 (55 to 71 wins) was actually a small step ahead for his or her rebooting/rebuilding group, however a second consecutive 71-win season in 2024 was nonetheless seen by the membership as a optimistic improvement, particularly contemplating who the group had on the roster this previous 12 months.

“We obtained actually, actually younger final 12 months,” Nationals’ supervisor Davey Martinez advised reporters when he spoke at 2024’s Winter Conferences in Dallas, TX on Monday.

How younger? As famous within the Nats’ 2024 Season in Evaluate:

The Nationals noticed a complete of 713 video games performed by gamers 24 or youthful this season, essentially the most within the Nationwide League and second-most in Main League Baseball (Detroit, 740).
84 of the Nationals’ 162 begins on the mound this 12 months have been made by a pitcher 26 years previous or youthful, the third-most within the Nationwide League behind Miami (126), Cincinnati (113), and tied with Arizona (84).

In accordance with Baseball-Reference, the ‘24 Nats’ batters have been the second-youngest (common age 26.4) within the majors, and the roster as a complete had a median age of 25.9 years previous, tied for the youngest within the majors, with 15 of their gamers debuting within the majors final season, the, “… third-most [rookies] they’ve utilized in a season since 2005, trailing solely 2021 (17) and 2006 (18).”

“For these guys to do what they did final 12 months, it’s a testomony to how laborious they labored and the way laborious they play,” Martinez stated.

“We’ve obtained an excellent core group. I do know that we’re working diligently to get higher, and with our younger guys, we’re going to get higher.”

The expertise their younger core (which incorporates James Wooden, Dylan Crews, CJ Abrams, Luis García, Jr., Keibert Ruiz, MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, DJ Herz, Mitchell Parker, and so forth.) obtained final 12 months was one of many largest developments for the seven-year supervisor within the nation’s capital.

“As I talked about final 12 months on the finish of the 12 months,” he stated, “… the expertise our younger gamers obtained, I believe the expansion that they’ve had final 12 months is certainly going to assist us in 2025.

“We’ve obtained a younger group, a very good proficient group. I’m trying ahead to getting again on the market with them once more in Spring Coaching and preparing for an additional season.”

Earlier than they get again on the market, the membership is, after all, trying to make additions to attempt to deal with the wants they’ve recognized of their offseason evaluation.

“Look, we’ve obtained a younger core. We’re actually not going to fiddle with what we’ve proper now, and I don’t wish to take away something from the youngsters that we’ve obtained arising as properly,” Martinez defined.

“However we do want so as to add some veteran guys. We’re exploring all types of choices. I do know we’ve talked to fairly a number of gamers already. We’re engaged with some issues.

“As you realize, [GM and President of Baseball Ops Mike Rizzo], he’s going to go on the market and work diligently to get us higher.

“Proper now I’ve been in conversations with some gamers about what’s arising for Spring Coaching and watching them work out and watching them hit and all types of stuff.

“My focus is on what we’ve proper now.

“If we add gamers to assist us, that may be nice.”

First base? Third base? DH? The place are they trying so as to add to their lineup?

“We’re undoubtedly in search of some energy bats at each nook spots,” Martinez stated.

“Perhaps a DH spot. We’ll see what transpires.”

As for what kind of bat they wish to land this winter?

“A 40-home run man,” Martinez stated. “Hey, if we’ve to platoon, we’ll platoon. However like I stated, we’ll see what’s out there and we’ll see what we give you.”

“We’re working diligently. We’re trying on the free agent market. We’re truly some commerce alternatives as properly. We’ll see what we will give you.”