Washington Nationals Pick Elijah Green in MLB Draft

“When you get that kind of people and that skill set where we got them, we are thrilled,” Chris Klein, assistant general manager for Citizens in charge of Amateur Scouts, said of Green. “I mean, this guy could be an influential star.”

The 18-year-old from IMG Academy in Florida stands out for his size — 6-foot-4, 225 pounds — as well as speed. Two National Scouts, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to do so publicly on opposing teams, Green is expected to remain at the center due to his range and powerful arm. Despite this, Klein speculated that he would likely move to a corner point after starting in position in the Nationals system. Green, the right-handed hitter, has shown strength across the board and raised mild concerns about his adjustments against out-of-speed pitches. But more than anything, he’s still a teenager, which means the selection is a show of confidence in his promise and a huge undertaking for the player development team.

It was the Nationals’ highest pick since they first picked Bryce Harper in 2010. Under general manager Mike Rizzo, who took over in 2009, Green was the club’s fifth top-10 pick, joining Harper, Stephen Strasbourg and Drew Storin and Anthony Rendon. And like those before him, Green will be an important part of rebuilding citizens. He is the son of Eric Green, Tight end to the Pro Bowl twiceHe was committed to the University of Miami.

“We can kind of do it the same way,” said Green, who compared himself to trout Mike because “we can kind of do it the same way.”

“I just feel like I can be one of those players who can reach [majors] thus.”

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The slot value for the fifth pick is $6.49 million. For the 45th pick, it’s $1.73 million. If citizens sign Green or Bennett for a bonus higher than their slot values, they will have less money to distribute to their other 18 selections. The opposite happens if the final reward for Green or Bennett is lower. The total bounty in Washington is $11,007,900.

Bennett, the 21-year-old standing tall at 6-6, was the Nationals’ 39th-round pick in 2019, when he opted to score in Oklahoma. His Fastball, complete with slider and changeover, is in the mid-’90s. The Nationals are hoping for at least some speed gain early in his professional career. They’ve loved the Oklahoma shooters in recent drafts, yanking out Cady Cavalli (first round in 2020, now he’s their top favourite) and Jake Irvine (fourth round in 2018, now impressive after Tommy John’s surgery).

Like Cavalli, Bennett attended Bixby High near Tulsa, where they were teammates before playing together in college. As a sophomore for the red jersey in 2022, Bennett hit 133 hitters and walked 22 in 117 runs. His powerful command is mentioned in most scouting reports. Klein called Bennett’s change “the calling card.”

“For the most part I am very in control of the fastball. I had a good drive in that,” Bennett said Sunday night. “In terms of top speed, the change was definitely kind of my feeling. I feel like I can kind of throw that in any way. And then when things are going well, I mix in the slider as a pitch out to the left, flip the curve ball more, and show it so the hitters respect it.”

Hours ago Bennett and Greene They became the newest members of the organization, The citizens finished the first half with a score of 31-63Worst MLB record. Franchise status permission – and The growing potential that Soto is trading in This month or in the near future – adding weight to what already felt like an afterthought. But with Rizzo often promising quick restarts, several recent mock drafts have tied Washington to Kevin Parada, a 20-year-old hunter from Georgia Tech, with the fifth pick.

The logic was that Parada – or a proven college hitter like him – would better serve the desire to build a fast competitor around Soto. The organization also has a large hitter void in an improved but still weak system. Green has stood out as more of a project than any high-profile hitter who has faced Division I pitchers for two or three years.

However, Parada was never at the top of the team’s draft board. He eventually went 11 to the New York Mets. Before choosing fifth place, watch the citizens Baltimore Orioles pick Jackson Holiday short, Arizona Diamondbacks take defensive tackle Drew Jones, Texas Rangers take pitcher Kumar Rucker and Pittsburgh Pirates take defensive tackle Termar Johnson. Once Rangers picked Rocker, to the shock of the industry, Washington focused on Johnson and Green, according to several people familiar with their thought process.

Then the pirates basically made their choice. Greene was a Washington man.

When it comes to placing players, the Citizens like to build through the middle using catchers, short stops, and quarterbacks. Last year, the club stopped Brady House With the 11th pick last summer, he added quarterback Daylen Lile in the second round and acquired catcher Keibert Ruiz, one of the potential players, in a Trea Turner/Max Scherzer deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Luis Garcia, 22, is in the major tournaments and trying to stay short, a position the club signed to play outside the Dominican Republic in 2016. In the latest international signing deadlines, he brought in national team Armando Cruz and a defensive player. Cristhian Vaquero Get Huge Bonuses.

Green is another hitter they put a lot of stock in. Needless to say, its evolution will be key.

“Elijah has the opportunity to be a five-pack at the Major League level,” Klein said. “And when I say five tools, I mean five tools above average.”