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Ethan Holliday (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
The 2025 MLB draft—scheduled to begin on Saturday, July 13—is now just 10 days away. Here are 10 things you should know before it gets started.
1. The Nationals Pick First Overall
Let’s start at the top.
The Nationals will pick first overall in the draft for the third time in the history of the franchise after winning the third annual draft lottery.
Washington had a 10.2% chance—the fourth best odds—to win the first-overall pick in this year’s draft lottery. They got luckier than the Rockies (22.45%), Marlins (22.45%) and Angels (17.96%) and will now pick inside the first 10 selections for the fourth consecutive year.
The two previous times the Nationals picked first overall there were no-brainer, generational prospects leading their respective classes. Neither Stephen Strasburg in 2009 or Bryce Harper in 2010 required much debate and were the obvious names long before draft day arrived. Both players also managed to live up to their significant pre-draft hype.
The Nationals don’t have things quite so simple in 2025, with a muddled draft class that features a handful of legitimate 1-1 possibilities in different demographics. That’s led to plenty of questions about draft strategy, draft philosophy and proximity. Should the Nationals take the highest upside they can find picking at the top? Should they instead draft a player who can contribute quicker? And what exactly is Washington’s “type” these days in year two of longtime GM Mike Rizzo’s new-look scouting department led by Danny Haas and Brad Ciolek.
Below are each of the Nationals first picks since Rizzo became the team’s GM in 2009:
- 2009 — Stephen Strasburg, RHP, San Diego State (1st overall)
- 2010 — Bryce Harper, OF, JC of Southern Nevada (1st)
- 2011 — Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice (6th)
- 2012 — Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif. (16th)
- 2014 — Erick Fedde, RHP, Nevada-Las Vegas (18th)
- 2016 — Carter Kieboom, SS, Walton HS, Marietta, Ga. (28th)
- 2017 — Seth Romero, LHP, Houston (25th)
- 2018 — Mason Denaburg, RHP, Merritt Island (Fla.) HS (27th)
- 2019 — Jackson Rutledge, RHP, San Jacinto (Texas) JC (17th)
- 2020 — Cade Cavalli, RHP, Oklahoma (22nd)
- 2021 — Brady House, SS, Winder-Barrow HS, Winder, Ga. (11th)
- 2022 — Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (5th)
- 2023 — Dylan Crews, OF,…