Washington Nationals Eye College Hitter in MLB Draft

0:00It's April 21st. I'm Cory with the story, and this is MLB News Today Baseball News, powered by AI. Washington Nationals are all about stacking their farm system with young talent under new president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni. He's already traded guys like Mackenzie Gore to bring in high upside prospects, and now eyes turned to the 2026 MLB draft, their first big. Chance to add more. With the 11th overall pick, experts figure they'll grab a college hitter to speed up the rebuild. Earlier this week, MLB pipelines Jim Callis predicted, though go for a bat from college, breaking from last year's high school shortstop pick when... Mike DeBartolo was interim GM. Before that, under Mike Rizzo, they mixed it up. College hitters like Seever King and Dylan Cruz in recent years, but also high schoolers like Elijah, Green and Brady House. Fans in Scouts see this as smart for a team needing quick impact players, since college guys often climb the miners faster than 18-year-olds. Straight out of high school.

1:04Toboni's timeline pushes for rapid progress, so a polished hitter could fit right in and boost the line of sooner. The name popping up most is Chris Hacopian from Texas A&M. This third baseman or second baseman transferred from Maryland where he crushed it as. A sophomore with a 375 average, 14 homers, and more walks than strikeouts. In the SEC this year, through 22 games, he's at 284 with four homers, and again walks more than he strikes out. Lots can change before a draft day, giving Toboni time to scout everyone, but if Hacopian lands in DC, expect him to rocket through the system and help. Turn this rebuild around fast.