Well for sure but the 2012-19 juggernaut was headlined by Harper/Strasburg/Rendon--all high first round picks. Of course Ryan Z who also was. Jordan Z also I believe. Max and Werth and Murphy added in free agency. Of course you have to have some others in free agency or later rounds or the international signings. Who is the young Latin player who is near the top of the Nats prospects? Add him in.
Uh, the Nats don't have a decent international prospect in the minors above A ball or older than 20. There's nobody even close to helping them.
Jordan Zimmermann was a 2nd round pick. And the 2012-2019 teams were also fueled or helped substantially by guys like Desmond (3rd round pick), Espinosa (3rd), Stammen (12th), Clippard (acquired in a trade straight up for dude signed as a minor league FA), Roark (acquired in a trade cheaply, but 25th round and developed more in the system, then traded for Rainey), Michael A (6th), even Difo (signed for $20,000), and last of all Turner, who was a first round pick given away by the idiot who is somehow still running the Padres.
The 2019 team that won was an example of what I mean: that team was several first round picks pre-FA (including the crucial Rendon and Turner)...and a gigantic payroll fueled by FA signings.
And it's not exactly rocket science to be getting decent guys at the top of the first round, but look at the Nationals 2016-2018 drafts. It's now time to see what the guys they drafted those years amounted to in the majors.
The answer is nothing. The best player the Nationals drafted any of those years is Dane Dunning. 2019 isn't looking good either, and that's the draft in which the dude who shut them down tonight was a sixth-round pick.