2026 MLB Draft

[imref]

Keith Law's latest mock has the Nats taking Texas A&M 3B/SS Chris Hacopian at 11, with Grindlinger dropping to 16. He does note that there is chatter that we're high on Grindlinger.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7345752/2026/06/10/mlb-mock-draft-2026-vahn-lackey-tyler-bell-roch-cholowsky/?eafs_enabled=false

[HondoKillebrew]

Keith Law's latest mock has the Nats taking Texas A&M 3B/SS Chris Hacopian at 11, with Grindlinger dropping to 16. He does note that there is chatter that we're high on Grindlinger.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7345752/2026/06/10/mlb-mock-draft-2026-vahn-lackey-tyler-bell-roch-cholowsky/?eafs_enabled=false

Looking forward to draft day. I trust Toboni and the current personnel evaluators to make a wise selection.

[imref]

Looking forward to draft day. I trust Toboni and the current personnel evaluators to make a wise selection.

especially since the guy who drafted Willits is still in the room.

[HondoKillebrew]

especially since the guy who drafted Willits is still in the room.

Yep. Glad they kept him around.

[zimm_da_kid]

Keith Law's latest mock has the Nats taking Texas A&M 3B/SS Chris Hacopian at 11, with Grindlinger dropping to 16. He does note that there is chatter that we're high on Grindlinger.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7345752/2026/06/10/mlb-mock-draft-2026-vahn-lackey-tyler-bell-roch-cholowsky/?eafs_enabled=false

I’m all aboard the grindlinger train unless one of the top 4 or 5 talents slips to us

[Kevrock]

Lots of good options for the Nats this year

[Kevrock]

especially since the guy who drafted Willits is still in the room.

I mean DeBartolo drafted him but it was the previous regime’s infrastructure and they were already locked in on a pick. If they were going a different direction before the Rizzo firing it would have leaked along with everything else that was leaked.

First pick for the wonder kids this year.

[imref]

I mean DeBartolo drafted him but it was the previous regime’s infrastructure and they were already locked in on a pick. If they were going a different direction before the Rizzo firing it would have leaked along with everything else that was leaked.

First pick for the wonder kids this year.

Most of the mocks had us going with Kade Anderson on the idea that the Nats window was opening and that we wanted a more MLB-ready player.

Firing Rizzo reset the window and put us into another rebuild so I'm guessing that had Rizzo been the GM, he wouldn't have been willing to go with a player 3+ years away rather than someone like Anderson who is absolutely dominating AA right now and is on track to make his debut this year.

[welch]

BA suggests a highschooler Jared Grindlinger, saying 

School: Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Tennessee. Age At Draft: 17.2.

Grindlinger was the No. 3 player in the 2027 high school class until he reclassified for the 2026 draft in February. He’s a 6-foot-3, 185-pound lefthanded pitcher and lefthanded hitter with legitimate pro upside at either position. Grindlinger won a gold medal as one of just two underclassmen on USA Baseball’s 2025 18U national team. As a pitcher, Grindlinger works from a smooth and easy operation with advanced strike-throwing ability and a fastball that has already been up to 96. He can add and subtract from a slider around 80 mph, and has a low-80s changeup that he sells with impressive arm speed. Both secondaries have a chance to be above-average offerings. As a hitter, Grindlinger has standout contact skills and almost never swung and missed on the 2025 circuit, with a strong sense of the strike zone and obvious power projection as he starts to fill out his projectable frame. Defensively, he profiles as a first baseman or corner outfielder. Grindlinger could fit as a top-50 pick on draft day and will be one of the youngest players in the class.

[imref]

Callis' latest mock:

11. Nationals: Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M (No. 10)
The Nationals also could hop on the college bat train with Burress, Hacopian or Gracia. They have shown stronger interest in two-way prep catcher Jared Grindlinger than most clubs.

[welch]

BA also has the Nats, at 11, picking Hacopian:

Hacopian has one of the most impressive offensive track records in the 2026 class. He’s a .347/.465/.614 hitter in two seasons with Maryland, including 29 home runs and 22 doubles, and also has a few summers of solid wood bat production—most notably in the New England Collegiate League in 2024. Hacopian transferred to Texas A&M after the season and could give the Aggies a pair of first-round bats along with third baseman Gavin Grahovac. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Hacopian is physically mature with broad shoulders and a powerful swing that comes with a big leg kick and a notable barrel tip in his load. Despite the moving parts, Hacopian makes a ton of contact—he almost never misses a fastball—and yanks plenty of balls over the fence to his pull side. He knows the zone, minimizes his strikeouts and has consistently walked more often than he’s whiffed. A shortstop now, Hacopian is likely to slide to third base in pro ball and is a below-average runner.

Born in Potomac.

Although I have no idea how experts can pick a spot for any player below number 4 or 5. Maybe this merely suggests the sort of quality that the Nats can draft from.

[Kevrock]

Yeah, you’re spot on Welch. Depending on the year there’s some reasonable consensus of like a top 2 or 5 or something. Even then there are plenty of surprises.

At like 11 you’re dealing with a wide band of talent and potential picks.

[imref]

Yet another "garret" mock:
https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/mlb-pipeline-2026-mock-draft-june-25?t=mlb-draft-coverage

11. Nationals: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky (No. 20)
Mayo: "This feels like a college bat spot. We were hearing Grindlinger's name a lot, almost to the point where I feel like I don't want to believe it because it's been mentioned over and over.

"But I decided to put Bell here. I know that they like him. A lot of teams like him. He was a guy who was playing hurt, but still put up very good numbers in the SEC. And I feel like that matters to a lot of teams."

[imref]

Keith Law at The Athletic:

“It’s either Hacopian or Jared Grindlinger, depending on who you ask, although what I’ve heard lately is that the Nats have cooled a little on Grindlinger"

Some new mocks:

Bleacher Report: C Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
MLB Pipeline: 1Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
Perfect Game: Gio Rojas, LHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas

[imref]

Dougherty on draft prep and the new focus on aligning draft strategy with organizational development approach: https://www.notus.org/sports/nationals-mlb-draft-front-office-toboni

Fangraphs' Longenhagen's mock has us picking Drew Burress at 11.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2026-mock-draft-1-0/

[varoadking]

Dougherty on draft prep and the new focus on aligning draft strategy with organizational development approach: https://www.notus.org/sports/nationals-mlb-draft-front-office-toboni

Fangraphs' Longenhagen's mock has us picking Drew Burress at 11.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2026-mock-draft-1-0/

So...with all the names that have been mentioned lately...it could basically be anyone, right?

[imref]

Law says everyone he has talked to says the Nats top choice is Hacopian.

[imref]

Draft is today at 1 pm. Unfortunately coverage switches to the MLB network after pick #10.

[Kevrock]

Draft is today at 1 pm. Unfortunately coverage switches to the MlB network after pick #10.

This is so dumb, loved a Primetime draft

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Draft is today at 1 pm. Unfortunately coverage switches to the MlB network after pick #10.

[imref]

Draft is today at 1 pm. Unfortunately coverage switches to the MlB network after pick #10.

Will Smith will be hosting.

[imref]

No surprises at 1&2

[NatsLSU]

I want no part of Curiel. He needs more power and don’t think he really gives a crap about being great. Jake Brown and Monster Milam were my two favorite players on last years team. Curiel just seems like he will never reach his potential. No thanks!

[Count Walewski]

Roch Cholowsky: finally the White Sox have a player whose name my Polish parents can pronounce. They've been struggling with impossible-to-say names like "Abreu", "Montgomery", or "Thomas" for far too long.

[imref]

Pirates reach a bit. Burress still out there.