For first time in club history, Nats prioritize catchers in draft

Eleven people have caught at least 100 games for the Nationals during their 20 seasons of existence in D.C., and that list includes a wide range of names and track records. There have been offensive-minded guys (Wilson Ramos, Kurt Suzuki). There have been defense-first guys (Jose Lobaton, Wil Nieves). There have been seasoned veterans who came here late in their careers (Ivan Rodriguez, Yan Gomes, Matt Wieters). There have been promising young players who came into their own here (Keibert Ruiz, Riley Adams, Jesus Flores).

What there have not been, however, are any true homegrown catchers. Of those 11 players who caught at least 100 games for the Nationals, only Brian Schneider was homegrown, and he was drafted by the Expos way back in 1995, a decade before the franchise relocated.

The most games caught by someone who was initially signed by the Nats: 80, by Pedro Severino, signed as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic in 2010. The most games caught by someone who was drafted by the Nats: 47, by Tres Barrera, their sixth round pick in 2016.

It’s not necessarily because the Nationals have done a bad job developing homegrown catchers. It’s because they’ve barely acquired any homegrown catchers in the first place. From 2005-23, they never used a first or second round pick on a catcher. They used only one third round pick (Jakson Reetz, 2014), two fourth round picks (Brady Lindsly, 2020; Derek Norris, 2007) and two fifth round picks (Spencer Kieboom, 2012; Adrian Nieto, 2008).

(Yes, technically speaking, Bryce Harper was a catcher when the Nats made him the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft. But they immediately turned him into an outfielder and never once let him don the tools of ignorance during his eight seasons in the organization.)

For two decades, the Nats seemed content to acquire their catchers from elsewhere, whether trading for promising prospects like Ruiz and Ramos or signing established veterans like Suzuki, Rodriguez and Wieters. Until this year, when for the first time ever the organization appears to have prioritized the drafting of catchers.

The Nationals owned four of the first 79 picks in the draft. They used two of those picks on catchers: Cal’s Caleb Lomavita with No. 39 and Texas Tech’s Kevin Bazzell with No. 79.

“They both can hit. They both have power. They’re both very athletic,” said Danny Haas, the team’s newly hired vice president of amateur scouting. “And we’re excited to add them to the fold.”

Haas, who along with Brad Ciolek and Reed Dunn took over the Nationals’ draft prep in a major reorganization this year, insists this wasn’t fully intentional. Both Lomavita and Bazzell were players they liked who were available when it was their turn to pick. But he also admits there was some pre-draft discussion with vice president of player development (and former director of scouting operations) Eddie Longosz about trying to bolster the organization’s thin crop of catchers.

“We definitely didn’t set out to say we’re going to draft catchers,” Haas said. “We were happy that a talented one at Loma’s level was available at our pick. But we’ve definitely had conversations with Eddie Longosz that it would be nice to get some more catchers.”

The Nationals, of course, have already committed to Ruiz as their long-term answer behind the plate, signing him to an eight-year, $50 million extension in March 2023, less than two years after acquiring him with Josiah Gray and two others from the Dodgers for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. After a strong 2023 season at the plate, Ruiz has regressed this season and continues to rate as one of the league’s worst defensive catchers.

Adams (acquired from the Blue Jays for Brad Hand in 2021) and Drew Millas (acquired with two pitching prospects from the Athletics for Gomes and Josh Harrison in 2021) have split time between Washington and Triple-A Rochester, serving as Ruiz’s backup, neither fully seizing that role yet.

Whether either of these two new draft picks ever reach – and then stick in – the majors or not, the Nationals believe they’ve found a couple of promising young catchers who will be welcomed into the organization with open arms.

Lomavita was always known for his bat more than his glove, blasting 31 homers with 95 RBIs and a .980 OPS in 103 games at Cal the last two years. He only became a full-time catcher in 2023, but he made a point to work tirelessly at learning the craft, so much so he made the Pac-12’s all-defensive first team this season.

“I worked my butt off, just because I was always seen as an offensive guy,” he said. “I was put on the field to play whatever position, just because I could hit. But when I took on the role as the catcher, I spent so much time. And to see that it paid off, becoming an all-defensive team catcher, it meant the world to me, actually.”

The Nationals used the draft pick they just acquired Saturday from the Royals for Hunter Harvey on Lomavita. They then used their third round pick on Bazzell, another talented hitter who amassed 37 doubles, 16 homers, 94 RBIs and .961 OPS in 112 games the last two seasons at Texas Tech.

Like Lomavita, Bazzell was a latecomer to the catching position, starting there as a senior in high school. He has also played extensively at third base, so a position switch could someday be in the cards for him.

That’s not the Nationals’ intentions right now, though. For the first time, they used a high draft pick on a catcher. And then they used another one on another catcher. They believe in those picks, and now have to wait and see if their instincts prove correct.

“We’re looking for someone who’s going to be a field general, so to speak,” Ciolek said. “Someone that his teammates are going to look to in terms of accountability and also to make sure everyone’s doing the right things day in and day out. And both Bazzell and Lomavita have those qualities about them, and we were very excited to be able to end up with both of them.”