King's unconventional path from Division II to Nats' top pick

Watch the video of Seaver King watching commissioner Rob Manfred announce him as the No. 10 pick in the MLB Draft, and you quickly understand how meaningful this moment was for the 21-year-old.

King, who only received an offer coming out Athens Christian High School in Georgia from Division II Wingate, then parlayed two dominant seasons there into one season at powerhouse Wake Forest, was now considered the 10th best player in the country, drafted by the Nationals on Sunday night.

Surrounded by friends and family cheering him on, King hugged his parents, then broke down for a moment and had to compose himself, perhaps not yet truly believing what happened.

“If you asked me three years ago if I would’ve been in the draft, period, I would’ve said probably not, let alone be a top-10 pick and be in an organization that values development as much as they do,” he said in a Zoom session with reporters a little while later. “I think it’s just surreal. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m glad I didn’t know it was going to happen, because it’s just kind of better that way.”

King wasn’t a name associated with the Nationals in the days leading up to the draft. He expected to be taken several spots lower in the first round. In the end, it shouldn’t have come as that much surprise, because he’s been defying the odds on the baseball field for some time now.

A 6-foot, 195-pound natural shortstop, King earned his way up the sport’s proverbial ladder. He did so by developing a hitting approach that prioritized contact, especially with two strikes. He did so with speed and agility. He did so with a willingness to play anywhere on the field. And he did so by succeeding at each level of baseball, one at a time.

Three years ago, King attended a draft party of a fellow Georgia high school star: Brady House. House, of course, wound up getting selected by the Nationals with the 11th overall pick and is now playing third base at Triple-A Rochester, with his big league debut perhaps coming before season’s end.

At the time, King couldn’t even fathom playing professionally. His only option if he wanted to continue playing was to accept the offer from Wingate, a Division II school in North Carolina. He took the offer, but he didn’t do so thinking it would jumpstart his path to professional baseball.

“I think going to Wingate, I knew I was going to play four years and get a 9-to-5 and kind of be a normal human,” he said.

King’s performance at Wingate, though, changed that narrative. He hit .381 as a freshman, then hit .411 with a .699 slugging percentage as a sophomore, going on a remarkable, 47-game hitting streak that was the third-longest in NCAA Division II history.

That performance led to an invitation to join the USA Baseball Collegiate Team, and a chance to play in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League, where he batted .424. Which led to an offer to transfer to Wake Forest, one of the top Division I programs in the country. Where he continued to thrive.

In 60 games with the Demon Deacons this season, King hit .308 with 14 doubles, 16 homers, 64 RBIs and 11 stolen bases, all while playing shortstop, third base, second base and center field for a team that played in the NCAA Tournament.

That year-to-year progression caught the attention of the Nationals’ revamped scouting department, which zeroed in on King, even if he didn’t realize it at the time.

“In terms of what Seaver has done, in terms of taking all of these leaps, that is one criteria we always look for, not only with our first pick but also with our top few selections,” senior director of amateur scouting Brad Ciolek said, citing not only Seaver but Sunday night’s other two early round picks. “The underlying theme here is: All three of the guys made tremendous strides from their previous year to their platform year.”

King will get the opportunity to play shortstop as he begins his professional career, but his ability to move around the field could help open pathways for him as he works his way through the minor leagues.

And if his path ultimately leads to Washington, King will have quite the story to tell: The kid who only got an offer to play at a Division II school, then transferred to a Division I powerhouse and became a top-10 draft pick.

“Honestly, my journey, I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he said. “I didn’t want to go D-I out of high school. Looking back on it, it would’ve been rough. So I’m super thankful for my journey, where I came from and where I’m willing to go.”