Nationals select 10 players on final day of 2024 First-Year Player Draft

The Washington Nationals selected 10 players on the third and final day of Major League Baseball’s 2024 First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Vice President, Amateur Scouting Danny Haas, Senior Director, Amateur Scouting Brad Ciolek, and Assistant Director and National Crosschecker, Amateur Scouting Reed Dunn made the announcements.

The Nationals opened Day 3 with the selection of left-handed pitcher Merritt Beeker from Ball State (Ind.) University in the 11^th round. The 2024 Mid-Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year, Beeker ranked tied for seventh in all of NCAA Division I with 128 strikeouts in 81.0 innings pitched. He went 9-3 with a 4.11 ERA in 15 starts during his junior season. Beeker spent two seasons at East Carolina University before transferring to Ball State.

In the 12^th round, Washington selected right-handed pitcher Alexander Meckley from Coastal Carolina (S.C.) University. Meckley opened the season 3-0 with a 2.60 ERA in his first five starts and recorded a total 57 strikeouts in 52.2 innings on the season. He pitched in 21 games and made nine starts in 2024.

 In the 13^th round, the Nationals selected left-handed pitcher Bryant Olson from Mercer (Ga.) University. As a junior in 2024, he led the Southern Conference with eight saves while striking out 39 batters in 26.2 innings. Olson transferred from Gordon State (Ga.) College where he recorded 97 strikeouts in 70.2 innings pitched as a sophomore in 2023.

Washington selected right-handed pitcher Yoel Tejeda Jr. in the 14^th round. Tejeda Jr. pitched one season for Florida State and went 1-2 with a 5.03 ERA in 12 games, making one start. He struck out 15 in 19.2 innings of work.

In the 15^th round, the Nationals selected catcher Sir Jamison Jones from St. Rita (Ill.) High School. As a senior, Jones hit .380 with eight doubles, three triples, four home runs, 38 RBI and 20 walks. He was the No. 6 high school prospect and No. 2 catcher in the state of Illinois, according to Perfect GameWashington selected left-handed pitcher Nolan Hughes from Xavier (Ohio) University in the 16^th round. Hughes struck out 65 in 35.1 innings and held hitters to a .132 batting average in his only season with the Musketeers. He finished the season 5-3 with a 4.33 ERA in 24 games (four starts) in 202

In the 17^th round, the Nationals selected left-handed pitcher Gavin Bruni out of Ohio State University. Bruni struck out 146 in 124.1 innings over three years for the Buckeyes. He finished 2024 with a 4-3 record, 5.81 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 15 games (14 starts)

Washington selected outfielder Teo Banks from Tulane (La.) University in the 18^th round. Banks slashed .287/.380/.572 with 35 doubles, five triples, 34 homers, 118 RBI and 107 runs scored in 145 games across three seasons for the Green Wave.

In the 19^th round, the Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Ryan Minckler from Niagara (N.Y.) University. Minckler was named Second-Team All-MAAC after he went 5-2 with a 4.21 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 51.1 innings out of the bullpen in 2024.

The Nationals selected infielder Colby Shelton out of the University of Florida in the 20^th round. Shelton hit 20 home runs as a sophomore in 2024, earning his way onto the Golden Spikes (top amateur player) Award watch list. He finished the year slashing .254/.374/.551 with 14 doubles, a triple and 56 RBI to go along with his second consecutive 20-homer campaign. He was a consensus freshman All-American in 2023 at the University of Alabama after he tied Charlie Condon’s (University of Georgia) SEC single-season home run record by hitting 25 in 59 games.

Throughout the course of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, the Nationals selected 21 players: six right-handed pitchers, five left-handed pitchers, two outfielders, five infielders and three catchers. Of Washington’s 21 selections, 19 came from four-year universities and two from the high school ranks.

RD             PICK             PLAYER               POS          B/T         HT         WT          DOB                 SCHOOL                           SCOUT

1                 10              Seaver King            SS            R/R         6-0        195        4/25/03      Wake Forest (NC) University     Bob Hamelin

CB-A                 39            Caleb Lomavita          C             R/R         5-11      200      11/18/02      Univ. of California, Berkeley      Bryan Byrne

2                 44            Luke Dickerson          SS            R/R         5-11      177        8/09/05      Morris Knolls (NJ) High School  John Malzone

3                79              Kevin Bazzell             C             R/R         6-1        205       3/29/03        Texas Tech University             Cody Staab 

4                108            Jackson Kent            LHP           L/L          6-3        219      2/10/03         University of Arizona              Mitch Sokol

5                141            Randal Diaz              SS             R/R         6-0        205      5/20/03        Indiana State University          James Goodwin       

6                170            Davian Garcia           RHP           R/R         6-2        190     10/10/03      Florida Gulf Coast University     Alex Morales           

7                200            Robert Cranz             RHP          R/R         6-3        207       5/28/03       Oklahoma State University       Cody Staab

8                230            Sam Petersen            OF            R/R         6-0        200       1/20/03        University of Iowa                 James Goodwin       

9                260            Jackson Ross             3B            R/R         6-2        210       4/5/00          University of Mississippi         Tommy Jackson

10              290            Luke Johnson            RHP          R/R         6-2        210       9/5/00          Univ. of Md.-Baltimore Co.      Bobby Myrick

11              320            Merritt Beeker           LHP           L/L          6-2        198     11/12/01        Ball State (Ind.) University     James Goodwin

12              350            Alexander Meckley     RHP          R/R         6-2        240       7/12/03     Coastal Carolina (S.C.) University  Bob Hamelin         

13              380            Bryant Olson             LHP           L/L          6-4       190      12/19/02     Mercer (Ga.) University              Tommy Jackson

14              410            Yoel Tejeda Jr.          RHP           S/R         6-8         215       7/8/03       Florida State University              Alex Morales

15              440            Sir Jamison Jones       C              R/R         6-2        225       5/19/06      St. Rita (Ill.) High School           James Goodwin     

16              470            Nolan Hughes            LHP           L/L          6-5        235       3/7/02        Xavier (Ohio) University            Brian Cleary

17              500            Gavin Bruni               LHP           L/L          6-3         205     10/12/02     Ohio State University                 Brian Cleary

18              530            Teo Banks                 OF             R/R         6-2         209      7/10/03       Tulane (La.) University             Kevin Ham

19              560            Ryan Minckler            RHP          R/R         6-2          185      10/1/02       Niagara (N.Y.) University         John Malzone         

20              590            Colby Shelton            INF            L/R          6-0        195      12/6/02        University of Florida               Alex Morales