Nationals select eight players on second day of draft

The Washington Nationals selected eight players on the second day of Major League Baseball’s 2023 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline and Director of Scouting Operations Eddie Longosz made the joint announcement.

The Nationals kicked off Monday’s action by selecting right-handed pitcher Travis Sykora from Round Rock High School (TX) in the third round. As a senior, Sykora struck out 108 batters in 58.0 innings, allowed just seven earned runs on 22 hits (1.09 ERA) and issued only 15 walks. He was ranked the No. 36 draft prospect by Baseball America and the No. 40 draft prospect by MLBPipeline.com. He was ranked the No. 29 overall prospect by Perfect Game and the No. 5 right-handed pitching prospect. Perfect Game also ranked him the No. 2 prospect from the state of Texas and top right-handed pitching prospect in the state.

Sykora was a 2023 First-Team High School All-American by Baseball America and was selected to participate in the 2022 Perfect Game All-American Classic.

In the fourth round, Washington selected outfielder Andrew Pinckney from the University of Alabama. Pinckney hit .339 with 12 doubles, three triples, 18 home runs, 58 RBI, 40 walks and 55 runs scored for the Crimson Tide in 2023. Following his junior season, he was named First-Team American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Southeast Region and Second-Team All-Southeastern Conference.

With their fifth-round pick, the Nationals selected shortstop Marcus Brown from Oklahoma State University. Brown hit .273 with 10 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 36 RBI, 14 walks and three stolen bases during his junior season.

Washington selected second baseman Gavin Dugas from Louisiana State University in the sixth round. In 2023, he hit .290 with 12 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs, 46 RBI, 44 walks, one stolen base and led the nation with 33 hit by pitches. Dugas was voted to the College World Series All-Tournament Team after he hit .308 (8-for-26) with two doubles, two homers, four RBI and four runs scored, helping the Tigers to the 2023 College World Series championship.

In the seventh round, the Nationals selected catcher Ryan Snell from Lamar University (TX). Snell was one of three finalists for the 2023 Buster Posey Award, which is handed out annually to the national catcher of the year. He hit .317 with 17 doubles, a triple, 17 home runs, 58 RBI, 33 walks, two stolen bases and 42 runs scored in 2023, earning him Third-Team All-America honors from ABCA/Rawlings. 

With their eighth-round pick, the Nationals selected left-handed pitcher Jared Simpson from the University of Iowa. Simpson struck out 64 in 42.2 innings for the Hawkeyes in 2023. He went 4-3 with a 6.54 ERA in 22 games (one start) and picked up his first win against eventual national champion LSU, throwing 4.2 innings and striking out eight in relief on February 25. 

Washington selected right-handed pitcher Thomas Schultz from Vanderbilt University in the ninth round. Schultz went 2-2 with a 4.05 ERA and one save with 37 strikeouts in 33.1 innings in 2023. He collected 10 saves in his career at Vanderbilt, including eight in 2022.

In the 10^th round, the Nationals selected shortstop Phillip Glasser from Indiana University. He hit .357 with 19 doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 48 RBI, 36 walks, 14 stolen bases and 70 runs scored. He was named Second-Team All-Big 10.

Over the first two days of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, the Nationals selected 10 players: two right-handed pitchers, one left-handed pitcher, two outfielders, four infielders and one catcher. Of Washington’s 10 selections, nine came from four-year universities and one from the high school ranks.

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

1                 2                Dylan Crews              OF             R/R           6-0            205           2/26/02                  Louisiana State University         Kevin Ham

2                40             Yohandy Morales      3B              R/R           6-4            225           10/9/01                  University of Miami (FL)            Alex Morales                               

3                71               Travis Sykora             RHP          R/R           6-6            232            4/28/04   Round Rock High School (TX)               Kevin Ham

4                102            Andrew Pinckney     OF             R/R           6-3            215            12/7/00                  University of Alabama               Tommy Jackson

5                138             Marcus Brown           SS              L/R            6-0            187             9/4/01                  Oklahoma State University       Cody Staab

6                165            Gavin Dugas              2B             R/R           5-10          205           5/19/00                  Louisiana State University         Kevin Ham

7                195            Ryan Snell                  C                R/R           5-10          206           4/4/00     Lamar University (TX)          Kevin Ham

8                225           Jared Simpson          LHP           L/L            6-4            205           6/28/00                  University of Iowa                      James Goodwin

9                255           Thomas Schultz        RHP          R/R           6-6            243            8/3/99                  Vanderbilt University                 Brian Cleary

10              285           Phillip Glasser            SS              L/R            6-0            200           12/3/99     Indiana University                                    James Goodwin