Nationals select Nasim Nuñez in Rule 5 Draft

The Washington Nationals selected infielder Nasim Nuñez in the Major League phase of the 2023 Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Nuñez, 23, joins the organization after spending his first four professional seasons in the Miami Marlins system. He was set to enter the 2024 season as the No. 6 prospect in Miami’s system, according to Baseball America. He was also cited by Baseball America as having the “best strike-zone discipline,” being the “fastest baserunner,” the “best defensive infielder” and having the “best infield arm” among Marlins Minor Leaguers. Nuñez was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game as well as an Arizona Fall League Rising Star in 2023.

A switch-hitter, Nuñez led the Southern League and ranked tied for third in all of Double-A with 52 stolen bases and was fourth with 87 walks in 125 games with Double-A Pensacola in 2023. He also ranked among Southern League hitters in runs (T1^st, 84), walks (3^rd, 87) and hits (10^th, 110). Nuñez finished the season batting .224 with 11 doubles, two triples, five homers, 43, RBI, 87 walks, 52 stolen bases and 84 runs scored. He appeared in 95 games at shortstop, 29 games at second base and two games as the designated hitter.

In 2022, Nuñez ranked tied for third in all of Minor League Baseball with 70 stolen bases. He has 155 career stolen bases since the start of the 2019 season, fifth-most all of Minor League Baseball over this span.

Nuñez was rated the best defensive shortstop in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft by MLB.com. He was selected by the Marlins in the second round out of Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia.

The Nationals now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.