Nationals agree to terms with RHP Erick Fedde

The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde, the No. 18 overall pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline made the joint announcement. Fedde, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior out of the University of Nevada Las Vegas, is regarded as one of the top collegiate arms in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft and is coming off a season in which he went 8-2 with a 1.76 ERA (15 ER/76.2 IP) and 82 strikeouts in 11 starts for the Rebels. The 21-year-old was named the 2014 Mountain West Pitcher of the Year and to the All-Mountain West First Team after going 6-1 with league-leading 1.60 ERA (10 ER/56.1 IP) in eight starts in conference play. He was also named a Louisville Slugger Second-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and to the midseason Golden Spikes Award watch list. Fedde entered the 2014 season rated as the No. 12 pitching prospect and the No. 17 overall prospect in collegiate baseball, according to Baseball America. As a sophomore, in 2013, Fedde went 7-3 with a 3.92 ERA (42 ER/96.1 IP) in 15 starts. He led the UNLV staff and ranked fourth in the Mountain West with 83 strikeouts, and was named to the Spring Academic All-Mountain West team. Following the season, he was 3-1 with a 2.34 ERA for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He left the league after tossing a league-best 30.2 innings and recording 26 strikeouts, third-most in the league. Fedde joined the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team later in the summer. The right-hander, who underwent "Tommy John" ligament replacement surgery on June 3, 2014, will report to Viera, Fla., to continue this rehab under the Nationals' care. Fedde is a graduate of Las Vegas High School where played alongside Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. He was also an all-state soccer player and helped lead LVHS to a soccer state championship in 2009. He was originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the 24th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, but he did not sign.