Nationals select eight players on second day of draft

The Washington Nationals selected eight players on the second day of Major League Baseball’s 2022 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 third baseman Trey Lipscomb from the University of Tennessee. Lipscomb hit .355 as a senior in 2022 while leading the Southeastern Conference and ranking fifth nationally with 80 RBI. He ranked in the top five in the conference in slugging percentage (2^nd, .717), total bases (2^nd, 180), home runs (4^th, 22) and runs scored (4^th, 68) en route to being named First-Team All-SEC.

In 2022, Lipscomb was a First-Team NCBWA All-American, Second-Team ABCA All-American, Second-Team Baseball America All-American, Second-Team Collegiate Baseball All-American, Third-Team D1Baseball.com All-American and a Third-Team Perfect Game All-American. He was also a Dick Howser Trophy finalist and Golden Spikes Award semi-finalist.

In the fourth round, Washington selected outfielder Brenner Cox from Rock Hill High School in Frisco, Texas. Cox hit .288 with eight doubles, three triples, four home runs, 19 RBI, 31 walks, 30 strikeouts, 26 stolen bases and 29 runs scored during his senior season at Rock Hill. He was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 2 prep outfielder in the state of Texas. Following the 2021 season, Cox was named Texas All-State and a Second-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.

With their fifth-round pick, the Nationals selected outfielder Jared McKenzie from Baylor University where is he the school’s all-time leader in batting average (.389). In 2022, McKenzie was second in the Big 12 with a .383 batting average, 82 hits and 62 runs scored. He hit 10 home runs, 44 RBI, 14 doubles and four triples. McKenzie led Baylor with 134 total bases, a .626 slugging percentage and a .453 on-base percentage. He also produced 30 multi-hit games, tied for second all-time for a Baylor player in a single season.

Washington selected shortstop Nathaniel Ochoa Leyva from Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School in Ontario, Canada. In 2022, he hit .421 with four doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI. He posted a .558 on-base percentage and walked 13 times while striking out just five times. He was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 1 prep shortstop in the province of Ontario and was a member of the 2021 Canadian Junior National Team.

Ochoa Leyva participated in the 2022 MLB Draft League where hit .224 with three doubles, seven RBI, and stole two bases for the Trenton Thunder.

In the seventh round, the Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Riley Cornelio from Texas Christian University. In 2022, he was 4-5 with a 4.68 ERA in 15 starts for the Horned Frogs. He struck out 77 in 70.0 innings and limited opponents to 63 hits.

With their eighth-round pick, the Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Chance Huff from Georgia Tech. As a junior in 2022, Huff was 5-4 with a 6.98 ERA in 16 games, 15 starts. He struck out 74 in 68.1 innings.

Washington selected catcher Maxwell Romero Jr. from the University of Miami in the ninth round. Romero hit .272 with 15 doubles, 12 home runs and 54 RBI in 59 games in 2022.

In the 10^th round, the Nationals selected third baseman Murphy Stehly from the University of Texas. As a redshirt senior in 2022, he hit .367 with 23 doubles, a triple, 19 home runs and 61 RBI on his way to being named First-Team All-Big 12 and Second-Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball.

Over the first two days of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, the Nationals selected 10 players: two right-handed pitchers, one left-handed pitcher, three outfielders and three infielders. Of Washington’s 10 selections, seven came from four-year universities and three from the high school ranks.

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

1                 5                Elijah Green               OF             R/R           6-3            225           12/3/03     IMG Academy (FL)                             Alex Morales

2                45              Jake Bennett             LHP           L/L            6-6            234            12/2/00                  University of Oklahoma             Cody Staab                                 

3                84              Trey Lipscomb           3B              R/R           6-1             200           6/14/00                  University of Tennessee             Brian Cleary

4                111              Brenner Cox              OF             L/R            6-3            195            5/11/04     Rock Hill HS (TX)                                  Cody Staab

5                142            Jared McKenzie         OF             L/L            6-0            180            5/16/01     Baylor University                  Cody Staab               

6                171              Nathaniel Ochoa LeyvaSS            R/R           6-4            215            5/15/03    Notre Dame Catholic SS (ON)              Scott Ramsay

7                201            Riley Cornelio            RHP          R/R           6-3            195            6/6/00     Texas Christian University  Cody Staab

8                231             Chance Huff               RHP          R/R           6-4            220           4/19/00    Georgia Tech                            Tommy Jackson

9                261            Maxwell Romero Jr. C                R/R           6-1             218            4/29/01                  University of Miami                    Alex Morales

10              291            Murphy Stehly           3B              R/R           5-10          205           9/27/98                  University of Texas                     Kevin Ham