Nationals select right-hander Mason Denaburg

The Washington Nationals selected prep right-handed pitcher Mason Denaburg with the No. 27 selection in the 2018 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.

Denaburg, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-hander, went 5-1 with a 1.27 ERA (5 ER/35.1 IP) in eight starts during his senior season at Merritt Island (Fla.) High School. He struck out 73 batters while walking just 10.

"We are very excited to select Mason with our first pick of the 2018 Draft," Kline said. "He is a strong, athletic kid with very clean arm action and three Major League quality pitches. He's a competitive, two-sport athlete who we saw a lot throughout his high school career."

Considered by some as the most athletic and hardest-throwing high school right-hander, Denaburg entered the 2018 First-Year Player draft rated by Baseball America as the No. 22 draft prospect and by MLB.com as the No. 24 draft prospect. He is ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 11 overall high school prospect, the fourth-best high school right-handed pitching prospect and the third-best high school prospect in the talent-rich state of Florida.

An accomplished catcher and outfielder, Denaburg hit .410 (34-for-83) with eight doubles, three triples, five home runs, 21 RBI, 10 stolen bases and 33 runs scored in 28 games during his senior season.

Prior to the season, he was named a Rawlings/Perfect Game First-Team All-American and in the fall of 2017, he helped the USA Baseball 18U National Team bring home the gold medal at the World Cup. In the summer of 2017, he participated in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game at Wrigley Field.