Mike Rizzo on selecting eight position players out of first 11 picks

The Nationals selected nine Division I college baseball players out of their first 11 picks in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft.

In that lot, eight were position players, including two catchers. In a rare move for the Nationals, only three of their top 11 selections were pitchers.

But when asked about that development, Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo was not surprised.

"The players that we took certainly fell to us where we felt we were very, very fortunate and comfortable to take," Rizzo said. "Very rarely do we identify a position that we want to draft. It just so happens that these were the best players that we thought were available in each round."

Their fourth selection was left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo. The 6-foot-1, 205 lbs., southpaw underwent successful Tommy John surgery in March. As the Nationals have shown in the past, they are not dissuaded in their selection of pitchers that need the surgery or have just had the procedure.

"He was an extremely highly regarded left-handed starting pitcher before he went underneath Tommy John surgery," Rizzo said. "He was very carefully scouted. We had seen him for years. He's a guy that has now stuff and still has room to improve. The surgery was done by Dr. (James) Andrews, so we trust that it's done well. Our area scout has a great rapport with the family, so we know what type of worker he is.

"Hopefully, as we bring him along with our Tommy John protocol that he can reach the heights that he had reached pre-surgery."

The club selected shortstop Carter Kieboom with their first pick Thursday, at No. 28. Rizzo said the highly regarded infielder will stay at shortstop in the pros.

"We think he stays in the middle of the field," Rizzo confirmed. "He's a slick fielding shortstop that has good range and really, really good hands. He has a good timing mechanism in his head. He really knows the game and great feet and great arm to play the position. We see him playing in the position that has some offensive prowess to him and a guy that has strength, quickness and speed."

Did having Spencer Kieboom, Carter's older brother already with Double-A Harrisburg, make this an obvious choice?

"I think it's more of a coincidence that you have two brothers in the system," Rizzo said. "We did know the family very, very well. We know what we have in Spencer, what type of person he is, what type of worker he is and knowing the Kieboom family, we knew the apple didn't fall far from the tree."

The Nationals covet speed. They certainly admired what former Nats prospect and current Oakland A's outfielder Bully Burns could do on the basepaths. They like what they see from New Mexico State outfielder Daniel Johnson.

"He can fly, I know that," Rizzo said. "He's an 80 runner. He's a guy that played extremely well, WAC Player of the Year, a guy that we've seen in junior college in the past.

"A guy that comes with a really capable speed, defense, athleticism skill set that plays in the middle of the field. He had a great offensive season hitting some home runs over there at New Mexico State. A guy that's really exciting to watch."

The Nationals certainly appreciate Spencer Kieboom as a catcher. They also added Tres Barrera and Joey Harris in the first two days to be catchers in their system.

"We drafted both of those guys as catchers," Rizzo said. "One of the catchers, the catcher from Texas, we think is going to be an extremely versatile offensive player, but we think he can still stay behind the plate. The one from Gonzaga (Harris), we think he can really, really catch and throw right now and if his bat develops, he turns into a guy we think can be an everyday guy."

Those catchers will stay catchers. Rizzo also confirmed that University of Oklahoma's Sheldon Neuse will be a position player at third base, and not a pitcher for the club.

"Right now, third base is his position," Rizzo said. "He's got a plus-plus arm at the position. He's got great feet. He's got great quickness and agility that it takes to play that position defensively. His bat is for real and he's a guy that's had extreme success in a really competent league last year and performed very well this year."

Right-hander Dane Dunning and shortstop Carter Kieboom appear to be players that will sign if they decide to go pro. Rizzo was asked about the possibility of signing risks in these first 11 selections. Dunning is a junior at Florida and Kieboom has a scholarship offer from Clemson.

"They're all risks until you have their name on the dotted line," Rizzo said. "We feel confident. We drafted each guy to sign them, so hopefully that can come to fruition and we can get them all done."