Nats select prep hurler Mason Denaburg in first round (updated)

The Nationals went with pitching again in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft, selecting high school right-hander Mason Denaburg from Merritt Island, Fla., with the 27th overall pick.

Denaburg is a multi-sport athlete, having already committed to the University of Florida to play baseball, and projects as a right-hander in the majors. But the 18-year-old has also played as a punter/kicker in football and has shown his power as an outfielder and catcher in baseball.

"We are very excited to select Mason with our first pick of the 2018 draft," said assistant general manager and vice president of scouting operations Kris Kline in a team-issued press release. "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."

The reason Denaburg, listed at 6-foot-4 and 195 lbs., was available with the 27th selection was because he had to be shut down for a good portion of his baseball season due to what was diagnosed as biceps tendinitis.

He returned to play in May, and has a fastball that sits at 93-95 mph when healthy, and touches 97 mph. When healthy, he recorded a whopping 73 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings, with a 5-1 record and a 1.27 ERA.

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

Denaburg was the sixth high school pitcher drafted in the first round and was ranked No. 24 by MLB.com.

Update: The Nationals' next selection was in the second round at No. 65 overall. They selected left-hander Tim Cate out of the University of Connecticut. The 6-foot-1, 186-lb., southpaw has been selected to pitch for USA National Collegiate baseball team for the past two summers.

Photo by Joy S. Absalon