Washington Nationals Rule 5 Draft Selection Makes Top Prospect List

The player selected by the Washington Nationals in the Rule 5 Draft has already jumped into their list of top prospects.

Mar 12, 2023; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Evan Reifert (86) throws a pitch during the third inning against the New York Mets at Clover Park. | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals were active during the Rule 5 Draft this week as one of 15 teams to make a selection and were fortunate enough to not lose a player during the process.

They came away with right-handed pitcher Evan Reifert, who was previously with the Tampa Bay Rays. He began pitching with them in 2022 after one season with the Milwaukee Brewers, who originally signed him for $20,000 as a nondrafted free agent.

Reifert possesses some real upside, as he has already cracked the Nationals’ Top 30 prospect pipeline after being drafted. MLB Pipeline had him at No. 26.

The one glaring issue that he has is with control. In 2022, he had some real struggles throwing strikes consistently, walking 20 batters in only 37.1 innings. It resulted in him being sent to the Florida complex to work out his issues with command.

He could be described as effectively wild, as he was striking players out at a high rate. Along with the 20 walks, he struck out 62 batters and hit nine. Stepping into the box against him would certainly be an adventure.

During the 2022 Arizona Fall League, Reifert had a coming-out party.

In 11.1 innings of work, he struck out 25 and walked only four, showing improved command. Unfortunately, it didn’t carry over into the 2023 campaign, as he dealt with shoulder inflammation that knocked him out of commission.

But, in 2024, he got back on track with a very strong performance.

Across 41.1 innings, he registered a 1.96 ERA with 65 strikeouts and 16 walks, as he is throwing strikes with more consistency. The Rays didn’t add him to the 40-man roster, which left him open to being selected by Washington.

His go-to pitch is a slider, which devastates hitters with regularity.

“Its sharp vertical drop out of a lower three-quarters delivery befuddles hitters, and they whiffed on 70 percent of their swings against the breaking ball last year. It’s so effective at backfooting that Reifert even throws it plenty against lefties, whom he held to a .117 average in ’24,” as written on his pipeline scouting report.

That pitch alone will give Reifert a chance to stick in the Nationals bullpen throughout the 2025 season. If he can continue honing in his control, high-leverage situations will await him with his wipeout slider leading the way.

With Kyle Finnegan being non-tendered earlier this offseason, there are openings in the team's bullpen that a youngster like Reifert will have a chance to claim a prominent role right away.