Washington Nationals Upcoming First Overall Pick Assigned Record Slot Value

The Washington Nationals won the lottery to pick first overall in the 2025 MLB draft. Now, the slot value for that top pick has been revealed, and it's a record high.

Jul 22, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo (L) and Nationals first round draft pick outfielder Dylan Crews (R) at an introductory press conference prior to the Nationals' game against the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Back in December, the Washington Nationals caught a major break when they won the lottery for the first overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft.

The Nationals finished with the sixth-worst record in MLB, but got the chance to add another foundational talent to an already stacked young core by getting the coveted selection.

Late Wednesday night, MLB revealed each team's bonus pools along with the slot value for each pick.

The first overall pick comes with a new record slot value of $11,075,900, which is up from the 2024 number of $10,570,600.

Last year, the Cleveland Guardians selected Travis Bazzana with the first overall pick, ultimately agreeing to a signing bonus of $8.95 million.

That's reflective of a strategy that Washington could employ, one in which the team with the top pick conserves its bonus pool money for splashy picks later on in the draft by either convincing the top prospect to sign for under slot value or moving down the board to take a player willing to sign for less.

In 2023, the Pittsburgh Pirates went the other way, selecting pitcher Paul Skenes knowing that he would require a record-breaking signing bonus.

The Nationals have a few intriguing directions they could go with the pick.

One possibility is Ethan Holliday, an Oklahoma prep infielder who is the younger brother of recent Baltimore Orioles first overall pick Jackson Holliday and the son of longtime MLB star Matt Holliday.

Another enticing bat is Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette, who hit 29 homers for the Aggies in 2024 and has already hit another 15 so far this season.

But if Washington looks at its current core of talented young hitters and decides adding a pitcher to its cupboard is the way to go, look out for Florida State left-handed pitcher Jamie Arnold.

Scouts see him as advanced for his age, and he's spent the season with the Seminoles dominating opposing hitters with a 2.40 ERA in a loaded ACC.