Nationals Land Four Intriguing Prospects During Day 1 of 2026 MLB Draft
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The book is closed on the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft for the Washington Nationals, and president of baseball operations Paul Toboni was able to add four intriguing players to his pipeline.
With the No. 11 overall pick in the first round, they took Maryland native Chris Hacopian, who played second base for Texas A&M this past season. And with their three other picks on Day 1, the Nationals selected three different archetypes who will have the opportunity to raise both the ceiling and floor of this farm system going forward.
Here's who they took in the first four rounds of the 2026 MLB Draft.
No. 11 - Chris Hacopian
Because Hacopian is Washington's first-round pick of this draft class, there is going to be a lot of attention on him in the coming days, and whenever he gets his professional career started.
On paper, the 21-year-old looks like a great fit for the Nationals. While he's solely played infield during his collegiate career, there's a chance he could be moved into the outfield. But defense wasn't the reason he was drafted, as Hacopian is one of the best hitters in this class based on what he did for Maryland, and later Texas A&M, with a career slash line of .339/.449/.604, 40 home runs, 32 doubles, one triple, 144 RBIs and 95 walks drawn compared to 66 strikeouts.
If Hacopian is able to translate his hit tool to the professional ranks, then he could climb up the pipeline quickly and push for his major league debut in the coming years.
No. 42 - Chase Brunson
With their second-round pick, the Nationals took TCU outfielder Chase Brunson.
Leading up to the draft, Washington had been connected to another TCU outfielder with their first-round pick; Sawyer Strosnider. But they went in a different direction when they took Hacopian, and Toboni and company addressed outfield by taking Brunson at No. 42 overall.
Brunson, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound center fielder, was previously selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 18th round of the 2023 draft. But he decided to enroll at TCU, where he improved his draft stock by showcasing a solid ability to hit and field. Across his three seasons with the Horned Frogs, where he was an immediate starter in center, Brunson slashed .304/.415/.517 with 26 home runs, 32 doubles and 122 RBIs. He struck out 103 times in 151 games, but he also drew 79 walks.
MLB Pipeline has his hit and power tools graded at 50 on the 20-80 scale. They are a bit higher on his defense, with them giving his fielding ability and arm a grade of 55. It appears like Brunson is a true outfielder, so the Nationals were able to add to that position with their second-round pick.
No. 78 - Luke Williams
Washington dipped back into the prep ranks with their third-round pick, as they drafted high school shortstop Luke Williams out of Franklin Regional High School in Pennsylvania.
The 18-year-old is committed to play at Vanderbilt, so it will be interesting to see if the Nationals can convince him to sign with them instead of enrolling in college. If they do, then they'll have yet another exciting infield prospect in their pipeline.
Williams is a burner. MLB Pipeline has given his speed tool a grade of 70, with some evaluators reportedly giving him a maximum value of 80. That alone is intriguing, but he also is an unrefined prospect who has showcased some raw power with the elite bat speed he possesses. The rawness of his game makes his ability to stick at shortstop a question mark, but he has a huge arm and has the athleticism to cover plenty of ground.
No. 106 - Cooper Harris
Washington stayed in the prep ranks for their fourth-round pick when they selected right-handed pitcher Cooper Harris out of Flower Mound High School in Texas.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder is already sitting in the low-to-mid-90s with his fastball, and he pairs that with a slider and curveball. Harris has started to add a changeup to his arsenal, too, which is a plus at this stage of the game.
Like with Williams, the Nationals will have to convince Harris to sign with them since he's committed to play for the University of Texas. It will be interesting to see what the 18-year-old decides to do, but MLB Pipeline believes Harris could climb up the minor league ranks quickly based on his high-end ability.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai