Nationals' Rumored Interest in Jared Grindlinger Could Be Draft Smokescreen

Who are the Washington Nationals going to draft?

Washington Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Decision time for Paul Toboni and the Washington Nationals is coming soon when it comes to who they are going to take with their first-round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.

There have been a lot of names thrown around depending on which route they decide to take. College hitters have been mentioned a ton, but going with a pitcher could also be the direction they take. Multiple mock drafts have also previously had the Nationals drafting two-way prep star Jared Grindlinger, which has fit the previous mold of what Toboni was involved with when he was with the Boston Red Sox.

However, Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline thinks the rumored interest in Grindlinger could be a smokescreen, as he wrote, "We were hearing Grindlinger's name a lot, almost to the point where I feel like I don't want to believe it because it's been mentioned over and over."

Because of that, Mayo has Washington going in a different direction at pick No. 11, as he has them selecting University of Kentucky infielder Tyler Bell.

Nationals Predicted to Draft College Infielder Tyler Bell

University of Kentucky infielder Tyler Bell | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"... I decided to put Bell here. I know that they like him. A lot of teams like him. He was a guy who was playing hurt, but still put up very good numbers in the SEC. And I feel like that matters to a lot of teams," he wrote.

When it comes to the possible selection of Bell, that would be an interesting one based on how many high-end infielders the Nationals already have in their pipeline. It's also notable that Bell hasn't been the only infielder mentioned as a possible draft pick for Washington in the first round, as Texas A&M's Chris Hacopian and Alabam's Justin Lebron have been highlighted as potential selections.

If the Nationals decide to draft Bell, he wouldn't be a bad selection based on his production. At Kentucky this season, he slashed .343/.510/.608 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs across 41 games. He also had nine doubles, a triple, 10 stolen bases and 30 walks drawn compared to 36 K's.

Based on MLB Pipeline's own big board, that selection would be a bit of a reach since they have Bell as their No. 20 overall prospect. However, that could also give Washington the ability to be more aggressive in the later rounds to ensure their picks sign with them, just like what happened in 2025.

Either way, whether it's Grindlinger, Bell or a different prospect, the Nationals will look to add another piece to the puzzle when it comes to their long-term future.