Nationals Grab Pitcher of Future With First Pick in Recent Mock Draft

The Washington Nationals could add another future ace to their young, promising rotation.

Jun 21, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; LSU Tigers starting pitcher Kade Anderson (32) sits in the dugout between the eighth and ninth innings against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Charles Schwab Field. | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals have some exciting young talent in their pitching staff. Obviously, MacKenzie Gore is one of the most exciting young pitchers in baseball and may already be the game's best strikeout artist.

Josiah Gray had a 3.91 ERA at the end of the 2023 season, but made just two starts in 2024 before having Tommy John surgery later that season. He has missed all of 2025 and will likely not pitch until 2026.

In the farm system, the Nationals have two pitching prospects in the Top 100 MiLB Prospects list, with Travis Syroka (No. 55) and Jarlin Susana (No. 59). But those two are still a couple of years away from having a tangible impact at the major league level.

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Washington has the first pick in the upcoming 2025 MLB draft and could have an opportunity to add another pitching prospect to the mix, this one with maybe the highest ceiling of any.

Kade Anderson is a starting pitcher out of LSU who is considered by many to be the best player in this draft. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo put together his most recent mock draft on Friday morning and had the Nationals selecting Anderson with the first pick.

Starting pitcher Kade Anderson 32 on the mound as The LSU Tigers take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in game 1 of the 2025 NCAA Div 1 Super Regional Baseball Championship at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA. Saturday, June 7, 2025. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"With a quick arm and athletic delivery, Anderson provides plenty of strikes," according to MiLB.com. There's still projection remaining in his slender 6-foot-2 frame, and his uptick in stuff this spring could make him a frontline starter. He also comes with a high floor as a lefty with four effective offerings and pitchability."

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Syroka and Susana are both righties, so Anderson would provide some nice contrast to their system.

Anderson has a top-notch fastball and tops out at 97 miles an hour. It may not be the fastest out there, but it has great shapes and moves well within the strike zone. He also has a slider and a changeup that both sit in the mid-80s as his two main secondary pitches. His fastball and changeup both have a 60-grade on the MiLB 20-80 grading scale.

Anderson is a household name, as he helped lead the LSU Tigers to the 2025 College World Series Championship.

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