This Day 1 Nationals Draft Pick Named 'Sleeper to Watch'
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On paper, the Washington Nationals crushed it with their first-round pick.
Not only does infielder Chris Hacopian have an elite hit tool that made him one of the best hitters in the 2026 draft class, but because he was a collegiate player, he also could quickly climb the minor league pipeline if he's able to translate his offensive game to the professional ranks.
However, when looking back at the entirety of the Nationals' haul in this year's draft, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN highlighted a different player as someone this fanbase should keep their eye on, as TCU outfielder Chase Brunson was named the "sleeper to watch."
Chase Brunson Could Develop Into Impactful Everyday Player
"... rosier projections have him as a 55-grade hitter who gets to all of his 55- or 60-grade power while playing a fringe-to-average center field with an above-average arm; that would be an above-average every-day player if it came true," wrote McDaniel.
That would be a huge plus for Washington. Right now, Jacob Young is the team's everyday center fielder. And while he's one of the best defenders in the entire sport with back-to-back Gold Glove finalist honors in 2024 and 2025, he is a well below-average hitter. Even with a career-high in home runs this year -- eight compared to the combined total of five across two full seasons -- Young has an OPS+ figure of 78, which is 22 points below the league average of 100.
It's hard to win big when a center fielder has that little impact at the plate, regardless of his incredible defensive ability. Because of that, the Nationals might need to upgrade at some point, which is why Brunson's addition could be gamechanger for this franchise if he reaches his ceiling.
The past two years at TCU, Brunson hit over .300 with double-digit home runs and 45-plus RBIs in both campaigns. His OPS was higher than .900 in both of those seasons, as well, and he even finished above the 1.000 mark in 2026. That type of offensive production -- combined with a fielding and arm grade of 55, respectively -- is what makes the second-round pick of Washington's class an interesting prospect to monitor going forward.
And because he is entering the Nationals' farm system as a 21-year-old who spent three seasons playing college baseball, he could also have a quick rise up the pipeline and find himself pushing for a spot in the bigs in the next couple of years.
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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