Two-Way High School Star Linked to Nationals as Possible 2026 Draft Target
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Draft season is starting to heat up with the 2026 iteration two months away. And as the date of the big day gets closer, it should become apparent who the Washington Nationals are going to take.
With their pick being at No. 11, they won't be able to select one of the true game-changing prospects like they did last year when they drafted Eli Willits first overall. Because of that, it's not clear what direction the Nationals are going to take when it comes to their first-round pick.
There are plenty of pitching options they could go with. They've also been linked to a high-upside collegiate bat in multiple mock drafts. But in the most recent one put out by Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline, he has Washington going in a completely different direction.
Nationals Take Jared Grindlinger at Pick No. 11 in Mock Draft
At pick No. 11, Callis has the Nationals selecting two-way high school star Jared Grindlinger of Huntington Beach High School in California. Grindlinger, who is 17 years old and reclassified from the 2027 draft class to the 2026 one, is a left-handed pitcher and left-handed-hitting outfielder.
According to Callis, "teams are starting to zero in on him as a sweet-swinging outfielder," so there's a good chance he won't be a two-way player for long once he turns professional. However, it's not clear how Washington views the youngster. So they might choose to keep him as both a hitter and pitcher during his early years on the farm.
If the Nationals were to select Grindlinger with their first-round pick, that would be considered a major reach since he is listed at No. 49 on MLB Pipeline's big board. It would also be a huge risk for this franchise as they try to add more high-end talent to their farm system. Because of that, it's hard to envision Washington going down this route. However, drafting Grindlinger could also open some things up for them down the road, which might boost the overall talent level of their 2026 class.
Nationals Could Choose Under-Slot Approach Again
Just like current assistant general manager Mike DeBartolo did when he was in charge of the 2025 draft as the interim GM, new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni could choose to use the under-slot approach so they are able to secure more of their 2026 selections.
While they really liked the upside of Willits last year, they also were able to sign him to a contract that was roughly $2.8 million under the usual slot value the No. 1 overall pick gets. That allowed the Nationals to draft more talented players in the later rounds since they had the funds to make sure they signed with the franchise when that time came.
That strategy has worked out for Washington thus far, as there are tons of high-end youngsters in the pipeline. So if they do decide to draft Grindlinger at No. 11 this year, then they might be able to do the same exact thing this time around and add even more upside to their farm system in July.
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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