Nationals Land Star Pitcher With First Pick in New MLB Mock Draft

With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft, all eyes will be on the Washington Nationals, who haven’t held that selection since back-to-back years in 2009 and 2010.

That spotlight is heightened by the shocking recent shakeup in which the Nationals fired general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez and named Mike DeBartolo interim GM.

The bold moves in the front office came at an intriguing time with the draft less than a week away, and it will be intriguing to see how that impacts their move at the top of the order.

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The consensus of what they’ll do has centered around the MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 and No. 2 prospects, shortstop Ethan Holliday and lefty pitcher Kade Anderson.

Which high-upside prospect is a better fit for Washington will depend on how closely—or not—the new regime views the team as contenders.

Keith Law with The Athletic (subscription required) released his latest MLB mock draft and projects that the Nats will take Anderson out of LSU, though it’s not seen remotely as a given.

Law reports that the team is evaluating a list of six to seven candidates, with Anderson, Holliday, and shortstop Aiva Arquette being the most probable.

Shortstop Eli Willits, lefties Liam Doyle and Jamie Arnold, and possibly righty Seth Hernandez round out that group.

However, with the recent moves in the front office, Law sees Holliday and Hernandez as less likely picks.

“The change in leadership might just make them more likely to take a college player who’s more likely to yield a quicker return, and fortunately this year there are several such college guys who’d be strong picks here, including Anderson, who didn’t so much help himself with his College World Series performance as underline what he’d already shown,” Law writes.

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In the 2025 campaign, Anderson achieved a record of 12-1 with a 3.18 ERA and 180 strikeouts to 35 walks in 119 innings pitched, leading the Tigers to their eighth College World Series title.

Anderson led the nation with his strikeouts.

In Game 1 of the Men’s College World Series championship finals against Coastal Carolina, Anderson threw a complete shutout, allowing three hits with 10 strikeouts.

The questions to consider include any potential risks associated with a player who underwent Tommy John surgery while still in high school in 2022.

Anderson would be the first pitcher selected at No. 1 overall after having that surgery.

The other question, which might trump any of these concerns, is whether Washington wants a Major League-ready player who could be an immediate contributor.

That seems to be the case in light of the recent front office firings, making Anderson a strong fit.

For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.