The Nationals didn’t waste much time getting their top pick under contract.
Washington agreed to a $5.7 million deal with first-rounder Chris Hacopian, the 11th overall selection out of Texas A&M and Maryland. The number comes in about $430,000 below the $6.13 million slot value attached to the pick, giving the Nats some extra room to maneuver with the rest of their draft class.
That flexibility matters. Washington still has work to do with its third- and fourth-round picks, and high schoolers Luke Williams and Cooper Harris are expected to require slot-level money to pull them away from college commitments. Hacopian’s under-slot deal could help make those signings possible.
This wasn’t a case of the Nationals reaching for a bargain, either. Hacopian was viewed right in that range as a prospect, with Baseball America ranking him 11th on its draft board and MLB Pipeline placing him 14th.
The appeal starts with the bat. Hacopian has a reputation as one of the best pure hitters in the draft, a player who puts the ball in play at a high rate and drives it with authority.
The 21-year-old also shows strong strike-zone judgment, having walked more than he has struck out at every level. If there’s another gear for his offensive game, it may come from learning to elevate that hard contact more consistently.
He isn’t the flashiest athlete in the class, but the hit tool is real and the instincts are too. That combination gives him a chance to stick at second base if the baseball IQ translates the way the Nationals believe it can.
There’s also the hometown angle. Hacopian grew up in the area and was a Nationals fan, and the club posted a video after the signing showing him walking onto the field and taking it all in. He has spent plenty of time in the stands at Nationals Park, and now he’s officially part of the organization he used to root for from those seats.
Washington still has until July 27 to get the rest of its draft business done, though the hope is to have things wrapped up sooner. The focus now shifts to three high schoolers taken in the 15th, 16th and 17th rounds.
At least one of them is expected to sign, and the Nationals are hoping to land two. Catcher Francisco Rivero looks like the easiest of the group to get done.
If the Nats can also bring in one of Anthony Murphy or Isaiah Galason, this draft could take another step forward. Whether the money is there to make that happen remains to be seen, but the next couple of weeks should answer that.
For now, Washington has its first-rounder locked in quickly, and that’s a win. Chris Hacopian is home, and the Nationals already have to like how advanced his bat looks.
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