The Washington Nationals have locked in 18 of their 20 selections from the 2026 First-Year Player Draft, adding a mix of college talent, high school prospects and eight non-drafted free agents.
Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni and Assistant General Manager, Acquisitions Justin Horowitz announced the signings.
Among the players now under contract are first-round pick Chris Hacopian, a second baseman from Texas A&M University, and second-rounder Chase Brunson, an outfielder from Texas Christian University. The group also includes Luke Williams, a shortstop from Franklin Sr. Regional High School in Pennsylvania; Cooper Harris, a right-hander from Flower Mound High School in Texas; and Daniel Cuvet, a third baseman from the University of Miami.
The Nationals also signed Cooper Allen of UNC-Wilmington, Gage Peterson of Appalachian State, Max Hansmann of Evansville, Cashel Dugger of UCLA, Nick Williams of Michigan State, Weston Moss of Texas A&M, Matthew Dallas of Wake Forest, Cody Howard of Texas, Zack Konstantinovsky of Rutgers, Francisco Rivero of Canyon del Oro High School in Arizona, Avery Ortiz of Oklahoma State, Jack Brooks of Oregon and Anson Seibert of Johnson County Community College.
The two unsigned draft picks are Anthony Murphy, an outfielder from Corona High School in California, and Isaiah Galason, a shortstop from Houston County High School in Georgia.
The Nationals’ non-drafted free-agent additions are Cooper Carlgren of Lamar University, Ciaran Caughey of Kent State, Kaleb Kantola of Lipscomb, Trevor Moore of Stanford, Anthony Neubeck of Indiana, Tyler Papenbrock of Louisiana, Bennett Roemer of North Greenville and Miles Smith of Kansas State.
In Other News...
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Jake Irvins rehab outing at FNB Field was a welcome sight for the Nationals organization, as he worked 4.2 scoreless innings and struck out five while showing the kind of sharpness Washington will be watching closely. Ethan Petry provided the loudest offensive jolt, going 4-for-4 with five RBIs in a breakout performance that included a three-run homer, giving Harrisburg a much-needed lift as the club keeps trying to build something more sustainable. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Turn To Unusual New Fix As Pitching Questions Grow
As the Nationals try to steady a pitching staff that has raised more questions than answers, they have turned to a less common in-game adjustment: calling some pitches from the dugout. The idea is simple enough. Coaches lean on data to suggest a pitch, the catcher relays it through the communication system, and the battery can spend less energy on the constant back-and-forth of pitch selection.
The move has been used only selectively so far, which makes it more of a trial than a full-scale change. Even so, it says a lot about where the Nationals are right now, looking for any edge that might help pitchers and catchers simplify the job in the middle of a season still searching for cleaner answers. [Read more 🡒]
