The top Nats Draft pick from every season

Take a look back at the Nationals’ top selections, beginning in ‘05 with the relocation to Washington.

2024: Seaver King, INF/OF, Wake Forest (No. 10)

King advanced from Division II Wingate to Wake Forest to the top 10 of the Major League Draft. Defensively versatile, King is most comfortable at shortstop, where the Nationals were wowed by his play. He hit .308 with 16 home runs, 64 RBIs and a .954 OPS in 60 games in the 2024 collegiate season.

2023: Dylan Crews, OF, LSU (No. 2)

The Nationals selected Crews just weeks after he won the 2023 Golden Spikes Award -- given annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States -- and the College World Series. Revered as a five-tool standout, Crews, 21, slashed a staggering .426/.567/.713 with 18 home runs, 71 walks and only 46 strikeouts in 71 games his junior season.

2022: Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy (Fla.) (No. 5)

Green, an 18-year-old five-tool standout, was ranked as the No. 3 Draft prospect by MLB Pipeline. The son of two-time NFL Pro Bowler Eric Green, he batted .462 with nine homers, 32 RBIs, 40 runs scored and a 1.592 OPS his senior year.

2021: Brady House, SS, Winder (Ga.) Barrow HS (No. 11)

House was ranked as the fifth-best high-school prospect -- and No. 8 overall prospect -- in the 2021 Draft, according to MLB Pipeline. The Nationals were impressed by all the boxes he checked for them, which included size, speed and bat speed.

2020: Cade Cavalli, RHP, University of Oklahoma (No. 22)

Cavalli pitched three seasons at Oklahoma. He went 8-7 with a 4.09 ERA and 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 27 games (18 starts).

? All-time Draft picks

2019: Jackson Rutledge, RHP, San Jacinto College (No. 17)

Rutledge transferred from Arkansas to San Jacinto Junior College in Texas. He was 9-2 with a 0.87 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 13 starts at San Jacinto.

2018: Mason Denaburg, RHP, Merritt Island (Fla.) HS (No. 27)

As a senior in high school, Denaburg was 5-1 with a 1.27 ERA while recording 73 strikeouts to 10 walks in eight starts. He was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 24 Draft prospect.

2017: Seth Romero, LHP, University of Houston (No. 25)

Romero was considered as one of the top southpaws in the 2017 Draft. In his final season at Houston, he was 4-5 with a 3.51 ERA and 85 strikeouts over 48 2/3 innings in 10 games (seven starts).

2016: Carter Kieboom, INF, Walton (Ga.) HS (No. 28)

Kieboom was one of the top hitters in the Draft, and he had signed a letter of intent to play college baseball at Clemson. He was selected by the Nationals four years after his brother Spencer, a catcher, was drafted, as well.

2015: Andrew Stevenson, OF, LSU (No. 58)

The Nationals surrendered the 27th overall pick to sign ... Max Scherzer. It's fair to say that worked out well for the club. Washington's first pick that year was Stevenson, who batted .311 at LSU.

2014: Erick Fedde, RHP, University of Las Vegas (No. 18)

Fedde first was selected in the 24th round of the 2011 Draft by the Padres. After going 21-10 with a 3.18 ERA in his college career, the Nationals chose him 23 rounds earlier in ‘14.

2013: Jake Johansen, RHP, Dallas Baptist University (No. 68)

After losing their first-round pick to the Yankees after they signed free-agent closer Rafael Soriano, the Nationals selected Johansen in the second round. Johansen was 10-7 with a 6.01 ERA in three seasons in college.

2012: Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) HS (No. 16)

Giolito was the Nationals' first first-overall pick outside of the top 10 in several years. He was projected to go higher in the Draft if not for undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2012.

2011: Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice University (No. 6)

Rendon was a 2011 semifinalist for the Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award. He hit .327 with a .523 slugging percentage in his final season at Rice.

2010: Bryce Harper, RF, College of Southern Nevada (No. 1)

Harper was the Nationals’ second No. 1 pick in as many years. As the youngest player in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, Harper posted a .526 OBP, .987 slugging percentage and 1.513 OPS in 2010.

2009: Stephen Strasburg, RHP, San Diego State University (No. 1)

Strasburg became the Nats’ first ever No. 1 overall pick. In college, he was consensus first-team All-America (2008, ‘09), the 2009 National Pitcher of the Year and Mountain West Pitcher of the Year. While a junior in college, Strasburg was the only college player on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.

2008: Aaron Crow, RHP, University of Missouri (No. 9)

As a junior in 2008, Crow won the Roger Clemens Award for baseball’s top college pitcher and was named first team All-American. He went 13-0 with a 2.35 ERA that season, which included a 43-inning scoreless streak.

2007: Ross Detwiler, LHP, Missouri State University (No. 6)

Detwiler was the first pitcher selected as the Nationals’ first overall pick in team history (2005-present).

2006: Chris Marrero, OF, Monsignor Edward Pace (Fla.) HS (No. 15)

Marrero was the first high school player selected as the Nationals’ first overall pick in team history (2005-present).

2005: Ryan Zimmerman, INF, University of Virginia (No. 4)

Zimmerman was the Nationals’ first ever Draft pick in team history. He was a three-year starting shortstop at Virginia, and he set the school record twice for hits in a season. In college, he tallied 250 hits, 140 RBIs, 128 runs, 47 doubles, seven triples and nine homers.