Nationals win 2025 Draft lottery

Despite finishing the 2024 season 71-91, the fourth-worst record in baseball, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of the Nationals. It is clear that Washinton is facing a rebuild, though.

The Nats received some bonus news on that front on Tuesday. MLB held the third-annual draft lottery during this week’s Winter Meetings, with Washington winning the first overall selection in the 2025 Draft. The team had just a 10.20% chance of winning.

MLB instituted the draft lottery in the latest collective bargaining agreement to de-incentivize teams from losing games at the end of the season. The lottery gives all non-playoff teams a chance at one of the first six selections in the following draft. The league does prevent teams from winning a lottery selection more than two years in a row.

Only the Marlins, Rockies, and Angels had better odds than Washington. Both the White Sox and A’s, despite poorer overall records, were ineligible to receive a pick this year.

The lottery results only impact the first round of the draft, with all following rounds determined by reverse order of last year’s standings. Chicago, despite having the worst record in MLB history last year, won’t pick until 10th in the first round but will make the first selection in Rounds 2-20.

The 2025 Draft is scheduled for July 14-16.

Plenty will change between now and then, but early scouting lists and mock drafts typically have two names at the top: Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette and Oklahoma high school infielder Ethan Holliday.

LaViolette has only raised his stock in three years on campus and might have been selected in the first round last year had he elected not to return to school for his senior season. The lefty power-hitter likely profiles as a corner outfielder down the road, but impressed in center field last season for an A&M team making a run to the College World Series without one of the best players (Braden Montgomery).

Holliday is the younger brother to Baltimore’s Jackson. The duo’s father, Matt Holliday, was a seven-time All-Star over his 15-year career. Scouting reports seem to favor Ethan’s ability to stick at third base long-term and think he shows more power potential than his brother.

One of the two — or any number of other potential candidates who could step forward between now and July — might be a Nationals before too long.