WASHINGTON – With their highest pick in the MLB Draft since 2010, the Nationals picked an 18-year-old. Elijah Green Fifth in general on Sunday evening.

Green, ranked No. 3 in the MLB.com draft, earned .462 with a 1.592 OPS, nine home runs, 32 RBIs and 40 points in 25 games in his first season at the IMG Academy in Florida.

“When you get that kind of people and the skill set that we’ve got, we’re thrilled,” said Assistant General Manager Citizens and Vice President of Exploration Operations, Chris Klein. “This guy could be an influential star.”

Green may have the best cap of any prospect in this year’s draft. Despite his age, Green, the son of former NFL Pro Bowler Eric Green, is 6 feet 3 and 225 pounds, with strength and speed to match his large physique. Green’s selection made him the first son of a former NFL player to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft.

“This has always been one of my life goals,” Green said on the Zoom call. “To be called up by the citizens of Washington is really a blessing. I’m going there, working hard and hoping to bring the championship back to Washington.”

Besides flaunting the power of skyscrapers, Green also proved capable of driving the ball into all areas. MLB Pipeline rated it at 50 strokes and 60 power on the traditional 20-80 scout scale.

With a profile like that, it’s no surprise which players Green looks up to.

“Whenever I watched a Yankees game with Aaron Judge or a game with Mike Trout, I would watch it closely,” Green previously told MLB.com’s Mark Finsand. “They play in the same position as me, we are all big, strong players who can do everything in baseball, so I kind of designed my game after.”

However, Green is not just a crime. Rated at 70 speed by MLB Pipeline, it was recorded running a 5.99-second laser timed 60-yard dash at IMG. That speed should also help him on the field, where he envisions as a next-level central player despite his larger chassis.

“He’s strong,” said assistant director of Amateur Scouting Mark Baca. “When you see him up close, you wouldn’t think he could run as well as he could. … Size, strength, speed – he has a chance to do so much in this game.”

Even if Green ended up moving on to become a cornerback later in his career (arm-rated 60), he was already recorded shooting 95 mph off the field.

“Elijah has a chance to be a five-pack at the Major League level,” Klein said. “When I say five tools, I mean five tools that are above average at the big league level.”

Now an essential part of the citizens’ future, Greene is familiar with their history as well. Their highest pick since then Bryce Harper 12 years ago, he noticed that star-turned prospects developed in the Washington system.

“Just [track record] They have potential prospects like Bryce Harper, Tria Turner, Juan Soto, it just shows that they know what they’re doing with their players,” he said.

Green will have company on his trip to the major tournaments. He already knows the Nationals’ No. 2 potential customer – and first pick of 2021 – Brady House And number 26 is a possibility T.J. White.

“They’ve been doing it for a year now, so I feel like I can always go to them for anything and it will be relaxing,” he said.

vice versa. Nats praised Green for his maturity, work ethic, professionalism, and camaraderie.

“My leadership, men will gravitate towards me,” he said. “I will always bring joy to the field, and I will always play with a smile on my face. Because it’s baseball, and it’s supposed to be fun. Just having fun there will really take us back to winning the championship.”

The Nationals had two picks on the first day of the draft, and they chose the left hand Jake Bennett from the University of Oklahoma at No. 45. The 6-foot-6, 234-pound 21-year-old Bennett was ranked No. 68 by MLB Pipeline. In 2022 (the sophomore season), he went 10-4 with a 3.69 ERA in 20 games (19 starts). Bennett had an overall exploratory score of 50 (fastball 50, slider 50, change 60, control 55), and Nats referred to “repeatable delivery.”

“His fast ball is up to 96 [mph]”He’s going to live around 93, the good life in the area,” Klein said. “Change is his calling card. He’s got a major mid-to-hard league slider that he needs to keep developing. There are times when it’s really good, but he needs to learn how to stick with each one.”

Bennett is no stranger to the organization, Washington previously picked him up in the 39th round in 2019. He chose to go to college, where he was a teammate with two 2020 Nationals picks, right hand Kid Cavalli And fisherman Brady Lindsey. He also attended Bixby High School with Cavalli, a No. 1 prospect in the NATS.

“He was someone I’ve always looked up to, someone who kind of showed me the ropes,” Bennett said of Cavalli. “I’m so excited to be able to look at him again because I’m back through pro football.”

Citizens earned a total bounty total this year of $11,007,900. The value of the 5th choice bonus slot is $6,494,300.