{"id":7109,"date":"2026-07-12T08:34:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T08:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=7109"},"modified":"2026-07-12T08:34:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T08:34:25","slug":"nationals-select-second-baseman-chris-hacopian-in-mlb-draft-first-round","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=7109","title":{"rendered":"Nationals select second baseman Chris Hacopian in MLB draft first round"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Maryland native headlined four Washington picks on the first day of the draft.<\/strong><\/p>

Read more Same old story: Nationals blow a lead, fall to Yankees<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
Chris Hacopian hit .319 with a .405 on-base percentage in his sole season at Texas A&M. (Garett Fisbeck\/AP)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

During a Washington Nationals road series in June, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni sat in the dugout of his previous employer, the Boston Red Sox, speaking of \u201cdevelopment.\u201d Up in New England, stars were drafted, not signed. But when he ventured down the coast last fall, the term was largely foreign to D.C. ears. The Nationals\u2019 minor league system had struggled to generate a consistent flow of talent for several years, which was the primary culprit for the club\u2019s struggles after its 2019 World Series victory.<\/p>\n

Change needed to be swift. Thus, a week ago, Toboni and assistant general manager Justin Horowitz welcomed a local prospect to Nationals Park \u2014 and showed him a hefty PowerPoint presentation, weaving through what Washington\u2019s player development department thought he did well and, acutely, what he didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

The slideshow \u201cfired me up,\u201d Chris Hacopian said. As it turns out, the same went for Toboni. In Washington\u2019s first draft for a reshaped front office, which has become known for its emphasis on player development and amateur scouting, the Nationals selected the Texas A&M second baseman with the No. 11 pick Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing that really stood out with them was just their development plan for me,\u201d Hacopian emphasized. The Nationals were captivated by the way Hacopian responded, and they noted that he was one of only a few candidates for their selection. \u201cHe was super honest and very straightforward about what he thinks he\u2019s really good at and what he thinks he can improve,\u201d Horowitz said.<\/p>\n

Hacopian is known for his plate discipline, ranking among the best in this class across most hitting metrics, especially exit velocity and hitting percentage. Most striking: This spring, he whiffed on pitches in the zone less than 10 percent of the time.<\/p>\n

In 42 games with the Aggies, Hacopian hit .319 with a .405 on-base percentage. The righty has some power upside \u2014 his 11 home runs back that up \u2014 though he was shakier at the plate, especially in generating loft, while dealing with back issues for part of this year.<\/p>\n

While the injury played a role in Hacopian\u2019s switch from shortstop to second base \u2014 with some days as designated hitter \u2014 his defense remains a question mark. He isn\u2019t noticeably quick, limiting his lateral range, which he said the Nationals emphasized needed improvement. He may end up in a corner outfield spot in the majors. \u201cI\u2019m excited to play wherever they see fit,\u201d he said. \u201cI just want to become the best player possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

For some Nationals fans, Hacopian may be a familiar face. Before transferring to College Station for his junior season, he played two years at Maryland alongside his brother, Eddie. Even more notable: Their father, Derek, is a former Maryland star who was the 1992 ACC player of the year.<\/p>\n

Chris Hacopian grew up a stone\u2019s throw from D.C., playing at Winston Churchill High School while living in Rockville, Maryland. He was even a 2022 All-Met selection<\/a> as a junior.<\/p>\n

So Hacopian watched the draft from his home just up the road, surrounded by family. He FaceTimed his brother, who is playing for the Frontier League\u2019s Qu\u00e9bec Capitales. \u201cWhen they called my name, it was just an unreal feeling,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to winning another World Series.\u201d For a childhood Nationals fan \u2014 he was only 15 at the time of that last title \u2014 this was a dream.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been to that park countless amounts of times,\u201d Hacopian continued. \u201cBut actually walking through the dugout where the players walk and onto the field, it\u2019s just a different feeling. … That\u2019s exactly where I want to be.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Nationals\u2019 Foster Griffin goes from Japan to the All-Star Game<\/a><\/p>\n

While the trade deadline is the immediate concern \u2014 with the Nationals in the wild-card race \u2014 the team\u2019s reshaped, young front office has placed its confidence in players such as Hacopian for the future. And this was the first true opportunity to shape the depths of its minor league system.<\/p>\n

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Hacopian was a 2022 All-Met with Churchill. (Julia Nikhinson\/For The Washington Post)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Before the draft, Washington\u2019s amateur scouting department produced profiles for the team\u2019s top 200 prospects, outlining how its system would focus on developing them. Throughout the entire process, the Nationals\u2019 player development department \u2014 as robust as ever \u2014 was woven into every decision. While no selection in the MLB draft provides immediate value, Washington\u2019s aim is to lower its rate of straight whiffs.<\/p>\n

To achieve that, the Nationals have trotted out a simple goal: identify and draft players with difficult-to-teach traits. If they can find a guy who excels in one or two areas, they\u2019re confident they can train him to do the rest.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other teams that I met with did not have a presentation as organized as the Nationals did,\u201d he said. Why? Washington\u2019s front office thinks of itself as marketing to the player just as much as the return.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our minds, when you are meeting with all these players at the combine, you put yourself in their shoes,\u201d Toboni said. \u201cI would want to know is: How am I going to get better in this organization versus the 29 other organizations?\u201d<\/p>\n

Specifically, Nationals hitting director CJ Gillman met with Hacopian before the selection to discuss how the team would approach making him pull the ball more. \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to what the guys who are leading that office and that organization are ready to do,\u201d Hacopian said, though Toboni still thinks Washington can fine-tune its draft system: \u201cThe more time you do that, the better you get.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the second round (No. 42), the Nationals selected TCU outfielder Chase Brunson, whose all-around ability makes up for a lack of clear star tools. He\u2019s aggressive at the plate, but he makes solid contact, hitting over .300 in each of his past two college seasons. His primary issue is speed, and he might end up shifting to right field, where his above-average arm strength should serve him well.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was one of the best players in college baseball,\u201d Horowitz said. \u201cAnd he engaged well with us with our player plans, and [he\u2019s] someone we think we can really help develop.\u201d<\/p>\n

To follow, Washington took a flier in the third round (No. 90), selecting shortstop Luke Williams out of Pennsylvania\u2019s Franklin Regional High School. The bet is on sheer athleticism \u2014 Toboni referred to Williams as a \u201ctwitched-up kid.\u201d Some scouts believe the Vanderbilt commit is the fastest prospect in this class, with high defensive upside. He\u2019s expected to sign and begin his professional career.<\/p>\n

A round later (No. 106), the Nationals finished the night with right-hander Cooper Harris from Flower Mound High School in Texas, an unexpected fall to that slot. His fastball tops out at 96, but his feel for four pitches (and relative control) is inspiring, especially given that he turned 18 in June.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ll each add to a revamped farm system, joining prospects like Eli Willits and Miguel Sime Jr., both of whom were selected for the Futures Game. Led by Hacopian, this group makes up another valuable wave in the Nationals\u2019 minor league reload.<\/p>

Read more Conor McGregor suffers early knee injury in return, loses to Max Holloway at UFC 329<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Washington\u2019s first MLB draft for a reshaped front office, the Nationals selected Texas A&M second baseman Chris Hacopian with the No. 11 pick Saturday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nNationals select second baseman Chris Hacopian in MLB draft first round - Moving Insider USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=7109\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nationals select second baseman Chris Hacopian in MLB draft first round - 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