With the 2026 MLB Draft approaching on July 11, the Washington Nationals' pick appears likely to focus on two-way prep standout Jared Grindlinger, despite him being a potential reach. While top prospects like Roch Cholowsky and Grady Emerson are expected to be gone, Grindlinger's high-upside and split evaluator opinions on his future position-outfielder or pitcher-make him a compelling long-term project for the team.
There is still time for boards to get finalized ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft that gets underway on July 11. And for the Washington Nationals,Everything makes it seem like this is a top-heavy class.
UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky and prep shortstop Grady Emerson appear to be the two best players, with Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey coming in third. UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora looks likeNone of that pertains to the Nationals, though. Those players will be long gone by the time they select, which means Washington's pick will be impacted by what the teams ahead of them decide to do.
Because of that, it's been hard to project exactly who Paul Toboni and his front office are targeting, although one name hashas the Nationals taking two-way prep star Jared Grindlinger at No. 11 in his latest mock draft. He has consistently been linked to Washington, and the latest bit of information from Callis suggests that's who the team could take in the first round.
"Other teams believe the Nationals are the strongest possibility to pop Grindlinger in the top 20 selections," he shared. Rolling the dice on high-upside youngsters is something Toboni was part of when he was with the Boston Red Sox. That mentalityThat selection would probably be seen as a reach, though.
MLB Pipeline has Grindlinger at No. 18 on their big board, and since he's 17 years old, this would be a long-term project for the Nationals that creates the possibility that he might not live up to his first-round billing. However, the two-way allure is strong when it comes to Grindlinger. And it seems like evaluators are split when it comes to what position he's going to play as a professional.
There are evaluators out there that believe he's going to focus on becoming a full-time outfielder, while others think his best route would be to concentrate on just pitching. Both options present a possible pathway to the majors, so it will be interesting to see how Washington views him. When it comes to Grindlinger's pitching profile, there's a lot to like.
At 6-foot-3, he has reached the mid-90 mph range on his fastball at the age of 17, and he usually sits in the low-90s. He pairs that with a changeup as his primary secondary pitch, while he's been playing around with both a slider and a sweeper.says that scouts believe there is room for power to emerge at some point, but considering his wiry build at 190 pounds, the hope is that tool will be developed when he gets older.
If this is who the Nationals have circled at pick No. 11, that would certainly give them another high-upside prospect. And while there is risk involved with taking Grindlinger at pick No. 11, getting the youngster into their pipeline as a 17-year-old could help him reach his ceiling. Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism.
While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network.
He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai
Please follow us on Google to support usMLB Draft Washington Nationals Jared Grindlinger Two-Way Player 2026 MLB Draft
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mystery Still Surrounds the Top of the 2026 NBA DraftAll season long, the 2026 NBA Draft class has been heralded as a three-man race, with all of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer offering No. 1-leve
Read more »
Rockets Could use 2026 NBA Draft as Insurance for Next SeasonHaving seen a rather disappointing season that ended in a first-round exit, the Houston Rockets now look to a pivotal offseason. The Rockets will undoubtedly un
Read more »
Atlanta Hawks 2026 NBA Draft Profile - Illinois Guard Keaton WaglerThis season, the Atlanta Hawks had one of the more back-and-forth starts until the second half, where they found themselves making a blockbuster trade and going
Read more »
2026 NBA Mock Draft: OKC Thunder Bolster Frontcourt in First RoundA recent 2026 NBA mock draft saw Oklahoma City add two big men in the top 20 selections.
Read more »