The Washington Nationals used Day 1 of the MLB Draft to add to their collection of talent in their farm system, choosing high school infielder Carter Kieboom, college pitcher Dane Dunning and college infielder Sheldon Neuse.  The Nationals forfeited their original 1^st round pick as compensation for signing Daniel Murphy, but received picks in return for the losses of Ian Desmond and Jordan Zimmermann.  This left Washington picking number #28, #29 and #58 on Thursday evening.

Carter Kieboom, the younger brother of fellow Nationals prospect Spencer Kieboom and University of Georgia’s Trevor Kieboom, is the top prospect in this baseball family as a middle infielder with an impressive bat.  At the plate Kieboom shows a patient, mature approach with some natural feel for the barrel.  There is explosiveness in his body and some natural loft in his swing, giving him a chance to hit for both average and some power.  Defensively Kieboom has improved enough this spring to give scouts the opinion he could stay at shortstop and will certainly stay on the left side of the infield.  He has a quick first step and solid agility, plus excellent instincts, allowing him to profile at shortstop.  If he reaches his ceiling, I had a scout put a “Mike Bordick comparison” on Kieboom.

With their 2^nd 1^st round selection, 29^th overall, the Nationals selected University of Florida right-handed pitcher Dane Dunning.  Due to the depth of the Florida pitching staff, Dunning has spent most of his time with the Gators starting during the midweek and pitching in relief on the weekend.  The 6-3 200lbs Dunning has an ideal pitcher’s frame with some projection remaining, especially in his lower half.  He has a relatively clean and simple delivery, which he repeats well.  He possesses a 3-pitch repertoire, featuring a 91-95mph fastball with extreme arm-side movement, a slider and a changeup.  He has shown a feel for both off-speed offerings, though the changeup seems more advanced than the slider.  In the past Dunning has struggled with his command and control of the strike zone, but this season he made major advances in this area, halving his walk rate as a junior.  He pitches off his fastball, an easy plus pitch, but will need to develop his changeup and slider if he wants to be a long-term starter.

In Round 2, 58^th overall, Washington selected University of Oklahoma shortstop and right-handed pitcher Sheldon Neuse.  One of the top two-way players in college baseball, Neuse destroyed college baseball this year with a .369/.465/.646 batting line with 10 home runs and 16 doubles, while also posting a 1.40 ERA and 5 saves in 14 appearances on the mound.  But Neuse will begin his career as a hitter, where he shows a mature approach at the plate and the ability to get on-base.  His swing can get long at times, but there is some bat speed and barrel awareness to Neuse’s game, allowing one to dream on him developing an average hit tool and average power.  Defensively he will likely move off shortstop, as his below-average speed and athleticism are subpar for the position.  However, he has a strong arm and profiles well at third base.  There are some rough edges to his game, but Neuse has a chance to develop into a league average regular at the hot corner, with the backup plan of moving him to the mound if he fails to hit.

On Day 1 of the MLB Draft, the Nationals did a nice job of adding to their inventory of talent, drafting two players from major college programs and a high school player well-known on the showcase circuit.  I have watched both Kieboom and Dunning extensively – they were both solid value picks late in Round 1 and could have been selected several slots earlier.  Personally I had Louisville catcher Will Smith and Mississippi State RHP Dakota Hudson ranked ahead of Kieboom and Dunning and would have taken them with those picks, but that is a minor quibble.

Additionally I like the Neuse pick in Round 2, although he does not seem like the typical Day 1 Mike Rizzo pick, being that he is not an elite athlete and does not possess a high ceiling.  I might have preferred Washington gamble on Vanderbilt OF Bryan Reynolds or Ohio State OF Ronnie Lawson, but Neuse was a solid value at #58.

In conclusion Washington made three quality, shrewd selections on the first day of the MLB Draft.  While I might have preferred other picks as mentioned at each slot, it is difficult to argue with the job the Nationals’ organization did Thursday night.

NatsGM Overall Grade ->  Solid B

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Round 3 – Kyle Funkhouser RHP University of Louisville

Round 4 – Garrett Hampson SS Long Beach State

Round 5 – Devin Smeltzer LHP San Jacinto JC

Round 6 – Connor Jones LHP University of Georgia

Round 7 – Mitchell Jordan RHP Stetson University

Round 8 – Vincent Jackson OF University of Tennessee

Round 9 – Boomer White 3B Texas A&M

Round 10 – Curtiss Pomeroy RHP Georgetown University