Potomac native Chris Hacopian gets his first taste of Nationals Park as a professional

Perhaps in a few years, Chris Hacopian’s locker will be nestled in the back of the Nationals clubhouse with the rest of the position players, littered with his personal belongings, gloves and other baseball must-haves.

But, on Friday afternoon at Nationals Park, he had to settle for a spot between bullpen coach Grant Anders and lefty reliever Carson Palmquist. His locker was bare, save for workout clothes, his blue Nationals jersey and a red hat. He hardly had a chance to stop there because he was the center of attention.

Hacopian was a frequent visitor to Nationals Park as he grew up 25 minutes from it. He attended Winston Churchill High School in Potomac. But he’d never experienced the stadium quite like he did Friday — as a member of the Nationals organization.

“It’s such a blessing,” Hacopian said. “To grow up a fan, come to this park multiple times as a fan in the crowd. And now, to be a player, parking in the player lot. My family’s under the tunnel. It’s really exciting. I’m really grateful.”

Hacopian, who signed with the Nationals last week, got his first taste of the ballpark with the big league roster present.

For years to come, at bars across the D.C. area, Hacopian will be the answer to the following trivia question: Who was the first draft pick of the Paul Toboni era? Hacopian was taken 11th overall out of Texas A&M after spending the first two seasons of his college career with the University of Maryland.

The Nationals, who want to establish their identity around drafting and development, are hoping the 21-year-old will be the first of many picks they develop into quality big leaguers.

After his selection, Hacopian earned a follow from former second baseman Danny Espinosa on Instagram, “which was sweet,” he said. Howie Kendrick sent him a message telling him he was looking forward to seeing the rest of his career.

“To get a message from a Washington legend like that is really cool,” Hacopian said.

Hacopian is hoping he’ll follow them as talented Nationals middle infielders.

“We had talked a lot about him before the draft in hopes that he was still going to be there with our pick,” manager Blake Butera said. “The fact that he was and the hometown piece definitely helps as well. ... We couldn’t be happier to be able to get him where we got him.”

At the beginning of 2025, the Nationals lacked infield depth in the minor league system — and especially up the middle. Seaver King and Luke Dickerson, both taken in the 2024 draft, were the team’s best middle infield prospects and struggled early in their professional careers.

Now, in the span of a year and change, Washington’s middle infield depth is a strength. Eli Willits, the first overall pick in 2025, has blossomed into one of baseball’s best prospects.

The Nationals acquired Ronny Cruz and Devin Fitz-Gerald via trades; both started red hot in 2026. King has built off a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League with a promising 2026 campaign. Dickerson has hit for more power in his second season.

And now Hacopian is in that mix. He is known for elite bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline, traits Washington seems to covet. Now it’s about making adjustments to his swing.

In the field, there’s a question of where Hacopian will fit. On Friday, he took reps with Nasim Nuñez at second base, which seems like a potential long-term answer.

In the days since he signed, Hacopian has been in West Palm Beach, Florida, at the Nationals facility. He has focused on fundamentals by taking part in practices and meetings every day. He’s also built relationships with teammates at the facility and off the field, too, something he believes is important for a strong culture. What have they done off the field?

“A lot of mini golf,” Hacopian joked.

Hacopian said he never dreamed of playing for the Nationals specifically. As a kid, he just loved playing and knew it was something he wanted to do. By the time he was a high schooler, he knew he had a chance of making it.

But there was no discounting how much being in the stadium he grew up visiting, with around 20 family members and friends in attendance for batting practice and his introductory news conference, meant to him.

“As I got closer to realizing I could become a pro, it wasn’t so much like, ‘Oh, where am I going to go?’” Hacopian said. “It was more like, ‘I want to be the best player possible.’ The fact that it is the Nationals, though, is really cool for myself and my family.”