The Nationals selected infielder Chris Hacopian with the No. 11 pick in the MLB draft Saturday.

Hacopian is a Maryland native and played with his brother, Eddie, for two years at the University of Maryland before transferring to Texas A&M for his junior season. He recorded 11 homers and posted a .319 batting average this season.

MLB Pipeline said Hacopian has an advanced feel at the plate and control of the strike zone. The concerns with him are defensive. His lack of arm strength necessitated a move from third base. He also does not move well laterally, so if he stays in the infield it’ll likely be at second base.

Hacopian has the distinction of being the first pick of the Paul Toboni regime. At his introductory news conference, Toboni said he wanted to create a “scouting and player development monster,” and this first draft will set the tone in that regard. The last time the Nationals picked No. 11 was 2021, when they selected third baseman Brady House.

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The Nationals’ farm system has made strides since the midpoint of 2025, when MLB Pipeline ranked it 23rd among 30 major league teams. At the start of the season, the system had risen to 17th.

Since the season began, the organization has seen less heralded prospects such as infielder Devin Fitz-Gerald, shortstop Ronny Cruz and outfielder Gavin Fien make significant jumps in production. Seaver King, a first-rounder in 2024, has cut down on his chase rate, showcasing more in-game power than he has in past years.

They also have one of the top prospects in the game in last year’s No. 1 overall pick, shorstop Eli Willits. In June, the Nationals promoted the 18-year-old to High-A Wilmington, where he has an .875 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 24 games.

The Nationals also have picks 42, 78 and 106 remaining in Saturday’s portion of the draft.