Nationals' Jackson Rutledge: Popped by Nationals with 17th pick

The Nationals have selected Rutledge with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2019 first-year player draft.

Rutledge's arm action is so compact that it seems like he's just playing catch. That is, until the radar gun reads 98 or 99 mph, and it becomes clear that he just has a very special arm. His freshman year at Arkansas was cut short due to hip surgery, after which he transferred to a junior college in Texas. Once there, he went from having a low-90s fastball to a mid-to-upper-90s monster. He also has a plus slider, plus curveball, and potentially above-average changeup. His size (6-foot-8, 260 pounds) leads evaluators to question how well he will be able to command his pitches against pro hitters. However, if he can develop average command, we could be talking about at least a No. 2 starter. JUCO product Nate Pearson came into pro ball with many of the same strengths and weaknesses, and now he is one of the game's top pitching prospects. The fact that Rutledge hasn't faced high-end competition should not be seen as a major knock against him, and it could lead to him being discounted in dynasty drafts.