The Washington Nationals took a high school outfielder with their first pick in the MLB draft and followed that up with a southpaw in the second round.
The Nationals late Sunday night selected University of Oklahoma left-handed pitcher Jake Bennett at No. 45 overall to pair with Florida high school outfielder Elijah Green, who they selected with the fifth pick.
Bennett went 10-4 with a 3.69 earned-run average in 117 innings with the Sooners this past spring. The 6-foot-6, 234-pound lefty is a strike-throwing starter with a low-to-mid-90s fastball. He struck out 133 batters this season and walked just 22 for an impressive 6.05 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
“Strike throwing has always come natural to me. I’ve never had an issue with not throwing strikes,” Bennett said via Zoom. “I definitely think it helps. I try to attack hitters, fill up the zone and let my stuff play.”
The 21-year-old already has a connection to the Nationals’ organization as a former teammate with the team’s first-round pick in 2020. Cade Cavalli, who is now the Nationals’ No. 1 prospect, played with Bennett at both Bixby High School and in college at Oklahoma.
“It’s going to be really cool getting to play with him at the next level,” Bennett said. “… Playing with him, coming up through high school, he was someone that I always looked up to, someone who kind of showed me the ropes. I’m super excited to be able to look up to him again as I’m coming up through pro ball.”
Sunday wasn’t the first time Washington picked Bennett, either. In 2019, the Nationals selected Bennett out of high school in the 39th round, but the lefty chose to play for the Sooners instead.
Bennett will now forever be linked with Green as the Nationals’ Day 1 picks in 2022. Green, 18, is considered to have the best tools in the draft thanks to his combination of speed and power.
Up the beltway, the Orioles selected high school shortstop Jackson Holliday with the No. 1 overall pick. Holliday, considered a top three prospect in the draft, is the son of former All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday. The Birds then selected Cal outfielder Dylan Beavers with the 33rd pick, Clemson third baseman Max Wagner 42nd overall and Florida center fielder Jud Fabian at No. 67.
The Nationals and the other 29 major league teams will be back Monday afternoon for Day 2 of the draft. Rounds 3-10 will be Monday, followed by Rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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