The Washington Nationals have signed Chase Brunson, Luke Williams and Cooper Harris. Those three were the second, third and fourth rounders in this year’s draft. While first rounder and local kid Chris Hacopian will take up most of the headlines, these three are also part of the foundation of Paul Toboni’s first draft.
I am going to dive into all three players, discuss the bonuses they got and talk about what is next. When you see how the Nats used their money, it is quite revealing. Where a player is taken
only tells so much about how a team values them. Teams usually put their money where their mouth is when it comes to who they covet.
Third round pick Luke Williams was actually the most expensive player of the bunch. He signed a $2.5 million bonus, well above slot value. Williams cost more than second rounder Chase Brunson, which shows how much the Nats value him and the fact he was a tough player to sign. Vanderbilt commits like Williams tend to be tougher to sign.
The $2.5 million bonus is the same that the Nats signed Coy James to last year. That is an interesting comparison point because the two players have a lot in common. James actually went even later, being selected in the 5th round. However, he was paid like a top of the second round guy. This season James has put up solid numbers in Low-A, showing plenty of power.
Williams might be a slightly slower burn than James though. Luke Williams is known for his elite athleticism and traits, but is a raw player. Due to an injury, he did not play a lot on the showcase circuit last summer. That means he did not get tested against premium pitching, giving him a layer of mystery.
The Nats are betting on Williams’ athleticism and tools, which they hope to develop. Clearly, the ceiling is very high for Williams, but this is a long term pick. If everything goes right though, I could see Williams being a top 100 prospect this time next year.
If Williams is a long term project, second rounder Chase Brunson is a much safer pick. The former TCU star signed an under slot $1.8 million bonus. This is a good deal for the Nats in my opinion, as Brunson fit in this range on talent as well. Brunson is a very well rounded player who has contact skills, power and defensive ability.
A lot of fans wondered why the Nats did not take a pitcher in the second round. The deal they got on Brunson helps explain that decision for me. Clearly they really liked the player and got a good deal for him.
There is a lot to like with Brunson. His bat to ball skills and power are better than average, and he can also play a solid center field. The biggest weakness in his profile right now is probably his swing decisions, which the Nats can help tighten up. Even if he is a bit chase happy, Brunson is easy to project as a big leaguer.
The floor here is a fourth outfield type while the ceiling is a 20/20 center fielder who can do a bit of everything. I expected Brunson to sign a deal much closer to the slot here. Those savings helped the Nats secure Williams, and could help them sign some of the high schoolers they drafted in the later rounds.
Last, but not least, I wanted to touch on 4th rounder Cooper Harris. The Nats have drafted a lot of high school arms in the 3rd to 4th round range in recent years, and Harris adds to the list. Harris got an over slot deal worth $1.5 million.
I did not think that Harris had quite the upside of some of the other high school arms the Nats have taken. However, his bonus also reflects that. Last year, Landon Harmon signed for $2.5 million and Miguel Sime Jr. got $2 million. Back in 2023, Travis Sykora got $2.6 million.
Harris did not get that kind of bonus, which makes sense. However, I do not want to downplay his abilities too much. Harris is an exciting arm in his own right. He is very advanced for a high school pitcher, probably possessing the best control of any of the Nats high school arms. Harris also has a great feel to manipulate the baseball, already showing four quality pitches.
His velocity is mostly in the low-90’s right now, but he can run it up to 96. If he can sit in the mid-90’s with his fastball, Harris’ stock could really take off. His heater plays above its velocity and he has good breaking ball shapes. In the past, the Nats bet on stuff and hoped to develop command. With Harris, they are betting on his feel to pitch while hoping they can help improve his velocity.
All three of these guys are very interesting players and are the backbone of this 2026 class. This new regime is all about building depth on the farm, and these players will be a big part of that. In this draft they went after some specific profiles. They loved hitters with bat to ball skills and at least solid power. On the pitching side, they went after guys who bring a lot to the table but could use a couple extra ticks of velocity.
The draft is over, and now it is time for the development team to get to work. I am fascinated to see what Paul Toboni can get out of his first draft class. There are a lot of intriguing names with plenty of developmental upside.
