The Rochester Red Wings may be playing host to another top prospect sooner rather than later after the Washington Nationals won Major League Baseball’s Draft Lottery on Tuesday in Dallas, earning the right to select first in next year’s MLB draft. Any selection could end up on the Red Wings in the next few years.
Washington had the fourth-best odds of winning the first pick, a 10.2 chance overall. They beat the Los Angeles Angels- who had the third-highest odds- for the top spot. Matt Adams, a member of the Nationals’ 2019 World Series championship team who later played for the Red Wings in 2023, represented the team at the lottery.
The Red Wings heralded the lottery win on social media, including on Instagram:
This will be the third time that the Nationals had the top pick of the draft. They previously selected first in 2009 (Stephen Strasburg) and 2010 (Bryce Harper), but selected second in 2023 when they chose outfielder Dylan Crews, who excelled for the Red Wings last season before earning a call-up to the big leagues.
While the 2025 Draft isn’t until July 13-15 in Atlanta, a few players are considered early favorites to be the top pick. Most notable among them is Ethan Holliday, a left-handed shortstop/third baseman out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma. The son of seven-time all-star Matt Holliday and the younger brother of Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday, he’s at the top spot in MLB.com Pipeline’s current draft prospect rankings. Other highly ranked possibilities include left-handed Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette and left-handed Florida State pitcher Jamie Arnold.
The last time a No. 1 overall pick played for the Red Wings was when Strasburg had a rehab assignment in 2022. Others such as Joe Mauer, Delmon Young, and Ben McDonald have also had appearances in Rochester, but no No. 1 pick has ever played in Rochester before making their MLB debut, although it’s likely that Royce Lewis would have been a Red Wing in 2020 for the Twins organization if not for the cancellation of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Red Wings, who finished the season 77-71, return to play late next March before hosting their home opener on April 1, 2025.
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