In the past, the Washington Nationals have not been afraid to take pitchers in the MLB Draft who have had or were about to undergo Tommy John surgery. In the last few years, they have taken Lucas Giolito, Erick Fedde, and Jesus Luzardo, who all fit in one of those categories. This year, they are linked to another pitcher who has had the surgery that could be selected in round one.
When you look at Baseball America’s most recent mock draft, John Manuel has the Nats selecting Clarke Schmidt, a right-handed starter from South Carolina.