The Washington Nationals have built their entire franchise through the ‘draft and develop’ model.
Ryan Zimmerman – the organization’s first-ever draft pick – is still the team’s cleanup hitter over a decade later. The 2012 team that exploded onto the scene was led by homegrown players like Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, Bryce Harper, Jordan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen, Ross Detwiler, and Danny Espinosa. Toss in recent additions like Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner, and the core of the team remains players who were developed by the Nationals.