Yesterday, the Washington Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Aaron Crow (first round/ninth overall), outfielder Destin Hood (second round), shortstop Daniel Espinosa (third round), left-handed pitcher Graham Hicks (fourth round), catcher Adrian Nieto (fifth round) and right-handed pitcher Paul Demny (sixth round) in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. For analysis and more information about today’s rounds - see Nats Farm Authority.
From the organization:
Crow, 21, was rated the No. 2 pitching prospect (No. 5 overall) and was recognized as the college prospect with the “Best Fastball” in this year’s Draft by Baseball America. He went 13-0 with a 2.35 ERA in 15 starts this season en route to being named a Golden Spikes Award finalist, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and a Louisville Slugger First-Team All-American. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior at the University of Missouri tossed four shutouts and struck out 127 batters with just 38 bases on balls in 107.1 innings. His school-record 13 wins led all NCAA pitchers, and his 127 strikeouts were sixth-most in the nation. Crow was a semi-finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Roger Clemens Award this season, and at one point worked 43.0 consecutive scoreless innings, the fourth-longest such streak in NCAA history.
Hood, 18, is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound outfielder with athleticism, a smooth swing, and raw power. A right-handed batter, he hit .500 with 19 extra-base hits, including eight home runs, and 34 RBI for St. Paul’s Episcopal High School (AL). He is a two-sport star, who excelled at both baseball and football (wide receiver) in high school.
Espinosa, 21, is a slick-fielding shortstop from Long Beach State (CA). The 6-foot, 185-pounder hit .309 with 13 doubles, six triples, four home runs and 37 RBI as a junior this season, while compiling a .392 on-base percentage. A switch hitter, he graduated from Mater Dei High School (CA), where he was a member of the 2003 U.S. Youth National Team that won a gold medal in Taiwan.
Hicks, 18, is a 6-foot-5, 170-pound left-handed pitcher, who had a solid career at George Jenkins High School (FL). He dominated his competition as a senior, going 8-1 with a 0.24 ERA, striking out 81 batters in 59.0 innings. He went 9-1 with a 0.53 ERA en route to a district title as a junior.
Nieto, 18, was considered one of the top prep catching prospects in the Draft. The 6-foot, 205-pound receiver batted .372 with 16 doubles, five home runs and 38 RBI this season for American Heritage High School (FL). He’s a switch hitter who led his team to a state championship this year, along with teammate Eric Hosmer, who was selected by the Royals in the first round (third overall) of the Draft.
Demny, 18, is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound hurler with a mid-90s fastball, who went 2-4 with a 4.21 ERA in 14 games at Blinn College (TX). He recorded 53 strikeouts in 51.1 innings this season as a freshman.
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