The Nationals announced that they have signed Seaver King, whom they selected with the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft. Jim Callis of MLB.com reports X’s signing bonus is $5.15MM, slightly less than the $5.95MM slot value of his pick.
King, 21, has appeared in 60 games for Wake Forest this year, lining up at the three infield spots in left field of first base and center field. He hit 16 home runs in that span and hit .308/.377/.577. He also stole 11 bases in 12 attempts.
Based on his ability to contribute in many ways, he was one of the top ranked players coming into the draft. Each of Baseball America, MLB Pipeline and Keith Law of The Athletic ranked him 17th. ESPN ranked him a little higher at 16 while FanGraphs was more bullish at 11.
Shops generally praises him for doing damage and putting up impressive exit velocity, though with some concern about his lack of discipline and tendency to chase bad pitches, leading to weak contact and slow walks. Defensively, he is considered raw at most positions but is expected to carry his athleticism in the short term and get better in the long run. FanGraphs sees a ceiling for the everyday shortstop but admits a multi-position role is more likely.
The Nationals are at an interesting time in their rebuild, having flirted this year but recently started trading, Hunter Harvey turn to the Royal Family. But they are starting to build a core of players that are manageable at the big league level, with CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, James Wood and others at the big league level.
Still down to the children there are remarkable hopes like Dylan Crews, Homes in Brady and more. King will join the Crews and House in the minors, with his future defensive home and role with the big league team still to be determined.
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