Jackson Rutledge

A 6-foot-8, 250-pound righty from the junior college ranks, Rutledge's ability to hit triple digits with his fastball while possessing a wipeout slider got him drafted in the first round in 2019 and his $3.45 million bonus was a record for a JUCO draftee. At the alternate site, he worked on repeating his delivery, which is huge for any tall pitcher with long levers. Rutledge is exceedingly tall for a starting pitcher, so developing adequate command will be critical for him to stick as a starter. He also worked a lot on his changeup this past summer, which will be a big pitch for him when it comes to neutralizing lefties. Rutledge has not pitched above Low-A, but he will spend the bulk of his age-22 season in the upper levels. GM Mike Rizzo hasn't been shy about trading away pitching prospects, but the team has leaked to the media that Rutledge and 2020 first-rounder Cade Cavalli are off limits.

The Nationals awarded Rutledge the largest signing bonus ever ($3.45 million) for a junior-college player after selecting him with the 17th overall pick. The previous record belonged to Nate Pearson, and Rutledge has a similarly high ceiling as a power righty. He has a mid-to-high-90s fastball, a plus slider and his curveball and changeup show above-average potential. It took him a couple outings to get his footing in pro ball, but he logged a 2.10 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 36:12 K:BB in 34.1 innings over his final eight appearances, primarily at Low-A. At 6-foot-8, Rutledge's command is his biggest weakness, but he has the stuff to be successful even with a high walk rate -- he held Sally League hitters to a .151 average and did not surrender a home run in any of his six Low-A starts. If he throws enough strikes, Rutledge could develop into a high-strikeout No. 2 starter.