Why The Amateur Draft Is The Top Priority For the Washington Nationals

(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

After years of neglect and abuse, the Washington Nationals’ farm system is beginning to look like, well, a farm system again.

When the Montreal Expos moved here in the fall of 2004, the farm system was completely bare; all of the best players—Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore, Jason Bay—had been traded by then general manager Omar Minaya.

Of that class of 2004—those having never played in the majors—not a single player has made it to the major leagues as a productive full-time player. Just two, shortstop Ian Desmond and pitcher Colin Balester, might one day become credible major leaguers.

The Philadelphia Phillies, on the other hand, had 10 players in 2004 that are today quality major leaguers: Ryan Howard, Placido Polanco, Vincente Padilla, Pat Burrell, Gavin Floyd, Ryan Madson, Carlos Ruiz, Cole Hamels, Michael Bourn and Kyle Kendrick.

Now, there is no guarantee that Chris Marrero, Josh Smoker, Michael Burgess, Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen and Destin Hood will even make it to the major leagues, little alone make a difference.

But one thing is for sure, the last three or four drafts couldn't be any worse than what this franchise has had prior to 2005.

Would you have liked the 2009 Washington Nationals to look like this?

1. CF— Curtis Granderson  
2. RF—Aaron Rowand
3. 2B—Chase Utley
4. 3B—David Wright
5. LF—Garrett Atkins
6. CA—Brian McCann
7. 1B—Prince Fielder
8. SS—Brian Roberts (original position)

And this starting rotation wouldn't have been too bad, would it?

1. Barry Zito
2. Jeremy Bonderman
3. Dan Haren
4. C.C. Sabathia
5. Cole Hamels

I would think that this version of the Washington Nationals would have played well into October.

The Nationals wouldn't have had to trade for, or sign as free agents, any of these players. They only needed to choose them in the baseball amateur drafts from 1998-2002. Each player listed was available in one of the first four rounds of each draft after the Expos made their selection.

Incredible, huh?

In the first round of the 2000 draft, the Expos chose pitcher Justin Wayne , bypassing Chase Utley and outfielder Rocco Baldelli. In 2001, with Aaron Heilman, Bobby Crosby, Jeremy Bonderman, Noah Lowry and David Wright waiting to be chosen, Montreal went with pitcher Josh Karp

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