page_title: List of Major League Baseball first-round draft picks
section_title: Washington Nationals
hierarchical_section_title: List of Major League Baseball first-round draft picks / National League / Eastern Division / Washington Nationals
caption_attribution_description: English: Stephen Strasburg
context_page_description: Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball, and is the organization that operates the National League and the American League. In 2000, the two leagues were officially disbanded as separate legal entities, and all of their rights and functions were consolidated in the commissioner's office. Since that time, MLB has operated as a single league, and constitutes one of the major professional sports leagues of the United States. It is composed of 30 teams.
  The First-Year Player Draft, also known as the Rule 4 Draft, is MLB primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The first draft took place in 1965; it was introduced to prevent richer teams from negotiating wealthier contracts with top-level prospects and therefore, monopolizing the player market. Originally, three drafts were held each year. The first draft took place in June and involved high-school graduates and college seniors who had just finished their seasons. The second draft took place in January for high school and college players who had graduated in December.
context_section_description: The Washington Nationals franchise was established in Montreal, Quebec in 1969 as an expansion team, originally known as the Montreal Expos. Since the institution of MLB's Rule 4 Draft, the Expos/Nationals have selected 66 players in the first round. Thirty-two have been pitchers, the most of any position; 22 of them were right-handed, while 10 were left-handed. Thirteen outfielders, nine shortstops, five third basemen, four catchers, and three first basemen were also taken.
caption: Stephen Strasburg (2009) is considered to be one of the greatest pitching prospects in the history of the draft.[19]
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