Good Morning Washington Nationals Fan,

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, July 11, 2023.

Richard here again writing this morning’s briefing again while Haden takes some time off to enjoy the summer.

Be sure to follow The Nats Report on Twitter for all the latest headlines and more and don’t forget to check us out on Threads.

Leading today’s Morning Briefing: Nationals finish up a successful 2023 MLB Draft

If you told me going into this year’s draft that we would acquire at least one great prospect, I would have been so happy, however, the very fact that we acquired more than one great prospect for the future, is icing on the cake. Man, the future of the Washington Nationals is bright.

In addition to getting a power hitter in Dylan Crews, the Washington Nationals also selected collegiate third baseman Yohandy Morales out of the University of Miami with the №40 pick on Sunday. On Monday, Rizzo’s hot streak continued with the selection of Round Rock (TX) right-handed pitcher Travis Sykora, No. 40 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list. The No. 40 overall prospect in the draft by MLB.com, Sykora signed with Texas last fall and is considered the No. 29 player in the 2023 class by Perfect Game and now he is a Washington National.

To finish out the draft Rizzo selected the following players:

• Andrew Pinckney (Alabama)
• Marcus Brown (Oklahoma State)
• Gavin Dugas (LSU)
• Ryan Snell (Lamar University)
• Jared Simpson (Iowa)
• Thomas Schultz (Vanderbilt)
• Phillip Glasser (Indiana)

Why it matters: Two years ago, the Washington Nationals' farm system wasn't really a place for upcoming talent. However, ever since the start of this "re-tool," the Nationals' farm system has greatly improved in a short time. Yes, you can thank the Dodgers and the Padres for helping the Nationals restock the farm with great talent. Yes, we lost players like Trea Turner, Max Scherzer, and Juan Soto, but if you take a step back and think about it, these players' futures really belonged to another team. Rizzo made the right choice in trading them when their value was at its highest. Did Rizzo learn from his Bryce Harper mistake back in

It's way too early to judge in its entirety whether the Nationals "won these trades," but if you look at the Dodgers and Padres, they traded away future prospects for nothing in return.

For example, both Trea Turner and Max Scherzer never re-signed with the Dodgers, and Juan Soto could be on his way out of San Diego once he hits free agency. However, the Washington Nationals have quickly restocked their farm system and have players throughout who are going to make an impact in a very short period of time. [I will have more on this later this season on the site]

One last piece of the puzzle this year could come from making smart trades at this year's trade deadline [If you are looking for a quick read about what the Nationals should do at this trade deadline take a look at this MLB Trade Rumor article.]

MLB Homerun Derby

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was able to match his father's 2007 Home Run Derby crown by knocking off hometown favorite Julio Rodríguez in the semifinals and Randy Arozarena in the final.

Here are all 72 PLÁKATAS from @27vladdyjr. 💥

— MLB (@MLB)
Jul 11, 2023

Tonight at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT the 2023 All-Star Game will be broadcasted on FOX.

Down on the Farm

All of the Washington Nationals farm teams will return to action this weekend after the All-Star break. Here are this weekend’s matchups.

Rochester Red Wings

The Red Wings will have a weekend series in Syracuse against the Mets Triple-A team.

Harrisburg Senators

The Harrisburg Senators will kick off their post-all-star break run with a weekend homestand against the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Wilmington Blue Rocks

The Wilmington Blue Rocks will return from their all-star break by traveling to Aberdeen, MD to face the Aberdeen IronBirds which is the high-A-affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.

Fredericksburg Nationals

The FredNats kick off their post-all-star break with a homestand against Lynchburg Hillcast the single-A-affiliate of the Cleavend Guardians. Could we see some new prospects at this weekend’s games? if so, don’t worry we will have you covered.

Tweet of the Day

Dylan likes the newest Washington Nationals draft pick! #Natitudetwitter.com/i/web/status/1…

— TheNatsReport ⚾ 🇺🇸 (@TheNatsReport)
Jul 10, 2023