With the 11th pick of the first Round of the 2021 MLB Draft, The Washington Nationals Pick...

With only a couple of weeks to go until the 2021 MLB draft, I figured we should talk a little about what the Washington Nationals should or might do with their 11th pick during the first round of this year’s draft.

According to Baseball America’s latest mock draft, the Washington Nationals might be picking University of Texas right-handed pitcher Ty Madden.

According to his bio, Ty Madden was born on February 21, 2000 (crazy to think that!) went to high school at Cypress Ranch in Texas, weighs 215 lbs, and is 6’3”.

Madden has gotten scouts’ attention with his command and his impressive slider.

A 34th-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2018, Madden decided to go to school instead. He’s been ‘the dude’ at the University of Texas for a couple years now. From the moment he started to play college ball, Madden has been a force in the Longhorns’ rotation. He started eight games in 2019 and four more in 2020.

During his freshman year at the University of Texas, Madden threw 42 innings, striking out 37 and holding the opposition to a .247 batting average while having a 3.40 ERA. According to his stats, he walked 24 batters during his freshman year. Reports claim that Madden’s fastball in 2020 sat around 91-94 and touched 95 mph.

In his sophomore season in 2020, Madden was named to the first team Academic All-Big 12 and pitched 25 innings with a 1.80 ERA. During the season, in a win against Boise State on February 22, Madden pitched a complete game and had seven strikeouts while only allowing two hits, securing the win. In his first appearance as a sophomore on February 15 against Rice University, Madden pitched six scoreless innings, had seven strikeouts, and flew the W.

According to many, his fastball/slider can be a lethal one-two punch, but we all know that you need a third pitch if you want to be successful in the majors, something that Madden will need to develop.

His official scouting report by MLB.com states: “He's gained nearly 40 pounds since then as his frame has caught up to his growth spurt. He already can touch 96 mph and will sit 90-94 with a plus fastball and he throws a slider that is easily plus at its best. But right now he can't maintain either pitch or his control consistently over the length of an outing. That inconsistency may ensure he gets to Texas, but if he continues to add strength, he could climb a number of spots on this list in a few years.”

Reports on the right-hander say that his best pitch is his slider, which has an above-average spin rate and doesn’t move as much as  some Major League sliders. However, his slider does have a late bite to it. According to many front offices, it is his slider that sets him apart and might be the best pitch for the Major League.

In addition to his slider and fastball, Madden does throw a changeup and a curveball from time to time, but these two pitches need more development. It looks like his changeup does show some promise, with the combination of a low spin rate and what appears to be a good sinking movement.

If the Nationals go with the best available player - and hopefully Madden will be available at number 11 - he would be a great addition to the already up-and-coming pitching staff of Cade Cavialli, Jackson Rutledge and Matt Corin.