The Washington Nationals are at a pivotal point in their rebuild to relevance, owning the No. 1 overall pick in Major League Baseball's amateur draft that begins on Sunday night in Atlanta.
There are multiple intriguing prospects they can choose from, including prep shortstop Ethan Holliday, the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday and brother of Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick in 2022 and is now in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles.
Washington this week fired longtime general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez.
Bold choice.
The Nats' head-scratching move — more for the timing than the actual decision — injected another layer of uncertainty to a draft that might be one of the most unpredictable in recent years. The first three rounds of the 20-round draft will take place on Sunday with the rest of the selections on Monday.
Washington promoted Mike DeBartolo to interim GM and he'll supervise the team's selections. He was previously the team's assistant general manager and has been with the franchise since 2012.
DeBartolo said he'll lean on the evaluations of the team's scouting department but also has his own opinions about the process and will be the decision maker. Money will also be a factor, as teams have to work within their bonus pool.
The Orioles are at the high end this year with more than $19 million to spend. The Yankees — who don't pick until No. 39 — are at the bottom with roughly $5.3 million.
“They’ve been working hard for this moment, almost even before the last draft ended,” DeBartolo said. "So, I’ll bring my own voice to that process, and I’ll work collaboratively with them, and take what they have to say and ultimately be responsible for making the picks.”
There is little consensus about whom the Nats might select at No. 1, though some of the top prospects are a pair of left-handed pitchers — LSU's Kade Anderson and Tennessee's Liam Doyle — along with Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette and prep shortstops Holliday and Eli Willits.
“There are several really talented players that are going to be in the mix for us,” DeBartolo said. “We have to decide how to strategize with our bonus pool money and what the player bonus pool demands are and run through all those scenarios over the coming days."
After the Nationals, the Los Angeles Angels have the No. 2 selection. The Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals round out the top five.
Several of the top prospects are left-handed college pitchers, including Anderson, Doyle and Florida State's Jamie Arnold.
Anderson helped LSU win the College World Series title last month, throwing a complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the championship series. He finished 12-1 with a 3.18 ERA with 180 strikeouts in 119 innings.
Anderson had Tommy John surgery in high school.
Doyle rocketed up mock drafts with a terrific season for the Vols, finishing 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 95 2/3 innings. Arnold was a breakout star for Florida State in 2024 before regressing a bit last season, but he still finished with 8-2 with a 2.98 ERA and 119 strikeouts.
“Obviously, college left-handers are kind of a premium right now," Mariners vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter said. “There’s a few of those at the high end of the draft.”
Corona High School — about 45 miles from Los Angeles — could have three players drafted in the first round.
The prep powerhouse is led by right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez, regarded as a potential top five pick. Shortstop Billy Carlson is also expected to be selected early in the first round.
Third baseman Brady Ebel isn't quite as highly-regarded — he's the No. 64 prospect according to MLB.com — but there's potential that he could still sneak into the opening round.
A fourth Corona player, Ethin Bingaman, is a two-way player committed to Auburn but could be drafted in the top five rounds.
AP Sports Writer Andrew Destin and AP freelance writer David Solomon contributed to this report.
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FILE - Washington Nationals assistant general manager Mike DeBartolo speaks at a media availability during the Major League Baseball general managers annual meetings, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
HELSINKI (AP) — Authorities are investigating damage to an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland early Wednesday that occurred between the capitals of Finland and Estonia.
Finnish authorities seized and inspected the vessel suspected to have caused the damage, the country's border guard said in a statement. Its anchor was lowered when it was discovered in Finland’s exclusive economic zone.
Helsinki police have opened an investigation into aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications.
The cable belongs to Finnish telecommunications service provider Elisa and is considered to be critical underwater infrastructure. The damage occurred in Estonia's exclusive economic zone, police said.
The ship's crew of 14 — hailing from Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan — was detained by Finnish authorities, local media reported. The ship, named the Fitburg, was flagged in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It had been traveling from Russia to Israel.
Finnish National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki told local media that investigators are not speculating on whether a state-level actor was behind the damage. Koskimäki also said the ship had been dragging its anchor for hours.
“Finland is prepared for security challenges of various kinds, and we respond to them as necessary,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb wrote on social platform X.
The undersea cables and pipelines that crisscross one of the busiest shipping lanes in Europe link Nordic, Baltic and central European countries. They promote trade and energy security and, in some cases, reduce dependence on Russian energy resources.
Earlier this year, Finnish authorities charged the captain and two senior officers of a Russia-linked vessel that damaged undersea cables between Finland and Estonia on Christmas Day in 2024.
The Finnish deputy prosecutor general said in a statement in August that charges of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications were filed against the captain and first and second officers of the Eagle S oil tanker. Their names were not made public. The statement said they denied the allegations.
The Kremlin previously denied involvement in damaging the infrastructure, which provides power and communication for thousands of Europeans.
The Eagle S was flagged in the Cook Islands but had been described by Finnish customs officials and the European Union’s executive commission as part of Russia’s shadow fleet of fuel tankers. Those are aging vessels with obscure ownership, acquired to evade Western sanctions amid the war in Ukraine and operating without Western-regulated insurance.
For the West, such incidents are believed to be part of widespread sabotage attacks in Europe allegedly linked to Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Meanwhile, Estonian authorities are cooperating with the Finns to decide whether they should initiate a separate criminal case or move forward in a joint prosecution in the Elisa case. The telecom provider said its service was not affected by the damage.
Another undersea cable, owned by Swedish telecommunications service provider Arelion, was also damaged early Wednesday, according to Estonian officials. It was not immediately clear whether the Arelion cable's damage was linked to the Elisa's.
Martin Sjögren, an Arelion spokesperson, confirmed Wednesday's cable damage in the Gulf of Finland. He said another cable, this one between Sweden and Estonia in the Baltic Sea, was damaged on Tuesday.
“We are actively working with authorities in Sweden and other countries to investigate the cause of the cuts,” Sjögren said in an email. “We cannot disclose any details about exact times or locations at this point with regard to the ongoing investigation.”
Repair work is expected to begin as soon as poor weather conditions clear. He said the vast majority of the company's customers were unaffected by the damage.
The seized vessel Fitburg rests in the harbour in Kirkkonummi, Finland, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP)
From left, Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District Commander Mikko Simola, Chief of the Border Guard Markku Hassinen, Director of the National Bureau of Investigation Robin Lardot, Helsinki Deputy Police Commissioner Heikki Kopperoinen, Helsinki Police Department chief Jari Liukku and National Police Comissioner Ilkka Koskimaeki, attend a press conferance in Helsinki, Finland, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Kimmo Penttinen/Lehtikuva via AP)
