​On Saturday, July 11, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Washington Nationals selected Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. A Potomac, Maryland native, Hacopian will be suiting up not far from home, as Nationals Park sits only about 21 miles south of his hometown. He has the potential to be an impactful hitter who could make his big-league debut within the next two years for a Nationals club that is in the midst of rebuilding. This selection marks the third straight MLB Draft in which the Nationals have taken a first-round pick, joining Braden Montgomery (2024, 12th overall, Boston Red Sox) and Jace LaViolette (2025, 27th overall, Cleveland Guardians).
Hacopian’s path to the pros began with solid performances at the University of Maryland, where he earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors in each of his two seasons there. He transferred to Texas A&M in pursuit of greater heights, and despite some injuries, he appeared in 42 games for the Aggies in 2026, posting a .319 batting average with 11 home runs. He started all 29 SEC games and ranked among the top 30 players in every major offensive category, a testament to his consistency and production. His strong season helped him become one of just four Aggies named to the 2026 All-SEC First Team. Over his three collegiate seasons, Hacopian hit at least 11 homers each year, finishing with a 41-home-run career total. He also drove in 144 runs across his time with both Maryland and Texas A&M, including three consecutive seasons with 40 RBIs.
Physically, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound infielder has shown he can perform on big stages. Notably, he belted his first Texas A&M home run in an MLB stadium environment. In his first at-bat after missing six games with back stiffness, Hacopian launched a solo homer in the top of the first at Globe Life Field, the home park of the Texas Rangers, setting the tone for a 10-0 run-rule victory over Virginia Tech on March 6. Later that season, he delivered his third collegiate multi-homer game, hitting two home runs in the opening game of a May 9 doubleheader against Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, as part of an 18-5 run-rule win for the Aggies. His second long ball of that game helped Texas A&M tie the program record for most homers in a single contest.
As expected, Hacopian did not hear his name called in the initial wave of college prospects, ultimately landing in the second tier of the draft alongside peers such as Georgia Tech’s Drew Burress, Virginia’s AJ Gracia, and Kentucky’s Tyler Bell. Three strong collegiate seasons made it clear that Hacopian’s bat is a reliable asset worth cultivating within the Nationals organization. Most scouts and evaluators pegged him as the best college bat available, particularly at the second-base position, with a repeatable swing and the ability to barrel balls consistently. ESPN analyst Chris Burke, a former big leaguer, captured the scouting sentiment precisely: “Low chase with high contact and high exit velocity – that’s what Major League Baseball is looking for in the draft.” This combination of contact ability and power potential positions Hacopian as a player who could contribute at the major league level in short order for a Nationals franchise in need of a core, offensive-driven player.