Nats' top pick has mentor waiting in Zim

WASHINGTON -- Brady House had just turned 2 when Ryan Zimmerman was chosen by the Nationals as the franchise's first Draft pick in 2005. Sixteen years later, he is eager to seek advice from Zimmerman as the Nationals’ latest first overall selection.

“He’s basically been there forever and knows everything,” House said on Saturday.

Washington drafted the 18-year-old shortstop from Winder, Ga., with the 11th pick this month. House forewent his commitment to the University of Tennessee and signed with the Nationals on Friday for $5 million, over the $4,547,500 slot value.

He attended the Nationals’ 4-3 win over the Cubs that night, where he was greeted by the crowd when he was shown on the Nationals Park videoboard.

“It was great,” House said. “Especially whenever they called my name up on the big screen, having the fans there just to cheer around me was like a surreal moment. It was just awesome.”

Unlike previous years when Draft picks visited the park, House did not meet everyone on the team because of COVID safety restrictions. But when he does have the opportunity to connect with the Nats, he already has thought about what he would want to glean from Zimmerman.

“I’m in the situation to where this is all new to me,” House said. “I’d ask how he deals with things, how he handles himself on and off the field and deals with all the outside pressure and stuff. Not really anything baseball related, just the situation he’s in, how he deals with that.”

Zimmerman, 37, is just as eager to share his knowledge and experience in his 16th season.

“I would love to talk to him,” Zimmerman said. “[I would tell him,] 'Take advantage of your opportunities. Baseball, and any pro sport, is all about getting a chance and then taking advantage of that chance. So prepare and be ready when you get that chance to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed. I think it starts as soon as you’re drafted, as soon as you’re ready to go.' …

“It’s hard to tell a young kid what to do. He’s in the position he’s in for a reason. He’s obviously already done a lot of that correctly and he’s very talented. I’ll enjoy watching how his career unfolds. He looks like a pretty talented player. So it’s exciting for the organization, and I’m sure it’s really exciting for him and his family.”

House arrived in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Saturday to begin his pro career with the Nationals. He hopes to prove himself as a big league shortstop, while the Nationals said on Draft night they could consider shifting him to third if he’s better suited there in the long term. Zimmerman has played over 1,100 games at the hot corner, just one of the many insights he could impart.

“That’s a pretty good guy to pick,” manager Dave Martinez said of Zimmerman. “He’s got many years in the big leagues. As you can see, he plays the game the right way. So, yeah, I would definitely encourage that.”

Nationals welcome first of new prospects

Of the 12 players acquired at the Trade Deadline, right-hander Mason Thompson was the first to be recalled to the active roster. Thompson, who was acquired from the Padres in the Daniel Hudson deal, traveled to Washington on Saturday to join the bullpen.

Thompson is ranked as the Nationals’ No. 16 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. He has appeared in four games for San Diego this season (3.00 ERA over three innings), which was a draw for Martinez on Saturday. In addition to Hudson, the Nationals also parted ways with closer Brad Hand, leaving vacancies in the ‘pen.

“My biggest concern, like I always talk about, [is] he throws the ball over the plate,” Martinez said. “He’s got a heavy ball -- he’s anywhere from 94 to 98 [mph]. We wanted to give him the opportunity to come here and kind of fit right in and pitch out of our bullpen.”