SECAUCUS, N.J. — The Nationals selected Bryce Harper, a 17-year-old with prodigious power from the College of Southern Nevada, a junior college, with the No. 1 overall pick in the baseball draft Monday night.
“It’s what I’ve wanted since I was 7 years old,” Harper said.
A year after taking similarly hyped right-hander Stephen Strasburg, the Nationals took Harper, who can play catcher but was announced as an outfielder at the draft site at MLB Network studios by commissioner Bud Selig.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo envisions Harper as a No. 3-type power hitter with a strong arm in right field.
“We’re going to take the rigor and the pressures of learning the position, the difficult position of catcher, away from him,” Rizzo said, “and really let him concentrate on the offensive part of the game and let his athleticism take over as an outfielder.”
Harper hit .443 with 31 home runs and 98 RBIs in his first college season in a wood bat league, after skipping his final two years of high school and getting his GED.
“I can get better out there, I think,” Harper said. “Anywhere they need me, I’ll play. I just want to make it and we’ll see what happens when I get there.”
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Harper surpassed former big- league pitcher Alex Fernandez, who went fourth overall to the White Sox in 1990, as the highest-drafted JC player.
The Nationals have through Aug. 16 to sign Harper, who has hired Scott Boras as an adviser.
With the second overall pick, Pittsburgh selected hard-throwing Texas high school right-hander Jameson Taillon. He was considered by many the top pitcher in the draft with a fastball in the mid- to upper-90s that overpowers hitters on a regular basis.
Baltimore went next and picked smooth-fielding Florida high school shortstop Manny Machado, while Cal State Fullerton shortstop Christian Colon went to Kansas City at No. 4. Cleveland took Ole Miss left-hander Drew Pomeranz, the Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year with a 90 to 94 mph fastball.
Caught in the draft
The top selections in Monday’s amateur baseball draft:
First round
1. Washington, Bryce Harper, C-OF, JC of Southern Nevada.
2. Pitt., Jameson Taillon, RHP, The Woodlands (Texas) HS.
3. Baltimore, Manny Machado, SS, Brito (Fla.) HS.
4. Kansas City, Christian Colon, SS, Cal State-Fullerton.
5. Cleveland, Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Mississippi.
6. Arizona, Barret Loux, RHP, Texas A&M.
7. N.Y. Mets, Matt Harvey, RHP, North Carolina.
8. Hou., Delino DeShields Jr., CF, Woodward Acad., Col. Park, Ga.
9. San Diego, Karsten Whitson, RHP, Chipley (Fla). HS.
10. Oakland, Michael Choice, OF, Texas-Arlington.
11. Toronto, Deck McGuire, RHP, Georgia Tech.
12. Cincinnati, Yasmani Grandal, C, Miami.
13. Chicago White Sox, Chris Sale, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast.
14. Milwaukee, Dylan Covey, RHP, Maranatha (Calif). HS.
15. Texas, Jake Skole, Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell, Ga.
16. Chicago Cubs, Hayden Simpson, RHP, Southern Arkansas.
17. Tampa Bay, Josh Sale, OF, Bishop Blanchet H.S., Seattle.
18. L.A. Angels, Kaleb Cowart, Cook County (Ga.) HS.
19. Houston, Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Minooka (Ill.) Com. HS.
20. Boston, Kolbrin Vitek, 2B-RHP, Ball St.
21. Minnesota, Alex Wimmers, RHP, Ohio St.
22. Texas, Kellin Deglan, C, R.E. Mountain SS, B.C., Canada.
23. Florida, Christian Yelich, Westlake HS, W. Village, Calif.
24. San Francisco, Gary Brown, OF, Cal State Fullerton.
25. St. Louis, Zack Cox, 3B, Arkansas.
26. Colorado, Kyle Parker, RF, Clemson.
27. Phila., Jessie Biddle, LHP, Germantown Friends School, Phil.
28. L.A. Dodgers, Zach Lee, RHP, McKinney (Texas) HS.
29. Angels, Cam Bedrosian, RHP, E. Coweta HS, Sharpsburg, Ga.
30. L.A. Angels, Chevy Clarke, CF, Marietta (Ga.) HS.
31. Tampa Bay, Justin O’Conner, C, Cowan HS, Muncie, Ind.
32. Yankees, Cito Culver, Irondequoit HS, Rochester, N.Y.
