The most expensive second round pick of all time is ready for Fredericksburg
This morning, the Nationals promoted top prospect Luke Dickerson from the FCL to Low-A. After six games on the complex where he hit well, the Nats determined he was ready for Low-A. This afternoon he is hitting second and playing shortstop for the FredNats.
Day baseball alert! The FredNats are starting off the roadtrip with a day game! ☀️
Here’s how they line up against the @shorebirds today ⬇️
: Arthur W. Perdue Stadium
️: https://t.co/937XOYFmuL
: https://t.co/wxQz8GHxXc, Bally Sports Live App pic.twitter.com/mqEMhzj1Lw— Fredericksburg Nationals (@FXBGNats) May 13, 2025
This is big news for the Nationals because Dickerson is a massively exciting prospect. They built their 2024 draft around signing him. He got the largest bonus of any non-first rounder ever.
It is not just the money that makes him exciting though. Dickerson shot up draft boards last spring when he showed off immense power/speed upside. He tied Mike Trout’s New Jersey high school record for most homers in a season. In the FCL, he showed off that power.
Getting in the swing of things ‼️
Luke Dickerson homered and drove in five for the FCL Nationals last night. He now has 10 RBI in his first five career Minor League games pic.twitter.com/gI1TWRRFEc
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) May 10, 2025
As well as the power, Dickerson is a great athlete who also played Hockey at a high level in high school. That focus on two sports made him less well known before his massive campaign last spring.
For a guy who is not as refined as some other guys his age, it is exciting to see him off the complex already. It shows that the Nationals believe in him and think he is ready for this challenge.
In a lot of ways, Dickerson is a moldable ball of clay. He has that power, but scouts have also been impressed with his feel at the plate. Defensively, he has a chance to stick at short, but he has also gotten looks at second base, and the idea of a move to the outfield has been floated.
With a guy who still has a lot of mystery around him, his performance in Low-A will tell us a lot. Is he a shortstop, and what kind of hitter is he really? These are things we will find out. After having such a stacked team last year, it is also nice to see some top prospects go to Fredericksburg.
This is an exciting day for Luke and the Nationals. Hopefully he can hit the ground running. If he does, he has the chance to fly up prospect rankings because he has the tools scouts are looking for. It is all about proving he can perform. Now he has the chance to show that to scouts.