James Wood seemed to set the bar high enough when he kicked off tonight’s Home Run Derby with a solid number and several jaw-dropping blasts.

Little did the Nationals’ young slugger realize just how impressive the competition would be on this night.

Despite launching 16 home runs as the first contestant at Atlanta’s Truist Park, Wood wound up being the first one eliminated when the four batters who followed – Brent Rooker, Junior Caminero, Oneil Cruz and Byron Buxton – each surpassed that number.

Wood drew the short straw and had to bat first, leaving the 22-year-old with no way of knowing how many home runs it would take to advance to the semifinals. And he got off to a slow start, with only one of his first eight batted balls clearing the fence.

But the young man known for hitting baseballs as hard as anyone in the sport put forth a mighty swing at that point that got him going at last. His 486-foot blast off the roof of the restaurant in right-center field was longer than any ball hit during last summer’s derby in Texas.

Here’s the latest with the Orioles from Day 2 of the draft:

Fourth round (124^th): Colin Yeaman, shortstop. University of California-Irvine.

Yeaman, 21, was the Big West Player of the Year after batting .336/.447/.591 with 16 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, 56 RBIs, 38 walks and 53 strikeouts in 60 games. He played two seasons at the College of the Canyons, batting .405 and .443 in a combined 56 games. He also underwent two surgeries on his left shoulder.

A lack of quickness and range, and average arm strength, could lead to a change in positions.

MLB Pipeline ranked Yeaman as the No. 97 prospect in the draft. His best tool is his bat, with a 55-grade hitting.

The gentlemen in charge of the Nationals’ draft war room Sunday night all made the same point, in their own various words, about the ultimate decision to use the No. 1 pick on Eli Willits. They all were adamant he was the choice, no dissension in the room.

Vice president of amateur scouting Danny Haas: “I think there was general consensus for a while, and it solidified into unanimous toward the end of our process.”

Assistant scouting director/national crosschecker Reed Dunn: “I’m really proud of the work everybody did to come together. And, as Danny said, to make a unanimous decision on somebody we truly believe in.”

Senior director of amateur scouting Brad Ciolek: “We scouted the entire class. We were prepared. And then ultimately when we ended up winning the lottery, we knew exactly who we needed to hone in on, who we needed to do more work on.”

Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo: “It was one of those nice things where the scouts and the analysts see things the exact same way and saw him as the best hitter in the draft, the best fielder in the draft, with just great makeup, great work ethic and all the intangibles. Everything came together, and it was a really collaborative and great process.”

Day 2 of the draft begins later this morning and should move rapidly from rounds four to 20.

The Orioles paused late last night to admire their bounty after making seven selections.

Matt Blood, vice president of player development and domestic scouting, said he was thrilled with the level of talent that began with catchers Ike Irish and Caden Bodine and continued with shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, outfielder Slater de Brun, left-hander Joseph Dzierwa, right-hander JT Quinn and outfielder RJ Austin. Only de Brun, who committed to Vanderbilt, is a prep player.

“Just having that many picks on Day 1 gives you the ability to capitalize whenever these things happen,” Blood said. “We’re just really over the moon with the haul we were able to get today.”

(Cowser seemed most likely to jump over it, but I digress …)

The Washington Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Landon Harmon out of East Union Attendance Center High School (Miss.) in the third round with the No. 80 overall pick in the 2025 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Sunday. Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo; Vice President, Amateur Scouting Danny Haas; Senior Director, Amateur Scouting Brad Ciolek; and Assistant Director and National Crosschecker, Amateur Scouting Reed Dunn made the joint announcement.

Harmon, 18, pitched to a 1.09 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 66.1 innings of work this season. He was named MHSAA's Class 2A Mr. Baseball for the second year in a row, an All-State first-team selection and to the 2025 Clarion Ledger's Dandy Dozen, a collection of Mississippi's top high school baseball prospects.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound righty was the MLBPipeline.com No. 48 prospect in the draft and Baseball America’s No. 65 draft prospect. He was named an All-American, the No. 26 overall player and the No. 2 right-handed pitcher by Perfect Game. He was also named a second-team All-American by Baseball America.

In the end, the Nationals went with the other talented shortstop from Oklahoma whose father played in the big leagues.

The Nats selected Eli Willits with the No. 1 pick in tonight’s Major League Baseball Draft, a choice that may have surprised some but became increasingly possible over the last week both because of the 17-year-old’s all-around skills and the suspicion he might command a lower signing bonus than either Ethan Holliday or Kade Anderson, possibly opening the door for the club to go over slot on later-round picks.

Owners of the top selection in the draft for the third time in club history, the Nationals faced a much tougher decision this time than they did when last they found themselves in this position. Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Bryce Harper (2010) were no-brainers, two of the most highly touted prospects in the history of the sport.

The list of viable options was much longer this year, with Willits joined by fellow Oklahoma high school infielder Holliday, LSU left-hander Anderson, Tennessee lefty Liam Doyle and California high school right-hander Seth Hernandez all meriting consideration down to the wire, according to a source familiar with the club’s deliberations.

Willits, who admitted he made it his personal goal to be drafted No. 1 overall two years ago, was optimistic about his chances after he visited Nationals Park last month and got a chance to meet team executives and coaches. That didn't diminish his emotions when he officially got the call today.

The Orioles didn’t stray from their preference for college bats in the first round of the 2025 draft. Only their season can be described as unpredictable.

With the 19^th overall pick tonight, the Orioles selected Auburn catcher Ike Irish.

Irish, a 21-year-old left-handed hitter and Michigan-native, homered six times in his last eight games. He slashed .364/.469/.710 with 13 doubles, two triples, 19 homers, 58 RBIs, 33 walks, 37 strikeouts and 11 steals in 12 attempts over 55 games this season.

In three college seasons, Irish hit .350/.435/.625 with 48 doubles, five triples, 39 homers and 167 RBIs in 160 games. He batted .325/.438/.433 in the Cape Code League last summer.

Irish, listed at 6 foot 2 and 210 pounds, also plays the outfield. He caught in only 12 games this year, compared to playing 41 in right and four in left.

The Washington Nationals selected collegiate outfielder Ethan Petry out of the University of South Carolina in the second round with the No. 49 overall pick in the 2025 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Sunday. Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo; Vice President, Amateur Scouting Danny Haas; Senior Director, Amateur Scouting Brad Ciolek; and Assistant Director and National Crosschecker, Amateur Scouting Reed Dunn made the joint announcement.

Petry, 21, hit .321 with 10 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 34 RBI, 26 walks and 30 runs scored in 44 games for the Gamecocks in 2025. He posted a .437 on-base percentage and a .590 slugging percentage while leading the team in home runs and ranking second in RBI and walks.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound right-handed power hitter was named a consensus All-American, an All-Southeastern Conference First-Team selection and the Perfect Game National Freshman of the Year in 2023 after he hit .379 with a South Carolina freshman record 23 home runs and 75 RBI.

Petry added 21 more home runs his sophomore season in 2024, hitting .306 with eight doubles, a triple, 53 RBI, 51 walks and 57 runs scored. He was named to the All-NCAA Raleigh Regional after he was 3-for-7 with a pair of doubles.

A native of Land O’ Lakes, Fla., he attended Cypress Creek High School. A two-way prep player, he hit .402 with 80 runs scored, 29 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs and 80 RBI with a 1.211 OPS in his high school career. He was named the Sunshine Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2022 after he was 5-2 with a 1.97 ERA and 60 strikeouts on the mound in addition to his accomplishments at the plate.

Petry was ranked the No. 31 overall player in the 2022 class by Perfect Game and played in the High School All-American Game at Coors Field in Denver.

The Washington Nationals selected prep shortstop Eli Willits out of Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) High School with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Sunday. Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo; Vice President, Amateur Scouting Danny Haas; Senior Director, Amateur Scouting Brad Ciolek; and Assistant Director and National Crosschecker, Amateur Scouting Reed Dunn made the joint announcement.

Willits, 17, hit .473 with 14 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 34 RBI, 27 walks, 47 stolen bases and 56 runs scored while striking out just four times all season to lead the Mustangs to their sixth straight Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association Class B state title. He posted a .602 on-base percentage and a .912 slugging percentage to combine for a 1.514 OPS in 128 plate appearances.

Willits was named a  Baseball America, Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association and Perfect Game High School All-American, an Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association Class B All-Star and was an OBCA Class B All-State selection.

The switch-hitting Willits was also a member of the U-18 Team USA squad that won the gold medal at the 2024 World Baseball and Softball Confederation World Cup America qualifier to earn a place in the U-18 WBSC World Cup. He started all eight games for the Americans in center field and recorded four hits, four RBI and two stolen bases in the tournament. He registered one hit, a hit by a pitch and a stolen base in the gold medal game.

At 17 years old and seven months, Willits is the youngest first overall pick in Major League history and the fourth-youngest selection at any point in the history of the MLB Draft. After he reclassified to the 2025 class, he was rated the eighth overall player in the Perfect Game national rankings and the second in the state of Oklahoma, while being named a Perfect Game All-American in 2024.

The Orioles couldn’t conclude the unofficial first half of their season until downing a few more shots of misfortune.

Another player went on the injured list. The start was delayed 1 hour and 38 minutes due to rain. And a former teammate homered three times as part of a five-hit, six-RBI day.

It kept getting incrementally worse for the Orioles, who lost to the Marlins 11-1 before an announced crowd of 17,759 at eventually sunny Camden Yards. They were outscored 17-1 in the last two games but avoided their 11th shutout on Ramón Laureano’s 426-foot home run in the eighth.

The chance to win three straight series for the first time this season disappeared along with four baseballs thrown by rookie Brandon Young.

Kyle Stowers produced a solo homer and a pair of two-run shots within the first five innings, and he also singled twice to further celebrate his return to Baltimore. Otto Lopez also went deep, and the Orioles were down 7-0 before the bottom half of the fifth.

Tonight, the Orioles have a whopping four picks in the top 37 of the MLB Draft. 

Baltimore will select at No. 19, numbers 30 and 31 as compensation for losing Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander in free agency, and at No. 37, which they acquired in a trade that sent Bryan Baker to the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Years ago, the O’s farm system was seen as the best in baseball, and one of the best that the game has seen in recent memory. Through promotions and trades for big league talent, though, the prospect talent has thinned out. Four high draft picks can certainly change those fortunes. 

While the O’s have had the luxury of the No. 1 overall pick in Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday, they haven’t always needed it to select great players. Jordan Westburg was drafted 30th overall, Gunnar Henderson was a second-round pick, and Coby Mayo was a fourth rounder. There’s talent to be found everywhere if you know where to look. 

There is a chance, now with four picks, that the Orioles use one of those selections on a pitcher. The general consensus and chatter throughout the industry, though, seems to be that the O’s will select a position player at No. 19. There haven’t been much tying Baltimore to an arm with their first pick. 

MILWAUKEE – One more. There is only one more game to play before the Nationals head into the desperately-needed All-Star break.

This week has not been easy for the boys in curly W caps. The front office shakeup. The managerial change. Having lost seven of their last eight games, yesterday in spectacularly heartbreaking fashion. But there is one more game they need to battle through before they can finally rest for a couple of days.

Jake Irvin will try to be the stopper against the Brewers. And much like his team as a whole, he really needs to finish the first half on a strong note. Although his record is better than it was at this point last year (7-4 vs. 7-8), the rest of his numbers are worse. His ERA is over a run higher (from 3.49 to 4.78) and his WHIP is about 200 points higher (from 1.112 to 1.306). He also leads the National League with 22 home runs surrendered after giving up 14 in the first half last year. A strong outing against this potent Brewers offense would be a good step toward a strong second half.

The Nats' offense, on the other hand, will have to face another tough starting pitcher in Freddy Peralta. The right-hander was selected to the All-Star Game, but obviously will not pitch. So he will be full-go this afternoon in his first-half finale. Peralta is 10-4 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.086 WHIP over 19 starts, and he’s given up more than three earned runs in a start only once this year.

A small roster move this morning: The Nats recalled right-hander Andry Lara from Double-A Harrisburg to take the roster spot of Shinnosuke Ogasawara, who was optioned to Triple-A Rochester after yesterday's game.

MILWAUKEE – The Nationals made a small roster move ahead of their first-half finale against the Brewers. They recalled right-hander Andry Lara from Double-A Harrisburg to take the open roster spot left by Shinnosuke Ogasawara, who was optioned to Triple-A Rochester last night.

“Very happy. Very happy to be back here,” Lara said of coming back to a major league clubhouse, via interpreter Mauricio Ortiz.

Lara’s return comes 11 days after he made his major league debut on July 2 as the 27th man in the first game of a split doubleheader against the Tigers, in which he tossed three scoreless innings and struck out four to preserve the Nats' bullpen for the nightcap. His outing came in an 11-2 loss, but he was the lone bright spot for the team in a moment he’ll never forget.

“I remember everything. Everything,” Lara said. “It was really special to me. Of course, it was my major league debut. That's something I've always dreamed of, and I'm really happy.”

The debut was a long wait for the 22-year-old, who signed with the Nationals out of Venezuela for $1.25 million as one of their top international prospects six years ago. After some ups and downs in the minor leagues, Lara, currently the Nats’ No. 16 prospect per MLB Pipeline, gets another chance at the major league level.

The Orioles are ending the first half of the season today with Coby Mayo staying on the bench and the club sticking to its reasoning that winning games is the priority.

Mayo has started twice in the last 11 games and is 0-for-6 this month.

“I’ve talked to him a few times about it, just trying to communicate with him as good as I can, but a lot of it was the roster, and the addition of (Jordan) Westburg and T.O. (Tyler O’Neill) kind of take away spots,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino.

“Every day you have a scenario with four outfielders that you want to play – (Cedric) Mullins, (Colton) Cowser, T.O. and Ramón (Laureano) who, when Ramón got here earlier in the year, I don’t think he was expected to become what he’s become. He’s been a really good player. And then, you have three corner infield guys, essentially, and the fourth would be Mayo. You have (Ramón) Urías, who’s in the lineup, who I think everybody in the room would agree needs to play more. But who do you play Urías over? Do you play him over Westburg? Do you play him over (Ryan) O’Hearn on the corners? When you’ve got the four outfielders, one of them is going to run through to the DH, and you have Coby, too.”

Mayo went through an 11-for-36 stretch over 11 games to finish June but isn’t benefiting from Ryan Mountcastle’s extended stay on the injured list with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. The sudden roster crunch hurts him. And the Orioles aren’t ready to use the majors as an extension of player development while fighting to make up ground in the Wild Card chase.

The Orioles tweaked their bullpen again this morning, recalling left-hander Grant Wolfram from Triple-A Norfolk and designating right-hander Corbin Martin for assignment.

The 40-man roster remains full.

Wolfram tossed two scoreless innings as the 27^th man in Thursday’s doubleheader and earned his first major league win. He joins Gregory Soto as lefties in the ‘pen.

Soto only threw five pitches yesterday while letting an inherited runner score, but he also was used in Game 2 of the doubleheader.

The Orioles are 43-51 with one game remaining before the All-Star break. Yesterday’s loss left them 6 ½ back for the last Wild Card, with seven teams still ahead of them.

The day has arrived when the Orioles can make bold strokes in painting a rosier future for the organization.

The draft begins at 6 p.m. and the Orioles hold the 19^th selection, followed by the 30^th, 31^st, 37^th, 58th, 69th and 93^rd through three rounds. The rest of it plays out Monday.

The Orioles obtained the 37^th pick in the Competitive Balance A round after trading reliever Bryan Baker to the Rays. The move didn’t increase their workload or alter the strategy beyond having the extra selection.

“It’s exciting for our group because this is what we work towards all year is to get ready for the draft, and it just gives us another shot, another pick, some more money, which in terms of strategy gives you a little more flexibility to maybe do some more things,” said Matt Blood, the vice president of player development and domestic scouting. “But it’s really just another opportunity to get another really good player.”

The hope, of course, is that the Orioles land a bunch of them.

MILWAUKEE – The Nationals entered Saturday’s matchup with the Brewers needing to put Friday night’s loss behind them. They struggled mightily against opener DL Hall and regular starter Quinn Priester, who combined to hold them to just three runs over the course of the series opener.

But today, the Nats would only need to face one Milwaukee starting pitcher before manager Pat Murphy turned it over to his traditional relievers. The problem was that one starter was Brandon Woodruff.

That mattered little to two Nationals rookies, who hit two home runs off the two-time All-Star and then one more late in the game. But that was not enough to power their team to a win, as the Nats were walked off by the Brewers in the ninth for a 6-5 loss.

Handed a two-run lead following CJ Abrams’ sacrifice fly in the top of the inning, Kyle Finnegan immediately ran into trouble in the bottom of the ninth.

The Nats' closer issued a first-pitch infield single that bounced over third baseman Brady House's head to lead off the frame. He then walked Christian Yelich on four pitches and gave up a two-run double to Andrew Vaugn that tied the game at 5-5. After a groundout moved the runner to third and an intentional walk to set up a potential double play, Caleb Durbin hit a single down the right field line to give the home team the walk-off celebration.

Trevor Rogers sat at his locker early this afternoon with headphones on and his mind seemingly clear. Facing the Marlins for the first time didn’t tie his emotions in knots. He churned on the inside but played it straight. 

Rogers grabbed his glove, headed to the bullpen to warm up and strung together another terrific outing. What he lacked was support from his bullpen. He wasn’t consumed with revenge. He just needed to be rewarded.

Gregory Soto let an inherited runner score after Rogers exited with two outs in the seventh, Seranthony Domínguez gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Jesús Sánchez in the eighth, and the Marlins broke it open with four runs off Scott Blewett in the ninth in a 6-0 victory over the Orioles before announced crowd of 34,332 at Camden Yards.

Among the failings for the Orioles (43-51) was the attempt to move six games below .500 for the first time since May 3, but they can still win their third series in a row for the first time this season.

Rogers carried a shutout bid into the seventh after tossing 6 2/3 scoreless in his previous start. Dane Myers singled with two outs and Rogers left to a standing ovation, touching the bill of his cap as he approached the first base line. Soto hit Kyle Stowers and Derek Hill singled into left field to break a scoreless tie. Hill was tagged in a rundown.

Zach Eflin begins his injury rehab assignment Sunday at Double-A Chesapeake, as he works to return from lower back discomfort. Eflin will face hitters in Florida next Friday and “should be ready to go,” according to interim manager Tony Mansolino.

Cade Povich, recovered from left hip inflammation, starts Sunday at High-A Aberdeen and will pitch again next Saturday before the Orioles consider reinstating him.

First baseman Ryan Mountcastle will accompany the team to Tampa after the break and report to Norfolk on July 22, as he recovers from a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. He’s eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list on July 30.

“He’s starting to look pretty good,” Mansolino said. “We’re getting excited about him.”

Adley Rutschman took batting practice today from both sides of the plate to test his left oblique strain and will catch Kyle Bradish for two innings next Saturday in Florida.

Jacob Stallings made his fifth start and seventh appearance behind the plate last night with the Orioles. Alex Jackson should return to the lineup this weekend after doubling twice in his first start in Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader.

They’ve spent less than three weeks in the organization, Stallings arriving ahead of Jackson, and probably will stay together for a while. Four catchers are on the injured list – Adley Rutschman, Gary Sánchez, Maverick Handley and Chadwick Tromp – and none of the returns are imminent.

Rutschman (oblique) is doing some light hitting. Sánchez (knee) is projected to miss eight-to-10 weeks. Tromp (back) is doing full baseball activities but must go on a rehab assignment after the break. And he’s ahead of Handley (concussion), who’s playing catch and running but won’t swing a bat for at least a week.

“I have never seen anything like this before,” Tromp said. “The past four years I was with the Braves and we didn’t use more than three in all the seasons, so this is definitely strange and weird. You never know. But I believe in this group. I think we can do something special.”

The Orioles tied the franchise record by using six catchers this season. They needed only two in 2024, Rutschman and James McCann, which was an unusual occurrence for the club.