Nationals pick pitchers Mason Denaburg, Tim Cate in first two rounds of MLB Draft

The Washington Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Mason Denaburg No. 27 overall and left-handed pitcher Tim Cate No. 65 overall in the first and second rounds of the MLB Draft, respectively, on Monday night.

First-round pick Denaburg went 5-1 and struck out 73 batters in just eight starts during his senior season at Merritt Island High School in Florida this year. He also batted .410 with eight doubles, three triples, five home runs and 21 RBI.

Denaburg, who is 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, was ranked the No. 11 overall high school prospect by Perfect Game and the No. 3 high schooler in Florida.

“He is a strong, athletic kid with very clean arm action and three Major League quality pitches,” said Kris Kline, the Nationals’ vice president of scouting operations. “He’s a competitive, two-sport athlete who we saw a lot throughout his high school career.”

Cate, Washington’s second-round pick, played three seasons as the University of Connecticut and twice appeared on the Team USA Collegiate National Team. The lefty struck out 67 opposing batters in 11 games last year and went 5-4 with a 2.91 ERA. Before that, he struck out more than 100 batters as both a freshman and a sophomore. He stands 6-foot-1, 186 pounds.

“Tim Cate is an advanced collegiate starter who gained even more experience playing with Team USA for two summers,” Kline said. “He has one of the best left-handed curveballs in the draft to go along with a really good fastball. He is a strike thrower with good, smooth delivery.”

Rounds 3-10 of the draft will be held Tuesday, and it concludes Wednesday with rounds 11-40.