Washington Nationals fans react to team being ineligible to land a top-9 pick in 2024 MLB Draft Lottery under new CBA rules: "MLB can be so dumb"

The Washington Nationals picked No. 2 in the 2023 MLB draft. The team will not be picking that high in 2024.

According to the new collective bargaining agreement, the Nationals are not allowed to pick any higher than 10th in the 2024 MLB draft lottery due to the size of the Washington, D.C., market under the guidelines of MLB's revenue sharing plan.

The Washington Nationals have improved on the team's 55-107 finish in 2022 that eventually got them the No. 2 pick behind only the Pittsburgh Pirates in this week's MLB Draft.

However, the Nationals still possess the fourth-worst record in the major leagues as of the All-Star break at 36-54. If Washington's rank among MLB teams holds, the new CBA ensures that the Nationals could pick no better than six slots below where the team would if there was no draft lottery.

In other words, the Washington Nationals had better hope that their 2023 pick, outfielder Dylan Crews, pays off.

Crews was regarded as the best player in the MLB draft by many insiders after winning the 2023 Golden Spikes Award, which recognizes the top amateur player in the United States.

A center fielder by trade, Crews collected more walks than strikeouts in his collegiate career. He is regarded by many insiders as the most pro-ready player in the draft.

Crews hit .426 with an on-base percentage of .567 and a slugging percentage of .713 in the 2023 season, smacking 18 homers to help lead the LSU Tigers to the seventh national championship in program history.

The Washington metropolitan area ranks ninth among MLB markets in population size at 5,476,241 potential fans as of the latest census. That's 11 spots higher than the Nationals' cross-league cousin, the Baltimore Orioles. The Baltimore metropolitan area, approximately 45 minutes away from D.C., ranks 20th at 2,690,886.

The Washington Nationals have finished in last place in the National League East every season since winning the 2019 World Series.

Washington Nationals won't be rewarded for tanking

Josiah Gray of the Washington Nationals speaks to the media during Gatorade All-Star Workout Day at T-Mobile Park on Monday in Seattle, Washington.

The Nationals had a stretch of success last decade, but have been awful since winning the organization's first World Series four seasons ago.

The 107 losses suffered by last year's team ties the most by the organization since it was known as the Montreal Expos in 1976.