After one season with Arizona, pitcher Julian Tonghini was selected 201st overall by the Washington Nationals in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft. Tonghini is the fifth Arizona player and first pitcher selected in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Tonghini was preceded by outfielders Brendan Summerhill and Aaron Walton, shortstop Mason White and catcher Adoyns Guzman as 2025 MLB draftees. Arizona had four players selected in the 2024 MLB Draft and five taken in 2023.
Tonghini will slot in at $302,500. Washington has gone pitching heavy in their draft. Washington previously chose high school pitchers Landon Harmon and Miguel Sime Jr. and chose Riley Maddox from the University of Mississippi after Tonghini in the eighth round.
Tonghini was 5-2 with a 4.22 earned run average in 25.1 innings pitched, 23 hits, 14 walks, three hit batters and 44 strikeouts with a .230 opponent batting average in one season with Arizona. Prior to Arizona, Tonghini pitched two seasons for Boston College and one for Indiana.
Welcome to the @Nationals, Julian!
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) July 14, 2025
With the 201st pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the Nats select RHP Julian Tonghini from Arizona. pic.twitter.com/kQ7ULn0FDh
Pitcher Andrew Dutkanych from Vanderbilt was the 201st pick by the Saint Louis Cardinals in the 2024 MLB Draft. Dutkanych currently pitches for the Cardinals team in the Florida Complex League. Dutkanych is coming back from Tommy John surgery.
Tonghini could potentially play for Washington's team in the FCL, the Class-A Fredericksburg Nationals or the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks. Arizona head coach Chip Hale was the Washington bench coach from 2018 through 2020 and won a World Series with the Nationals.
Former Arizona pitcher Jackson Kent was drafted by Washington in 2024 and currently pitches for Wilmington. Kent pitched two seasons for Arizona and was a full-time starter in 2024 as the Wildcats won the Pac-12 regular season and tournament championships.
Tonghini had an excellent 44-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 15.6 strikeouts per nine innings. His one season with Arizona was the best for Tonghini in college. Scouts like the 6'4 and 208-pound frame Tonghini brings to the mound.