MLB Draft 2017: Nationals select Seth Romero with 25th overall pick

With the 25th pick in the draft, the Nationals have selected left-handed pitcher Seth Romero, formerly of the University of Houston. In mock drafts, Romero was projected to go 25th by MLB.com, Baseball America, and ESPN.

Romero is virtually the same size as and possesses a repertoire similar to a young Jon Lester, throwing a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and complementing it with a plus slider and changeup.

Unfortunately, Romero has dealt with a variety of issues off the field, struggling with conditioning and becoming the subject of controversy on various occasions for failing a drug test, appearing in a photo with a bong while in full uniform, breaking curfew, and violating team travel rules according to the Houston Chronicle. He was dismissed from the Houston baseball program last month, which Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com reports was due to a fight during batting practice.

Romero obviously has polished stuff and could potentially make a rapid ascent through the minors if he ends up as a reliever, but overall he’s a total question mark due to his conditioning and character concerns.