Montgomery County native Chris Hacopian is staying close to home after being selected by the Washington Nationals with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft.
Hacopian grew up in Potomac, attending Bells Mill Elementary School, Cabin John Middle School, and Winston Churchill High School before beginning his collegiate career at the University of Maryland. After two standout seasons with the Terrapins, he transferred to Texas A&M for his junior season, where he continued to establish himself as one of the nation’s top hitters.
In 2026, Hacopian earned First Team All-SEC honors after batting .319 with 53 hits, 11 home runs, 41 RBIs, 10 doubles, and 34 runs scored in 42 games. He recorded 15 multi-hit games, including a pair of home runs and four RBIs against Ole Miss and another four-RBI performance in the College Station Regional against Texas State.
Prior to the season, he was named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List and was recognized as a preseason All-American by Baseball America, D1Baseball, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and Perfect Game.
During his two seasons at Maryland, Hacopian started every game he played. As a sophomore in 2025, he hit .375 with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs, and a .502 on-base percentage, earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors. As a freshman in 2024, he batted .323 with 15 home runs and was named a Freshman All-American by D1Baseball, Baseball America, and Perfect Game, in addition to earning Second Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.
Before college, Hacopian starred at Winston Churchill High School, where he was named the 2022 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, earned Washington Post All-Met honors, and received 2023 Perfect Game Preseason All-America recognition.
Now, the standout infielder returns to the Washington area to begin his professional career after becoming the Nationals’ first-round selection with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
