4/13 13:45: Nationals Director of Amateur Scouting Kris Kline told The Washington Post, “I don’t think that’s etched in stone,” when questioned about the National’s first pick. Kline added, “we’re going to keep scouting guys until the end of the draft.”

“We’ve spent a lot of time with Bryce,” Kline said. “We have a good feel for what he is and what he’s capable of being. But there’s other guys we like, too.”

4/13 11:39: According to Ben Goessling of MASNSports, barring an injury or a drastic change, the Washington Nationals plan to draft 17-year-old Bryce Harper with the first pick in this June’s amateur draft.

Harper is currently playing at the College of Southern Nevada, a junior college, and is batting .422 with a .516 on-base percentage, .891 slugging percentage, 15 home runs and 42 RBIs in 39 games.

The Nationals believe that Harper has the same talent has Braves’ slugger Jayson Heyward.

Harper has super agent Scott Boras advising him, so it will not be a surprise if he get a larger contract than last year’s number one pick, Steven Strasburg. Strasburg, another Boras client, signed a four-year, $15.1 million deal with the Nationals. However, according to the article, Boras does not consider Harper to be in the same class as Strasburg.