Feel the draft?

The Mets haven't even put their uniforms on yet for tonight's 7 p.m. game at RFK, and top executives and scouts for the Nationals are already prepping for the June 7 draft. How refreshing. What's interesting about it, even moreso than the Nationals' seemingly genuine determination to make the right pick, is the historic significance of it. The top two college guys will already be snagged by the D-backs and Kansas City Royals by the time the Nationals make the fourth pick. As GM Jim Bowden points out in the Post article, "This is going to be the first Washington National-scouted, developed, home-bred player, and we want to make sure we get the best all-around player with the best all-around makeup to end up with the best result for this franchise. It's the most important decision of the 2005 season for this club long-term."

No pressure.