The first three months of this Washington Nationals season were very encouraging. It looked like the Nats were only a few moves away from putting together a team that could challenge for a Wild Card spot next season. However, the last six weeks have shown how far away they still are. The team has a long way to go before they are ready to challenge the National League’s elite.
Nationals Getting a Reality Check
Faltering Pitching Staff
For most of the season, the Nationals pitching staff has been the strength of the team. The arms were carrying a bad lineup to a respectable record. However, the pitching has fallen off since the start of July. The young starters are showing signs of fatigue as the innings build up, and the back end of the bullpen has become unreliable. MacKenzie Gore‘s well-documented struggles seem to be getting worse by the start, and other rotation stalwarts like Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin have been less effective. Closer Kyle Finnegan also had a brutal July, posting a 7.59 ERA in 12 appearances after being ultra-reliable for the first three months. All this adds up to a major reason for this late-season reality check for the Nationals.
The results of this pitching falloff have been devastating. The team went 10-16 in July despite scoring more runs than they had in any other month. They scored 121 runs in July, but allowed 160. The Nationals had not given up more than 118 runs in a month prior to July. The pitching staff gave the Nationals a solid foundation, and something to build around. However, that foundation is cracking, and this Nationals team no longer has a strength to build around.
Offense Still an Issue
The Nationals offense has actually improved during the team’s slump, but it is still a weak unit. While Luis Garcia Jr. and Juan Yepez have been red hot, other players such as CJ Abrams have been struggling since the start of July. The team has also been hitting the ball on the ground a lot, with a 50.5% ground ball rate since July 1st, the highest in baseball in that timeframe. Hitting the ball on the ground too much has been a recurring issue during Darnell Coles‘ tenure as hitting coach. It has led to a lack of power, with the Nationals ranking last in baseball in home runs.
There are plenty of young pieces to dream on in the Nationals organization. CJ Abrams and James Wood have shown big potential at the plate, and prospects Dylan Crews and Brady House are close to the big leagues. However, the Nationals still need to make big upgrades to the offense in the offseason. Relying exclusively on youngsters to generate a good offense will not work. The jump from Triple-A to MLB is bigger than ever, meaning Crews and House will need time to adjust. James Wood is already a quality hitter, but he still needs to make adjustments to tap into his plus-plus raw power. The Nationals’ recent reality check shows they need to supplement their young talent with veterans.
Time to Spend
The Nationals have been one of the worst teams in baseball since their World Series title in 2019. As they get further along in their rebuild, winning is going to be expected. For this team to win, they will need to spend money to augment the young core. With Patrick Corbin coming off the books, there is no excuse for the team not to be active in the market. The Joey Gallo-type one-year deals are not acceptable anymore. The Nationals need to show they are serious about improving this team.
The Nationals do not need to fix everything this winter, but they do need to assert themselves in the market to improve. The team still needs power bats, a front-of-the-rotation arm, and bullpen help if they want to compete. The expectations are not World Series or bust in 2025, but the Nationals need to climb out of the cellar of the National League. There is plenty of young talent, but the win totals need to start improving. After a bright start, it looks like the Nationals will finish with virtually the same record they had in 2023.
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