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[Washington Nationals]

Brady House: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly to start his MLB Career

After a 4-year wait from being selected 11th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft to 2025, Brady House made his much-anticipated big league debut on June 16th against the Colorado Rockies. Since then, he’s played a total of 55 games, all at third base, and accumulated 209 plate appearances. While it’s certainly too early to make any final calls on House’s future, especially since his high swing-and-miss, high power output archetype is one that can take time to acclimate to big league pitching, let’s still take a look at what he’s done well so far, and what he needs to improve on.

The Good

Defense

House began his professional career at shortstop, but a back injury in 2022, combined with the sentiment from scouts that he was likely better suited for third base in pro ball anyway, led to him making the transition to the hot corner in 2023. Since then, he’s only gotten better and better there, and it’s become evident he is a more than capable big league defender in his short big league stint.

According to Statcast, House’s range ranks in the 63rd percentile among all big league third basemen, but his arm is where he really shows off, as his average arm strength of 89 MPH ranks 5th among all third basemen, and his max throw velocity of 94.4 MPH ranks 6th. To be such an impressive big league defender at the hot corner at such a young age is an incredible achievement for House, and there is serious Gold Glove potential if he continues to build himself up over there as he has the past few years.

WHAT. A. PLAY. Brady House lays out in the 9th and fires a rocket to first to get Caminero! That’s big-league defense right there #Natitude #WebGem pic.twitter.com/y97i7oOI8y

— natsfanatics (@natsfanatics_) August 30, 2025

The Hard Hits

While it’s been a struggle to turn it into consistent power so far, with both of House’s big league homers coming on July 12th in Milwaukee, House has indeed been hitting the ball hard to begin his big league career. While he’s yet to play enough games for his hitting numbers to qualify for the percentage leaderboards on Statcast, his average exit velocity of 89.8 MPH looks to register just above the 50th percentile mark, and his hard hit rate of 45.2% ranks even higher than that.

We also finally got a look at House’s bat speed upon his big league arrival, and so far, it is pretty solid, coming in around the 55th percentile of all hitters. House hasn’t been generating consistent power just yet due to a variety of factors, which I will dive into later in the article, but so far, he’s showing the ingredients of a future solid power hitter at the major league level.

The Speed

This one may come as a surprise to some, but House has registered some pretty solid run times in his first big league stint, as his average sprint speed of 27.8 MPH ranks in the 61st percentile in MLB, including 24th out of 73 qualified third basemen (many of those ahead of him not being true third basemen but rather utility players). House has also flashed strong instincts on the basepaths, as he’s swiped 4 bags and only been caught once in his 55 career big league games, double-digit steal pace over the course of a full season. Whether this speed is the product of House being young and hungry to prove himself still or not, the ability to swipe double-digit bases to go along with great defense and 20+ home runs per year would make House a surefire top 10 third baseman in the league.

The Bad

The Plate Approach

House has never been known for his plate discipline or bat-to-ball skills, walking just 7.1% of the time and striking out 26.5% of the time in Triple-A this season, but the issue has become even more glaring in the start to his big league career, as he’s walking just 2.4% of the time and striking out 28.7% of the time. That equates to a 0.08 BB/K ratio, which is the worst in baseball among all hitters with at least 200 plate appearances. It is possible to be an above-average hitter with a bad BB/K ratio, but it’s much more difficult, as just 1 hitter in the bottom 18 has a wRC+ over 100 (Kerry Carpenter, 117), and 6 of the top 30 are above 100, none over 117.

While the approach is cause for concern, the bottom line is the current coaching staff has failed to institute a real plate approach with any of the youngsters on the Nats (With Keibert Ruiz and Luis Garcia Jr. being the primary examples). I expect House to make some strides in this department in 2026 with a new regime in charge, though House’s plate approach is likely never going to be a calling card for him.

The Ground Balls And Opposite Field Fly Balls

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but a National is hitting too many groundballs, and it’s stopping him from unlocking his power potential. Yes, like many Nationals prospects before him, House hasn’t had the necessary tweaks made to his swing to hit for more consistent power by the Nationals coaches at any level. Unsurprisingly, the issue has become apparent now that he’s facing big league pitching that doesn’t make as many mistakes, and House has just 10 doubles and 2 home runs through 201 big league at-bats. Unless you’re Jacob Young, offensive success is found through hitting the ball into the gaps and over the fence, and, according to House’s spray chart of his hits, he’s living on seeing-eye singles and down-the-line doubles, a difficult recipe for sustainable success.

House, also like many other Nats, isn’t pulling the fly balls he is hitting, a factor that is preventing him from reaching his true power potential. His 12.5% pulled fly ball percentage, if qualified, would be among the bottom 40 in baseball, alongside almost strictly contact hitters, with the select few power hitters being those who consistently smoke the baseball, such as James Wood and Corey Seager. Pete Crow-Armstrong, who’s 28.4% pulled fly ball percentage, is an example of how a player with a tendency to swing-and-miss to get close to maximizing their offensive value, and that is by making every ball in play count, something House is struggling with so far in his short big league stint.

The Ugly

The Whiffs

House’s swing and miss issues have been well documented, and they have persisted at the start of his big league career. He ranks near the bottom in baseball in chase and whiff percentage, and has been getting bullied by pitchers low and away, with a whiff percentage of 65% on pitches low and away out of the zone. His sweet spot is up and inside, as it’s the pitches he swings at the most and makes the most contact, but he can’t hunt for the pitches he wants when he’s constantly getting behind in the count chasing sliders out of the zone. The pitch giving House the most trouble, however, is the fastball, as he has a -7 run value against them and a 30.7% whiff rate.

Unlike the problems in “the bad”, which are problematic but likely solvable, there may not be much that can be done about House’s swing and miss issues as a whole. Sure, an improved approach will help him lay off more of the ones out of the zone and give him the opportunity to sit the pitches he does like, but it won’t stop pitchers from attacking in the zone early with the pitches House struggles with.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Brady House is just 22 years old and has played just 55 career big league games, meaning it’s way, way, way too early to make any final calls on who he will turn out to be. What we can do, however, is look at the sample as it stands and compare it to his minor league performance to see what type of player we are dealing with. Who is Brady House? He is a slick fielding, sneakily speedy, power-hitting third baseman who struggles with swinging and missing and optimizing his batted ball profile. I am excited to see how House continues to grow and change at the big league level, especially under a new and improved coaching staff in 2026.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/85894/brady-house-good-bad-and-ugly-to-start-his-mlb-career

 

[Washington Nationals]

Nasim Nunez’s shocking power explosion leads Nationals to a sweep

I cannot believe I am writing this, but Nasim Nunez led the Washington Nationals to victory with his home run power. The light hitting shortstop had never hit a home run in his big league career and had only hit nine in over 1,500 Minor League at bats. However, today was different.

On an early September afternoon with a sparse crowd, Nasim Nunez had the game of his life. Games like this are why we keep watching even when the season is lost and the vibes are low. You never know what can happen in baseball. Today, Nasim Nunez reminded us of that.

He hit not one but two homers against the Miami Marlins. In addition to being the first two of his career, the moment was made even sweeter by the fact that Nunez was drafted by the Marlins and played four Minor League seasons with them. Prior to the 2024 season, the Marlins left Nunez unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft and the Nats selected him.

Nasim Nunez has hit two home runs today. To two different fields. Against the team that did not protect him in the Rule 5 draft. These are the first two home runs of his career. I can't believe this.

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) September 3, 2025

Before the Nunez magic, the Nats offense was already firing on all cylinders against the Marlins young ace Eury Perez. They scored three in the first thanks to a Luis Garcia Jr. two run single and a 113 mph RBI double by Jorge Alfaro who was making his Nats debut. Perez seems to be wearing down as the season wraps up and the Nationals made him pay.

In the second inning, Nasim Nunez’s moment came. On a 2-1 pitch, Perez threw a center cut fastball and Nunez did not miss. He yanked it into the bullpen out in right field. As he rounded the bases, he had a big smile on his face, as did everyone in the dugout.

Nasim Nuñez hits his first Major League homer pic.twitter.com/74ewZcTZgR

— MLB (@MLB) September 3, 2025

Nunez is one of those super likable energy guys who just makes the whole atmosphere more positive. He also seems to be the one guy who is able to get James Wood out of his shell. You need guys like that around, especially when they provide elite defense.

However, Nunez was not the only guy to have a big day at the plate. Daylen Lile and Brady House also had multi-hit days. It has been a struggle for House offensively, so today was very encouraging.

His big moment came in the 4th inning when he deposited a hanging breaking ball from Perez into the left field seats. Before today, House had only homered in one game. That was back on July 12th when he left the yard twice against the Brewers. We know that House has the raw power, but we have not seen it enough in games. Today we saw that over the fence pop we know House possesses.

We were not done with the Nasim Nunez experience though. In the 8th inning, the charismatic Nunez came to the plate and did it again. This time he blasted a home run to the opposite field. I did not think Nunez had the juice to hit one out to left center, but he did just that.

Nasim Nuñez homers again!

His first two career home runs have come in today's game pic.twitter.com/12Ystq6sVe

— MLB (@MLB) September 3, 2025

This was a feel good day for the Nats. They secured only their second sweep of the season. The first one came in mid-May against a reeling Orioles team. However, this one came against a division rival they have struggled with this season. That one has to feel real good for the boys. Hopefully they can build on it to close out the season.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...king-power-explosion-leads-nationals-to-sweep

 

[Washington Nationals]

How the Washington Nationals bullpen has been shockingly good lately

For most of the season, the Washington Nationals bullpen has been abysmal. Sure, they showed signs of competency at a couple points, but overall it has been a disaster. There is a reason that they have the worst bullpen ERA in all of baseball. However, the Nationals look to have finally found a group of guys who are performing at a high level.

Lately, the bullpen has been absolute nails. Yesterday, they finally allowed a run for the first time in 19.1 innings. It came via a Jorge Alfaro passed ball with a wild Mason Thompson on the mound. Thompson is not one of the high leverage options and the game was in a secure place anyways.

The Nationals bullpen's streak of 19 1/3 scoreless innings just ended when Jorge Alfaro was charged with a passed ball on Mason Thompson's wayward slider.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) September 3, 2025

There have been a lot of valuable performers, but three guys have stood above the rest. PJ Poulin, Jose A. Ferrer and Clayton Beeter have been dominant lately. These three all have very different stories that we will talk about here. Now let’s break them down.

The Closer:

There has been a lot of talk about how dominant Kyle Finnegan has been since arriving in Detroit. However, his replacement has been nearly as good. In his last 30 appearances, Jose A. Ferrer has a 1.93 ERA in 32.2 innings. However, my favorite stat is that he has just 3 walks in those 32.2 innings of work. For a guy that throws 100 mph, that is absurd.

Ferrer does not feel like a guy who never walks anyone, but he is. For the season, he is walking just 4.6% of hitters, which is elite. Before the season, I was super high on Ferrer and thought he was the closer of the future. That looked silly in early May when he had an ERA over 8. However, he looks like that dominant future closer who gets a ton of ground balls.

One thing that I have really liked from Ferrer lately is that he is mixing it up more. Early in the year, Ferrer abandoned his slider in favor of a sinker/changeup mix. However, he has brought it back lately and it has been dominant. That slider adds whiffs to his arsenal, which he needs.

Despite throwing a 97-100 mph sinker, that pitch is more of a ground ball pitch than a whiff generator. However, the slider adds a new wrinkle. With his stuff, I think Ferrer can be a very good back end of the bullpen arm for years to come.

The Sidearmer:

Since being claimed on waivers a month ago, PJ Poulin has been such a reliable presence in the ‘pen. The southpaw is not an overpowering guy, but his whacky arm angle has given big league hitters fits.

PJ Poulin is a pure sidearmer who relies on deception to get outs. His fastball averages 90.7 MPH but it plays above that velocity. To go with that heater, Poulin has a sweeper and a changeup.

He uses the sweeper to both lefties and righties, but it is relied on more against lefties. Poulin uses his changeup exclusively against righties and it works like a charm. Despite having the look of a lefty specialist, right handed hitters have actually had a tougher time against him due to the changeup.

Poulin has been Mike DeBartolo’s biggest success story so far. He was a 29 year old who had never pitched in the MLB. However, DeBartolo saw something in him when he was on waivers. He claimed Poulin and immediately brought him to the MLB.

So far, MLB hitters have not fazed Poulin. He has a 1.59 ERA in his first 16 MLB outings. The best organizations can find guys like Poulin so they don’t have to spend big time money building a bullpen. If you can build a cheap bullpen, money can be spent on areas where it is harder to find diamonds in the rough.

The Trade Piece:

The other guy who has been impressing in the Nats bullpen is Clayton Beeter. We talked about Beeter a couple days ago if you want to read that piece. To sum it up, Beeter has dominant stuff, but can have trouble finding the zone.

Lately, Beeter has been mostly throwing strikes and letting his stuff shine. Unlike Poulin, Beeter was a known commodity. He was drafted by the Dodgers with the 66th pick in the 2020 draft and was a well thought of pitching prospect.

Beeter was traded from the Dodgers to the Yankees in a move that sent Joey Gallo to LA. Gallo was not that far removed from his Texas days at that point, so Beeter had real value. While Beeter showed flashes of dominance, he never threw enough strikes to start.

After a move to the bullpen late last year, he was shipped to the Nats as part of a move that sent Amed Rosario to the Bronx. Since coming to the Nats, Beeter has found a new gear.

In 14 outings with the Nats, Beeter has a 2.84 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 12.2 innings. That is 11.37 K/9, which is an elite number. Sure, there have been a couple outings where Beeter just doesn’t have any idea where the ball is going. However, he has been throwing strikes more often lately.

With his filthy fastball/slider mix, all he needs to do is be around the zone. The stuff will take care of the rest. Beeter will probably always be quite volatile due to his control, but he is emerging as a piece of this Nats bullpen.

Moving Forward:

While these guys will all have bad outings at some point, they look like keepers moving forward. Another great thing about all three is that they are cheap and have many years of team control.

That is how you build a good bullpen. You need cheap, controllable guys to be core members of the unit. Buying a bullpen can be a bad investment because of how volatile the position is. However, if you can cycle through these cheap guys, you can build an effective pen. That is what teams like the Rays have been doing all these years.

It is good to see the Nats finally adapt and churn through relievers until they find a good one. For every Ryan Loutos and Eduardo Salazar, you can find a PJ Poulin. I like the direction this Nats bullpen is going and think it can help make the unit better long term. For a long time, the bullpen has been a problem for the Nats, but with some new strategies, that might change.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...onals-bullpen-has-been-shockingly-good-lately

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Game Thread

The Nationals are in a rare position to secure a sweep. After taking the first two games from the Marlins, they will look for only their second sweep of the season. In a divisional matchup, a sweep is always extra sweet. However, it will be a tall task.

Miguel Cairo is making a lot of changes to his lineup. CJ Abrams will get a rare day off as recently promoted Nasim Nunez will take his place. Brady House will be back in the lineup after sitting out yesterday. So will Robert Hassell III, who has been struggling lately. Jorge Alfaro will make his Nationals debut behind the plate. He will be catching Mitchell Parker, who had a decent start last time out.

one hundred thirty nine. pic.twitter.com/QjWZAnNM4s

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 3, 2025

The Marlins will make some changes to the bottom of their order with a lefty on the mound. Eric Wagaman and Joey Wiemer will return to the lineup. After being the DH last night, Agustin Ramirez will do the catching. He will catch Eury Perez, who will be angry after failing to get out of the 1st inning in his last start. Perez is the Marlins crown jewel on the mound.

Wrapping up on the road.

: @FanDuelSN_FL , @FDSN_Marlins
: @MarlinsRadio , @FoxSports940
: 1:05 PM ET #MarlinsBeisbolhttps://t.co/1LawDwmWqH pic.twitter.com/FK04gjbrek

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 3, 2025

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 1:05 PM EST

TV: MASN

Radio: 106.7 The Fan and DC 87.7

The Nats have played surprisingly clean baseball these first two games. Who knew that good pitching and solid defense led to wins. Hopefully that can continue this afternoon. It has been a miserable season, but a strong September would be nice. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ington-nationals-vs-miami-marlins-game-thread

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals have an understandable attendance problem

The Washington Nationals had a great series against the Marlins. They got their second sweep of the season and looked like a serious, well drilled operation. However, one thing stuck out like a sore thumb when watching the games, nobody was in the crowd. The stadium was awkwardly empty and I want to discuss that.

I think it is emptier at first pitch today. The Nationals looking to finish off a sweep of the Marlins. https://t.co/wDd7khuImp pic.twitter.com/HT09jeyiBJ

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) September 3, 2025

Sure, there are plenty of factors. The last two games were the two days after Labor Day, and parents are getting their kids back to school. They were also playing a Marlins team that is not a big draw. When you are a bad team, fans are more likely to show up when you face a team with a bunch of stars like the Dodgers or Mets. Those fanbases also travel well.

With all that being said, the crowds were still insanely light. The announced attendance of 11,190 felt generous. So much so that a fan yelled out “liar” after it was announced. It was a rough visual to say the least.

Announced attendance: 11,190. Smallest announced crowd of the season. And a fan just yelled "Liar" below the press box. https://t.co/7LDanssFEJ

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) September 3, 2025

Sometimes when there are double headers, the first game can be very empty, but I cannot remember a time where Nationals Park looked that bad. It makes me worry about the future of the team. If I were Mark Lerner, I would be frightened by that visual.

With the Commanders on the rise and moving back into DC, could that eat into the Nationals fanbase. Something that helped baseball in DC grow was the fact that the football team was so poorly run that it led fans to dive deeper into other sports. This phenomenon helped the Nats and the Caps greatly. They filled the void that the Dan Snyder regime created.

Now Snyder is gone and Mark Lerner is the owner with a target on his back in the city. This 2025 season was supposed to be a year of growth. However, after a lackluster offseason and a disastrous season, Nationals ownership is getting more heat than it has had in years.

The World Series title gave the Lerner’s and Nationals management some built up good will. While having to blow up that old core was frustrating, fans were mostly understanding. That was an aging team and with a World Series not too long ago, fans were willing to go through a painful but necessary rebuild.

However, this season was proof that the rebuild has failed. At a certain point you go from a rebuilding franchise to a losing franchise. For many fans, this was the year where the Rubicon was crossed. They are angry and drawing fewer than 40,000 fans across three games is proof of that.

Nationals complete the sweep of the Marlins despite a season-low crowd of 11,190 — the 6th smallest in team history (excluding COVID-restricted games). The three-game Marlins series drew fewer fans (37,397) than Opening Day vs Phillies (41,231). pic.twitter.com/c4n93k1tzt

— natsfanatics (@natsfanatics_) September 4, 2025

Back to that World Series, the Nats really did not get to totally enjoy the fruits of their labor. 2020 was supposed to be a triumphant year where the Nats could soak in their success and campaign as the defending champions. However, the Covid-19 pandemic threw a wrench into those plans.

Of course, fans were not allowed in the stands in the 2020 season. This really killed a lot of the momentum and fan excitement that the World Series created. That showed in the 2021 season as the Nationals finished 12th in the National League in attendance.

The momentum was gone and by July of 2021, the Nats had gone into a rebuild. At that deadline, they traded stars like Trea Turner and Max Scherzer. They also moved complimentary pieces who played a big role in the World Series win like Yan Gomes and Daniel Hudson. That era of Nationals baseball was gone and the fans did not even get a chance to celebrate it.

Despite having a 100 loss season, attendance was not terrible in 2022. They drew just over 25,ooo a game. That ranked 11th in the National League, the same ranking as 2019. The highest the Nationals ever ranked was 5th in the NL in attendance back in 2015.

The last three years, the Nationals have been 13th in the NL in attendance and are drawing just over 24,000 a game this year. With how things are trending, it will likely fall below the 24,000 number by the end of the season.

When the team was really humming, the team drew between 30-32,ooo a night. I really miss those days when we had a lively Nationals Park crowd. The only time you see a packed house these days is when the Savannah Bananas are in town.

The Savannah Bananas sold out 42,000 seats at Nationals Park in D.C. this weekend, the largest game in the team’s history pic.twitter.com/fsrx2BBgQC

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 15, 2024

The empty stands are good imagery of how far the product has fallen since 2019. I miss the days when Nationals ownership was invested in the team and was doing whatever it took to win. Now the owners are seemingly unwilling to cough up much more than $10 million on any players.

All of this just makes me miss winning baseball. Even after the sweep this week, the vibes just seem dead around this organization. Ownership needs to get control of the situation and solve these problems before it is too late. There was a time where DC did not have baseball and I hope there is never a time like that ever again.

If big changes are not made, the crowds are going to continue to shrink. There needs to be a sense of urgency in this organization. Hopefully the midseason firings are a sign that the urgency is there. The organization is in a tough spot right now and when you do not give the fans a good product, they will not show up.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...ionals-have-understandable-attendance-problem

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Game Thread

It will be a windy day in the Windy City. The wind is blowing out to right field up to 20 mph this afternoon. That will make it tough for the pitchers because the ball will fly today. So the objective is to keep the ball on the ground for Jake Irvin.

Despite his heroics the other day, Nasim Nunez does not get the start. CJ Abrams will be back at shortstop. That is the life of a bench player I guess. After struggling against the Marlins, Dylan Crews will get the day off. His power has been missing since coming back from injury. Andres Chaparro will be at first base and Riley Adams will be back behind the plate. Adams will be catching Jake Irvin.

Nats RHP Irvin at Cubs RHP Assad (2:20/AppleTV+) pic.twitter.com/dzOZX3Dpw8

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) September 5, 2025

Kyle Tucker has been nursing a minor injury for the Cubs, so he will be out of the lineup. The versatile Willi Castro will be in right field in his place. Reese McGuire will be doing the catching over their starter Carson Kelly. The Cubs have a strong and stable starting 9, so those are their only deviations. Javier Assad was excellent for the Cubs in 2024, but has been squeezed out of the rotation for most of this season. He will pitch today though.

Start of three vs. D.C. pic.twitter.com/ndwXW7rSaQ

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 5, 2025

Game Info:

Stadium: Wrigley Field

Time: 2:20 PM EST

TV: Apple TV+

Radio: 106.7 The Fan and DC 87.7

After a sweep over the Marlins, the Nats have a tough road assignment. The Cubs are a playoff team and have big ambitions. While their chances are slim, they have a chance to catch the Brewers for the NL Central crown if they get hot. However, they need to knock off the scrappy Nats. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...hington-nationals-vs-chicago-cubs-game-thread

 

[Washington Nationals]

Nationals Head to Chicago Looking to Slow Down Surging Cubs

Washington is heading into this matchup as one of the worst teams in all of baseball. With a record of 56-83, this has been one of the most disappointing seasons for the franchise. Injuries and inconsistent play have derailed this season, and numerous questions surround not just the players but the organization as a whole.

Chicago enters this series as one of the best teams in all of baseball. They currently hold the top Wild Card spot in the National League. They trail the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central; however, Chicago still has a chance to regain the lead with one of the easiest remaining schedules in baseball. Even though this is late in the season against the lowly Nationals, this is a must-win series for the Chicago Cubs.

Let’s dive into the Chicago Cubs’ 2025 season stats.

TEAM STATS

Chicago’s Lineup Keeps the Pressure On

In the first half, the Chicago Cubs had the most electrifying offense in all of baseball. Pete Crow-Armstrong was in the MVP conversation, and Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch, and Seiya Suzuki were some of the best players at their positions. This season has been a tale of two halves, as Chicago has cooled down significantly since the All-Star break. When this team is hot, they are arguably the best team in baseball. As a team, they are batting .249 (15th), scored 688 runs (7th), hit 189 home runs (8th), on-base percentage of 3.19 (12th), and a slugging percentage of .427 (7th).

Rotation Setting the Tone

Heading into the season, there were concerns about the starting rotation for Chicago. With Justin Steele going down early in the season, fans expected the starting rotation to falter; however, the rotation has been excellent. With Matthew Boyd’s breakout, Cade Horton’s ROTY-level season, and Shota Imanaga performing well, this rotation has been the best it has been in years. The bullpen has improved significantly from last season, helping Chicago become one of the best teams in baseball. As a team, they have a 3.88 ERA (9th), hit 173 home runs (23rd), a 1.21 WHIP (2nd), and teams are hitting .243 against them (13th).

GAME ONE – Friday, 2:20 PM EDT

WAS: RHP Jake Irvin (8-10) – 28 G, 5.42 ERA, 102 SO, 1.41 WHIP, 77 ERA+

CHI: RHP Javier Assad (1-1) – 4 G, 4.05 ERA, 10 SO, 1.35 WHIP, 95 ERA+

Irvin has struggled with run prevention in his last handful of starts and has continued a disappointing streak of Nationals pitchers. 2025 has been statistically the worst season of his career, and his future with Washington could be in question heading into 2026. In his last start, Irvin threw six innings and allowed five hits and four runs in a loss against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Assad started his career in Chicago in 2022 and has performed when he has been on the field. After starting his MLB career as a reliever, he has developed into a reliable back-end of the rotation arm for the Chicago Cubs. Due to injury, he has thrown in four games this season, but could provide valuable innings as the end of the season is near. In his last start, Assad threw six innings and allowed seven hits and three runs in a win against the Colorado Rockies.

GAME TWO – Saturday, 2:20 PM EDT

WAS: RHP Brad Lord (4-8) – 43 G (14 GS), 4.34 ERA, 85 SO, 1.32 WHIP, 96 ERA+

CHI: LHP Matthew Boyd (12-7) – 27 G, 2.94 ERA, 142 SO, 1.07 WHIP, 129 ERA+

Rookie Brad Lord has excelled coming out of the bullpen this season and has shown flashes of starter potential. However, Lord has struggled as of late. His last seven starts have been his worst stretch of the season, with a 6.23 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. In his last start, he only lasted three innings and allowed five hits and seven runs in a loss.

At 34 years old, Matthew Boyd is experiencing a breakout season in Chicago. With career highs across the board, Boyd has earned the role as one of the best pitchers in baseball this season. However, he has struggled as of late. Boyd has posted a 5.09 ERA in his last seven starts. In his last start, he threw six innings and allowed six hits and four runs against the Colorado Rockies.

GAME THREE – 2:20 PM EDT

WAS: LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-0) – 1 G, 0.00 ERA, 4 SO, 0.60 WHIP

CHI: TBD

With a mixture of the starting rotation struggling and injuries, the 26-year-old made his MLB debut on September 1. With a 4.10 ERA in the minors this season, most fans didn’t expect the stellar start they received from Alvarez. Against the division rival Miami Marlins, Alvarez threw five innings and allowed just one hit and no runs, as Alvarez earned his first career MLB win.

As the season is closing, Washington is not playing spoiler to every team they play from here on out. With a young pitching staff and lineup, the improvement and development of their top young talent is the most important goal for the rest of the season. With MacKenzie Gore injured, it is up to some unexpected names to provide quality innings and hope for the win. However, the Chicago Cubs have been one of the best teams in baseball and have a chance at winning the National League Central.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/85947/nationals-head-chicago-looking-slow-down-surging-cubs

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals Daylen Lile has mastered the art of the triple

When I think of Daylen Lile, I think of a couple things. The first is his beautiful swing and natural hitting ability. We have gushed about that all season long. The other thing I think about is the image of Lile flying around second base with his helmet off, motoring into third base for a triple.

That is something Lile does a lot. His seven triples this year are tied for 7th in all of baseball despite the fact Lile spent a big chunk of the season in the Minor Leagues. Between the minors and majors, Lile has 12 triples on the season.

There are a couple things you need to do to master this art and Lile has figured it out. You need to have the ability to shoot the ball from gap to gap and you need to run hard out of the box.

Two of his most recent triples show both of those tools. Against the Marlins, he showed off his gap to gap power. He drove a ball to left centerfield just out of the reach of the center fielder. The ball skipped away and Lile was on his way to third for an easy triple. You need to be able to spray the ball around, often to weird parts of the park where balls aren’t usually hit to rack up triples. That is what Lile does.

Nationals Video highlight

Daylen Lile starts the scoring with an RBI triple in the bottom of the 2nd inning

2-0 Nationals in the top of third pic.twitter.com/Cc21rRNdvy

— TheNatsReport (@TheNatsReport) September 1, 2025

The other way to get triples is through pure hustle. Yesterday, we saw that from Lile. He drove a ball to left center again, but this time it looked like an out. However, Pete Crow-Armstrong lost the ball in the sun and it dropped. With Lile sprinting out of the box, he was able to take full advantage and get to third base. A lot of triples are simply about taking advantage of mistakes and with his speed, Lile can do that.

PCA lost this one and it turned into a triple for Daylen Lile, then the Nationals followed it up with a two-run homer pic.twitter.com/EzpgkUReTj

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 5, 2025

This is not a new thing for Lile. Throughout his Minor League career, Daylen Lile has been a triple maestro. In his two full Minor League seasons, Lile had 10 triples each year. For his Minor League career, Lile has 25 triples, which is highly impressive. This tells me that his MLB numbers are no fluke.

He has been working on the art of hitting a triple for many years. From a young age, he was clearly taught to run hard out of the box. Having an 89th percentile sprint speed helps him out as well.

No. 16 prospect Daylen Lile crushes a two-out RBI triple off the wall pic.twitter.com/rp1F0jClfB

— Nats Farm (@NatsFarm) April 12, 2023

Despite seeming pretty random, the top of the triples leaderboard has actually been fairly stable the last three years. Guys like Bobby Witt Jr., Corbin Carroll and Jarren Duran have dominated the triples leaderboard the last few years. Right now Corbin Carroll is the king of the triple, but Lile could be coming for his crown.

One other factor that helps guys like Carroll and Duran, but could work against Lile is home ballpark. Both Fenway Park and Chase Field have strange dimensions that create weird bounces which make triples easier. Nationals Park is more cookie cutter, so those triples could be tougher to come by for Lile.

One thing is clear though, hitting triples is a skill that some guys just have. Lile is one of those guys and should be a fixture at the top of the triples leaderboard. Hitting those triples is actually a very useful skill, especially with fewer than two outs.

It means you can be driven in by a sac fly, wild pitch or rbi ground out. This puts a ton of pressure on the defense. We saw that in the Marlins game about a week ago. Lile hit that RBI triple and then he was driven by the next batter on a sac fly. He created those runs and they ended up being all the Nats needed.

Daylen Lile has become one of my favorite Nationals over the course of the season. Sure, he needs work on the defensive side of the ball, but he can really hit. The triples are just one club in a very deep offensive bag. Today, he showed another dimension of his game by homering, which ended up winning the Nats the game.

AAALLLLLLLL Day pic.twitter.com/eJjf3jjNTI

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 6, 2025

As we have talked about, there are a lot of outfielders vying for playing time in DC. Outside of James Wood, none of them have shown more than Lile. He has the look of a guy who can hit .300. One guy Lile really reminds me of is Michael Brantley. Both are pure hitting corner outfielders with enough power to keep guys honest. Brantley was a key cog in a lot of winning teams, so hopefully Lile can live up to that.

With all the young guys who are struggling, it is awesome to see a 22 year old look so comfortable at the plate. With that swing, his slumps should never last too long, knock on wood of course. While there is more to his game, Lile has really mastered the art of the triple.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...-nationals-daylen-lile-mastered-art-of-triple

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Game Thread

After a heavy loss yesterday, the Nationals are looking to get back on track in the Windy City. To do that, the Nats will need better starting pitching. Jake Irvin got rocked in the first inning, which pretty much ended the game before it started.

Today, Brad Lord will look to bounce back after a rough spell. He had been so good for most of the season, but a few blowup outings have seen his ERA balloon. Jorge Alfaro will be catching him and batting third, which was not on my bingo card. Nasim Nunez is back and playing second base today. Jacob Young and Dylan Crews will also return to the lineup.

one hundred forty one. pic.twitter.com/WJCArFUclv

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 6, 2025

The Cubs are only making one change to their lineup. Carson Kelly will do the catching. He has had a great year on the North Side. The rest of the lineup is full of familiar faces, but Kyle Tucker is still out. Matthew Boyd has been a fantastic free agent pickup for the Cubs. He is on the mound today and has pitched to a sub-3 ERA this season.

Game two with the Nats.

Watch today's game on the Marquee Sports Network App. pic.twitter.com/CwhgxH6Gce

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 6, 2025

Game Info:

Stadium: Wrigley Field

Time: 2:20 PM EST

TV: MASN 2

Radio: 106.7 The Fan and DC 87.7

After a sweep of the Marlins, the Nats were shown levels by a hot Cubs team. Hopefully they can bounce back in yet another afternoon game. I want to see Brad Lord back at his best. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...hington-nationals-vs-chicago-cubs-game-thread

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals stun the Chicago Cubs with a dramatic comeback win

While most Washingtonians were watching the Washington Commanders victory over the Giants, the Nationals decided to put together a thrilling win of their own. It was a pitchers duel for most of the afternoon, but the Cubs looked like they had the upper hand. However, a ferocious 9th inning rally by the Nats gave them the victory.

Commanders win and Nats comeback pic.twitter.com/st5gYLs5Jm

— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) September 7, 2025

In his second career start, Andrew Alvarez was solid but did not reach the thrilling heights of his debut. He did a good job limiting the damage, but Alvarez was inefficient. Alvarez only lasted 4.2 innings while throwing 87 pitches. He was erratic, allowing three walks, but limited the damage.

In the second inning, the Cubs opened the scoring, with Alvarez allowing a solo homer to catcher Carson Kelly. That would be the only run of the first four innings, but the Nats would get going in the 5th.

Daylen Lile and Luis Garcia Jr. have been two of the hotter hitters in the Nationals lineup lately. They combined to get a rally started in the 5th. Lile got a base hit and then Garcia hit a weird ground rule double that got caught in the ivy. Brady House would drive in Lile with a sac fly. However, the Nats could not capitalize further as Dylan Crews struck out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the frame Alvarez got himself in some trouble. After the Nats got an out with a play at the plate, the rookie’s day was done. Miguel Cairo turned to Clayton Beeter, who promptly gave up a single to give the Cubs the lead.

However, Beeter would get out of that inning and overwhelm Cubs hitters in the 6th. Beeter has been very good since coming over from the Yankees, posting a 2.40 ERA in 16 outings in DC.

However, the offense was stuck in the mud. The combination of Drew Pomeranz, Colin Rea, Caleb Thielbar and Brad Keller gave Nats hitters fits. After another Carson Kelly homer in the bottom of the 8th, all hope seemed lost.

The scrappy Nats had other plans. With Cubs closer Daniel Palencia in the game, the Nats made something happen quickly. Robert Hassell started the inning by stroking a home run to left center to make it a one run lead. It was very nice to see Hassell show life with the bat.

Now the top of the order was up and the Nats had hope. After an infield single by CJ Abrams and a walk by James Wood the boys were in business. Then Miguel Cairo made a change that won the Nats the game.

He pinch hit Josh Bell for Riley Adams. While Bell has been cold lately, Cairo trusted his big slugger to make something happen. Bell did just that on the first pitch of the at bat. He drove a fly ball that seemed to hang up in the air for an eternity. Eventually, it dropped into the seats for a 3-run home run. It gave the Nats a two run lead and the Wrigley crowd was stunned.

Josh Bell puts the @Nationals on top with a 3-run homer in the top of the 9th pic.twitter.com/lBgpTvVcHT

— MLB (@MLB) September 7, 2025

The Nats weren’t done either. Triples master Daylen Lile struck again, hitting a ball down the right field line for his 8th three bagger of the year. Brady House would drive him in with another sac fly to make it 6-3.

Despite allowing a couple base runners, Jose A. Ferrer shut the door and the Nats got the win. They snapped an 81 game losing streak when down by 2 or more runs after the 8th inning.

That snaps an 81-game losing streak by the Washington Nationals when down 2 or more runs after 8 innings.

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) September 7, 2025

This was truly a stunning win and one of the more fun victories of the season. With football season underway, not many people were tuned into this one, but boy was it a thriller.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...the-chicago-cubs-with-a-dramatic-comeback-win

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Game Thread

Since truly bottoming out in early August, the Nationals have been very up and down. Some series they are playing very well and others they just do not have it. Lately, they have been playing good ball. The Nats have won six of their last seven games. They are looking to keep that up in Miami.

After his pinch hit heroics yesterday, Josh Bell will be in the lineup from the start at first base. Veteran Paul DeJong will get the start at third base, giving Brady House a breather. Otherwise, the lineup looks pretty settled. The red hot Daylen Lile is the clean up man and for a second straight game CJ Abrams will lead off. Cade Cavalli will get the start.

one hundred forty three. pic.twitter.com/lSVocNP3Q7

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 8, 2025

The Marlins are still without Kyle Stowers, but the Nats still have to worry about fellow outfielder Jakob Marsee. This Marlins lineup lacks big names but they can be pesky. Guys like Agustin Ramirez and Heriberto Hernandez pack a punch. They also have speedsters like Xavier Edwards. Janson Junk will be starting for the Fish.

A 4-game set with the Nats.

: @PNCBank
: @FanDuelSN_FL , @FDSN_Marlins
: @MarlinsRadio , @FoxSports940
: 6:40 PM ET
: Roof status: CLOSED#Marlinsbeisbol // https://t.co/ZrOdIbZbJg pic.twitter.com/kz7k6EtekO

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 8, 2025

Game Info:

Stadium: loanDepot Park

Time: 6:40 PM EST

TV: MASN

Radio: 106.7 The Fan and DC 87.7

The Nationals have been playing well lately, but as we know, that can change in an instant. Hopefully they can show a level of consistency to finish this season. It would be a good spring board for 2026. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ington-nationals-vs-miami-marlins-game-thread

 

[Washington Nationals]

Should the Washington Nationals bring back Josh Bell?

At the beginning of the season this would have been an insane thing to say, but should the Nationals bring Josh Bell back in 2026? With the way he has been playing, it is something the team should be considering. Bell is a positive force in the locker room and bringing back a familiar veteran could be helpful for a young team.

The Nats Need Veteran Leadership:

For years, the Nationals have been cycling through veteran players on one-year deals. The idea is that these guys could rebuild their value in DC, help out the younger players and then get traded. However, it is tough to be a leader in a locker room when you are only around for a few months.

All season we have been talking about how the Nationals need veteran leaders. Josh Bell is the one guy who fits the bill. He is everything you want from a pro. Bell is a team player who will not complain if he does not play everyday and is someone for the young players to look up to.

He is a model citizen who is great in the community with his reading efforts. That is why he has become a fan favorite over the years. Another reason why he is loved is that you can tell Bell wants to be in DC. He has embraced the community and in return we have embraced him. Even when he struggled, most fans were sad rather than mad because we love Bell.

eric carle …… roald dahl …… JOSH BELL

our first baseman is a children's book author pic.twitter.com/6EW4oZ1QgZ

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 15, 2025

Having the same veteran in the locker room for multiple years is also very helpful. These young Nationals have seen different faces come and go. Every time we got to know these guys they were gone. Guys like Jesse Winker and Jeimer Candelario were fun, but before you knew it they were gone. I think it is important for these young guys to have some continuity.

However, none of this matters if the results on the field are not there. Outside of his disastrous start, Bell has been very good for the Nats. First base is not a position where the Nats have an obvious long term answer, so it is not like Bell is blocking anyone. If a guy like Yohandy Morales emerges, Bell is not a guy you have to keep playing either. He is really the perfect veteran for this young group.

Bell Has Been Hitting:

Since May 1st, Josh Bell has been a good hitter for the Washington Nationals. In that time, he is hitting .262 with an .800 OPS. That is very good production in a 96 game sample size.

We know Bell is an inconsistent hitter with peaks and valleys. However, the good has outweighed the bad for a while. Even for him, that April seems like a bit of an aberration. Bell was trying to be a slugger and it just did not work for him. Since ending that failed experiment, he has been very solid.

When Bell is hot, he is a guy that can carry your offense. Davey Martinez kept saying that in April when he kept putting the ice cold Bell in the lineup. It turned out that he was right and his faith was rewarded.

Right now, Bell is on one of his patented heaters. It really came out of nowhere. He was struggling to end August, but things changed on Sunday. Miguel Cairo brought him in to pinch hit against the Cubs. Bell provided the biggest swing of the night, hitting a go ahead three run homer that won the Nats the ballgame.

Josh Bell puts the @Nationals on top with a 3-run homer in the top of the 9th pic.twitter.com/lBgpTvVcHT

— MLB (@MLB) September 7, 2025

He carried that momentum to the game yesterday as well. Bell went absolutely nuclear. He went 4/6 with two homers and six RBI’s. Those two homers came from both sides of the plate which is a fun touch. Bell being a switch hitter has always thrown me off. Why would a big slugger like him feel the need to switch hit when he was young?

Josh Bell’s 2nd HR of the game:

110.0 MPH
27 Degree LA
413 FT
77.1 MPH Bat Speed
.990 xBA
HR in 30/30 Parks

He has a HR from both sides of the plate tonight!pic.twitter.com/t13C3YnX0f

— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) September 9, 2025

Either way, Bell has been a fun redemption story in a rough year. At the beginning of the season, this looked like the end of the road for Bell. However, he has found his footing and is really shining.

His underlying data is even better than his traditional numbers though. Bell is severely underperforming his xWOBA. His wOBA sits at .320, which is just above league average. However, his xWOBA sits at .367. That is borderline elite. It is better than his xWOBA in either of his seasons in DC during his first stint.

To put it into context, his xWOBA is higher than the likes of Freddie Freeman, Bo Bichette and Junior Caminero. It is only one point lower than James Wood’s xWOBA as well.

What this means is that Bell’s batted ball data is strong. He is catching more barrels, striking out less and walking more. If he can carry that approach into next season, the traditional data will improve.

At 33 years old, there is some age risk here. Bell has also been a slow starter and overall inconsistent player in his career. That is why he will be affordable and in the Nats price range.

Overall, I think it would be a smart move to bring Bell back. He is a cheap and effective stop gap option at either first base or DH. Even if the Nationals decide to spend more money, it would be a good move to take him and spend the money on pitching.

The Nationals desperately need veteran leadership and stability. Josh Bell is a guy who can do that while being cheap. It is not the flashiest option, but we know that Bell is a guy who wants to be here and is a good locker room guy. The Nationals need those kinds of guys in 2026.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/86048/should-washington-nationals-bring-back-josh-bell

 

[Washington Nationals]

Can Washington Nationals Cade Cavalli solve his problems against right handed hitters?

Tonight, Cade Cavalli will be on the mound against the Marlins. Overall, his big league stint has been a success. While his ERA is a mediocre 4.85, a blow up start at Yankees Stadium has inflated that number. Outside of that start, Cavalli has been very sharp. However, he has one big problem, right handed hitters.

In the big leagues, Cavalli has had extreme reverse splits. He has carved up left handed hitters. They are hitting just .203 against him and he looks very comfortable. The control looks good and outside of the occasional homer, they are largely helpless against Cavalli. Here is a taste of what he can do against left-handed hitting.

Cade Cavalli, 97mph Paint. pic.twitter.com/Wvoi5Wd4D1

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 2, 2025

However, righties have been giving Cavalli fits this season. They are hitting a crazy .415 against him so far in the MLB. That is bound to come down as the sample gets larger, but that is an extreme number.

If you look at his numbers in the Minor Leagues, you see a similar pattern emerge. Left handed hitters were not a problem for Cade. They hit just .210 against him. However, righties hammered him to the tune of a .352 batting average.

After seeing this, I wanted to dive into why this could be. Simply put, his weapons are just better against lefties. He is a real north and south pitcher. The curveball is Cavalli’s best pitch and it is a real 12-6 breaker. It has a ton of up to down movement and not a lot of side to side action.

That makes it platoon neutral, or even a bit better against opposite handed hitters. We see something similar with MacKenzie Gore, who also has a great curveball. For whatever reason, it is just a bit tougher for opposite handed hitters to pick up. That is why Gore developed a slider as a weapon to deal with lefties.

I think Cavalli could do something similar. He needs a breaking ball that really moves away from right handed hitters to unlock his arsenal. Right now, Cavalli is mostly a fastball-curveball guy to righties.

Against lefties Cavalli has another weapon and that would be the changeup. He throws the changeup way more frequently to lefties. Against them, he throws it 21.2% of the time and lefties are hitting just .067 against it. However, against righties he is only throwing it 8.3% of the time.

Throwing changeups to same sided hitters is tough. However, if Cavalli trusts the pitch enough, throwing it more to righties could help solve some of his problems. He has a deep and effective mix against lefties, but right-handers can really narrow things down.

With Cavalli, I am happy that we are able to talk about this stuff rather than having to cross our fingers and hope he is healthy. He has great stuff when he is on the mound and can be a very good pitcher. Problems like this come up when a pitcher is robbed of development time by injuries like Cade has been. The stuff is super sharp, but the pitch to pitch execution can be lacking at times.

Cade Cavalli, Bound to Breakout:

A Thread pic.twitter.com/LqzynzjSxs

— Remi Bunikiewicz (@RBunikiewicz) August 17, 2025

In his MLB stint this year, Cade Cavalli’s talent is clear for all to see. However, there is so much that can still be unlocked. Despite being 27 years old, he is relatively inexperienced. He did not pitch a ton in college and has been derailed by injuries lately.

Obviously that is frustrating, but it also gives him much more untapped upside than your average 27 year old. With a fastball in the upper 90’s, a wipeout curveball and a sick changeup, the ingredients for a good starting pitcher are all there.

However, if he wants to truly reach his ceiling, Cavalli needs to unlock a way to get right handed hitters out. There are a few ways he can do this. One way is to develop a breaking ball that moves away from righties. He has the big curveball, but a slider on top of that would be a game changer. Cavalli also could throw his changeup right on right more often.

A combination of the two is probably what is needed. Right now his arsenal just does not get right handed hitters out. He needs to rethink that approach and find new weapons this offseason. If Cavalli can do that and stay healthy, the sky is the limit.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...lve-his-problems-against-right-handed-hitters

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Game Thread

Your Washington Nationals are red hot. After a 15-7 drubbing of the Marlins, the Nats have won six of their last seven games. That big 9th inning on Sunday really seemed to wake up the offense because yesterday was an everyone eats kind of game.

There are only two changes to the lineup tonight. Paul DeJong will be replaced by the rookie Brady House. In the outfield, Jacob Young will take over for Robert Hassell III. Otherwise, this is the same crew that put up 15 runs yesterday. Mitchell Parker will be pitching.

one hundred forty four. pic.twitter.com/d8E49Q4rqv

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 9, 2025

The Marlins are making more changes. Javier Sanoja, Eric Wagaman and Joey Wiemer are going to be in the lineup despite sitting yesterday. The fish had a great summer, but have been fading lately as injuries have caught up to them. Their biggest absence is All-Star Kyle Stowers. Adam Mazur will face the Nats for a second start in a row.

Tuesday’s game

: @PNCBank
: @FanDuelSN_FL , @FDSN_Marlins
: @MarlinsRadio , @FoxSports940
: 6:40 PM ET
: Roof status: CLOSED#Marlinsbeisbol // https://t.co/ZrOdIbZbJg pic.twitter.com/k8ttlNbd8s

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 9, 2025

Game Info:

Stadium: loanDepot Park

Time: 6:40 PM EST

TV: MASN 2

Radio: 106.7 The Fan and DC 87.7

It is nice to see winning baseball and that is what the Nationals have been doing lately. They are closing in on avoiding a 100 loss season, which looked on the cards at times. Hopefully they can continue to play well and finish the season strong. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ington-nationals-vs-miami-marlins-game-thread

 

[Washington Nationals]

What does the future of Keibert Ruiz look like?

For a number of reasons, Keibert Ruiz’s Nationals career has become uncertain. A combination of head injuries and poor performance has put everything in doubt for a guy who showed a lot of promise early in his career.

Keibert Ruiz was supposed to be the catcher of the future when he came to DC in the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner trade. He would have been close to untouchable, but since the Dodgers had Will Smith, they felt comfortable giving up Ruiz. Keibert was having a monster year in Triple-A, hitting .311 with 16 homers in 52 games for the Dodgers AAA affiliate.

Promising Start:

Those big numbers and Ruiz’s prospect pedigree made Mike Rizzo comfortable enough to make him a headliner of a mega trade. At first, things looked good for Ruiz. He finished the 2021 season strong, continuing his strong AAA performance and hit over .280 in 23 games with the Nats to close the season.

The 2022 was also strong for Ruiz. While his OPS was only .673, his underlying offensive data was strong and he was actually playing good defense behind the plate. Ruiz put up 1.5 fWAR and bWAR that season and looked like a player on the rise.

The Nats believed in him so much that the team gave him an 8-year $50 million extension that runs through the 2030 season with club options for two seasons after that. Mike Rizzo and the Nats front office were all in on their catcher and believed he was ready to make the leap to become an above average starter.

Regression on the Field:

Sadly, that never happened. Right away, Ruiz’s play began to deteriorate on the defensive side of the ball. In 2023, Ruiz actually had the best offensive season of his career. He hit .260 with 18 homers and a .717 OPS. Those are strong offensive numbers for a catcher.

However, he fell off a cliff defensively. He went from an average defender behind the plate to the worst in the league. The framing and blocking were both abysmal, which ate away at his value.

Ruiz actually posted a negative fWAR in 2023 due to that poor defense. bWAR was kinder to the Nats catcher but he still declined from the previous year despite playing more games.

In 2024, Ruiz’s defense went from abysmal to passable. However, his bat fell off a cliff. His average went from .260 to .229 and his OPS went from .717 to .619. Ruiz suffered from an illness where he lost a lot of weight, so fans hoped he would rebound in 2025.

Things looked good when he started the season on fire. He hit two homers in the first series of the season and looked ready to reward the Nats for their faith. However, it has been all downhill from there.

Ruiz did not homer after that first series and his OPS cratered to a career worst .595. He has been worth -1 fWAR this season. However, the on the field performance is no longer the biggest worry for Ruiz.

Concussion Issues:

Right now, the goal for Keibert Ruiz should be to get healthy. In late June, Ruiz was hit by a Josh Bell foul ball that concussed him. He missed about 10 days, but eventually came back into the lineup.

With hindsight, it is clear that Ruiz came back too soon. In a game against the Red Sox, Ruiz was hit by a foul tip. He finished out the game but he has not been seen since. Ruiz suffered another concussion.

Since then, Ruiz has been plagued by long term concussion symptoms. He has had a lot of headaches and has struggled with sleep. Talking to Andrew Golden, Ruiz said it has been tough but that he wants to continue catching.

Keibert Ruiz is rehabbing with Harrisburg, his first game action in nearly two months because of concussions.

He detailed the headaches and other symptoms he experienced in July in the immediate aftermath — and his thoughts on his future behind the dish:https://t.co/iH5paJlSyP

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) September 6, 2025

After a couple months, things seemed to be getting better for Ruiz. We were seeing more of him in the dugout and he began to build up for baseball activities. Early this month, Keibert Ruiz started a rehab assignment in Double-A. He looked rusty, but it was good to see him on the field.

However, we have gotten more bad news in the last couple days. After taking another foul tip to the mask, the headaches have returned for the Nationals catcher. He was pulled from his rehab assignment due to concussion-like symptoms.

Keibert Ruiz experienced mild headaches this weekend and was taken off rehab assignment. He will join the team in Miami and continue protocol.

More from @andrewcgolden from a few days ago: https://t.co/QDzVek405F

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) September 8, 2025

Where Do We Go From Here:

This is turning into a sad situation for both the team and the player. Even before the head injuries, questions about Ruiz’s future were emerging. He did not look like the guy behind the plate when healthy.

However, this adds even more uncertainty. I hate to speculate, but it just seems like his body cannot handle the rigors of the catching position anymore. We have seen head injuries force guys like Joe Mauer off the position.

However, Mauer was a Hall of Fame talent whose bat could play anywhere. Things are a bit more complicated for Ruiz. The new regime has a real predicament on their hands. Ruiz has that long term contract, but at this point, he is not a long term piece of this team.

So what does the team do about this? First, we have to see Ruiz healthy and on the field. Once that happens, the team has to make a choice. When some of these pre-arb extensions go wrong, players often spend the last years of their deals buried in Triple-A.

Sadly, that is something I can see happening here. Since Ruiz has gone down, the Nats have gotten more from the catching position. The last couple years, Ruiz just hasn’t been an MLB caliber player while on the field.

Right now, the main concern should be about Ruiz’s health. Head injuries are scary and we are all praying for him. Hopefully this does not impact his life down the road. However, the Nationals have to have an uncomfortable conversation about the player who was supposed to be their catcher of the future.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/86087/what-does-future-of-keibert-ruiz-look-like

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Game Thread

The Nationals are on quite the roll right now. They have won 7 of their first 8 games in September and have won four in a row. Can they keep the momentum rolling? Well, we will find out tonight.

After taking a foul tip to an area where you do not want to take a foul tip, Riley Adams will be out of the lineup. Jorge Alfaro will take his place behind the plate. Besides that, there are not too many changes. The only other one is in center field, where Robert Hassell III will play instead of Jacob Young. It has been a rough ride for Jake Irvin lately, so hopefully he can get back on track tonight.

one hundred forty five. pic.twitter.com/yWrwsaJWWu

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 10, 2025

With a right-hander on the Marlins have loaded up on lefties. Troy Johnston, Liam Hicks and Victor Mesa Jr. all return to the lineup. Usually a platoon bat, Joey Wiemer will get the chance to face a righty after hitting a home run last night. Eury Perez has really struggled lately, including in his last start against the Nats. However, he has great talent.

Wednesday night baseball.

: @PNCBank
: @FanDuelSN_FL , @FDSN_Marlins
: @MarlinsRadio , @FoxSports940
: 6:40 PM ET
: Roof status: CLOSED#Marlinsbeisbol // https://t.co/ZrOdIbZbJg pic.twitter.com/orHU7RTyoE

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 10, 2025

Game Info:

Stadium: loanDepot Park

Time: 6:40 PM EST

TV: MASN 2

Radio: 106.7 The Fan and DC 87.7

For once, watching the Nationals has been a breath of fresh air. Who knows how long that will last, so enjoy it while you can. Jake Irvin keeping up the momentum and delivering a good start would be huge. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ington-nationals-vs-miami-marlins-game-thread

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Game Thread

The good times weren’t going to last forever. Last night, the Nationals four game winning streak was snapped due to shaky defense and a leaky bullpen. Those have been season-long issues for the team, but they have not shown up lately. Hopefully that can be sorted out tonight.

The story for the Nats is on the mound. After spending the minimum 15 days on the injured list, MacKenzie Gore is back on the mound. Hopefully this reset is exactly what the left hander needed. The lineup was put in a blender by Miguel Cairo. James Wood is getting the night off and Dylan Crews is being moved all the way up to the 2 hole. Josh Bell will sit as well, with Paul DeJong at DH. Riley Adams will return after taking an unfortunate foul tip the other night.

one hundred forty six. pic.twitter.com/tOT0wxpZHW

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 11, 2025

The Marlins also have a left hander returning from injury pitching for them. Ryan Weathers has not pitched since June 7th. His stuff has ticked up a lot this season but his body has not been able to handle that velocity increase. The Marlins are stacking their lineup with righties. Jakob Marsee is the only lefty in the lineup for the Fish tonight.

Forecast calls for:

: @PNCBank
: @FanDuelSN_FL , @FDSN_Marlins
: @MarlinsRadio , @FoxSports940
: 6:40 PM ET
: Roof status: CLOSED#Marlinsbeisbol // https://t.co/ZrOdIbZbJg pic.twitter.com/Tqfs8Fdzvr

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 11, 2025

Game Info:

Stadium: loanDepot Park

Time: 6:40 PM EST

TV: MASN

Radio: 106.7 The Fan and DC 87.7

Another series win would be a big positive for the Nats. Last night was the ugliest game they have played in a couple weeks. The defense was sloppy and the boys did not look sharp. Hopefully they come ready to play tonight. Follow along in the comments and let’s go Nats!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ington-nationals-vs-miami-marlins-game-thread

 

[Washington Nationals]

Nationals Prospects: Alex Clemmey finding his way in Double-A

Alex Clemmey dominated in High-A for most of this season. In his 19 starts at the level, Clemmey posted a 2.47 ERA with 113 strikeouts in 87.1 innings. Sure, he had a walk issue, but Clemmey was untouchable while being very young for the league. That dominance led to a promotion to Double-A where Clemmey got a rude awakening.

The jump from High-A to Double-A is considered to be the most difficult one in the Minor Leagues. Players tend to be older and more savvy. You don’t see as many raw players that lack a plan. These guys are real pros who are tough to overwhelm.

Alex Clemmey, who only turned 20 in July learned this the hard way. In his first three Double-A starts, the youngster was shelled. He threw 11.2 innings in those three starts and allowed 17 runs. High-A hitters couldn’t touch Clemmey, but Double-A bats posted 21 hits in those first three starts and hit six home runs.

In High-A, Clemmey only allowed four homers all season. He gave up four in his first Double-A start. After this gut punch, I was interested to see how Clemmey would respond. He has never been hit around like this in his career. Whenever he struggled in the past, it was due to walks.

However, in his last two starts, Clemmey has flipped the switch. In those two outings, Clemmey has gone 11.2 innings and has only allowed three earned runs, allowing seven hits and striking out 13. That is the Alex Clemmey we are used to seeing. A guy who can go on a roll and retire 15 of 16 to end a start.

Alex Clemmey turned in his best start (6.0 IP, H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO) with @HbgSenators last night.

After a leadoff homer in the 2nd inning, he settled in and retired 15 out of the final 16 hitters he faced. pic.twitter.com/Lu2Iwm86Rz

— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) September 4, 2025

His last start on Tuesday was Clemmey’s best at the level. He went 5.2 innings, where he gave up only one earned run and struck out 7 while not walking anybody. Clemmey also got 15 whiffs in this start. His fastball sat more in the mid-90’s, but it can get into the upper 90’s at times. Overall, he looked very sharp.

One thing I noticed was that Clemmey is starting to use his changeup more often. He had been mostly a fastball/slider guy in the past. While he has a 4-seamer and a sinker, it is still a shallow pitch mix. Hitters had to worry about either the heater or his plus breaking ball. A true third pitch would go a long way for him.

Prospect Watch

Alex Clemmey
AA Harrisburg WSH
6’6” LHP

9.9vAkron
5.2 IP 6H 1ER 1HR 0BB 7K
15whiffs/91pitches

Hopefully settling in after rough start in AA. Served up 8HR in 5 gm.

3/4 athletic delivery seeking Ks w edge SL,CU

25: 28K% 15BB% 61%strike 13Swk% 3.58ERA 110.2 IP pic.twitter.com/fnmFO3y7f9

— YGM Fantasy Baseball (@YGMfantasy) September 11, 2025

It is worth noting that Clemmey is still so young. Despite being drafted in 2023, he spent a lot of this season as a 19 year old. He was very young for his draft class and still has a lot of developmental runway. The stuff is also very exciting.

Clemmey was drafted by the Guardians and came to DC in the Lane Thomas trade. This could end up being a real steal if Clemmey keeps developing. Nats fans are going to have to be patient with Clemmey though.

We saw in his start to life at AA that he is not just going to cruise through this level. He is going to start next season at Double-A. If he has success in Harrisburg, he could be in Triple-A by the end of next season. However, a big league call up is not likely to come until 2027.

It is a slow burn, but the wait very well could be worth it for Alex Clemmey. He has big time strikeout stuff and is learning how to pitch. I am excited to follow Clemmey’s development over the next year or so. He has the talent to be a difference maker at the big league level one day.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...rospects-alex-clemmey-finding-way-in-double-a

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Game Thread

The Nats got knocked back down to reality the last couple games in Miami, but they have still had a strong start to September. They will look to keep that up against a Pirates team with good pitching but an abysmal offense.

After getting the day off yesterday, James Wood is back in the lineup for the Nationals. That moves Daylen Lile to the DH position. The red hot Josh Bell will also return to the lineup. I really enjoy the look of this lineup. This is the group they should be running out as much as possible. Brad Lord will be on the mound after a bounce back start in his last outing.

one hundred forty seven. pic.twitter.com/VCQge57KAB

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 12, 2025

The Pirates offense is not exactly high powered and it shows. There are not a ton of big names in this lineup. However, one of the big names is veteran Andrew McCutchen, who has been one of the Pirates only reliable hitters. Oneil Cruz has massive power, but he has flattered to deceive for most of his career. In a rotation filled with flamethrowers, Mitch Keller is not the sexiest arm, but he is ultra-reliable and eats innings for the Pirates.

Game 1 in DC.

@SNPittsburgh
@937theFan | The PRN

Presented by @bet365_us pic.twitter.com/iGFAd92amf

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 12, 2025

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: MASN

Radio: 106.7 The Fan and DC 87.7

After a great run to start the month, the Nats can’t allow things to unravel after a rough couple of games. This is a very winnable home series against a fellow bottom feeder. The Nats need to give fans hope heading into 2026 and a strong finish to the season would do that. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...n-nationals-vs-pittsburgh-pirates-game-thread

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals need Brady House to rediscover his power stroke

The jump to the Major Leagues has been a rough one for Brady House. If you paid attention to his track record in the Minor Leagues, this should not be much of a surprise. House has often struggled for a little while when he reached a new level before turning things around. However, there is one thing that has me a little bit worried, House’s total lack of power.

For as long as Brady House has been a prospect, his raw power has been his standout trait. It was why he became a famous and highly regarded prospect in the 2021 Draft. The Nationals took the powerful slugger with 11th pick in that draft. He was the first draft pick of the rebuilding era.

It was a bit of a slow burn, but House worked his way through the Minor Leagues, developing a reputation as a powerful third baseman with good defense. He always hit the ball hard, but the over the fence power did not always show up. However, it was emerging gradually.

In 2023, House hit 12 homers in 88 games, along with a .312 batting average. That average was so high because of how hard he hit the ball. In 2024, House’s average fell, but he was hitting more home runs. He hit 19 home runs in 2024 across a couple levels in what was seen as a down year for him.

That power blossomed even more in Triple-A this season. In just 65 games, House blasted 13 home runs. Through all of this, there were some questions about House’s game. His strikeout rates were always fairly high and he chased a lot. House has never run high walk rates, and I figured that would hurt him in the MLB. That has been true, but for me, the biggest issue is his power disappearing.

The fact that House is hitting .241 with a walk rate below 3% is not that surprising. His first stint in Triple-A was pretty similar to this. However, I am alarmed by the fact that House has only hit three home runs in 224 at bats.

For House to survive as a big league hitter, he needs to be a 20+ home run guy. He is not going to walk very much and the strikeouts will limit his average. That means he needs to slug, which he has not been doing.

So what does House need to change to tap into his power. Well, there are a couple things. First, he simply needs to lift the ball, particularly to the pull side. House’s average launch angle sits at just 5.8 degrees, which is well below the MLB average.

You cannot hit for power if you d0 not lift the ball. Right now Brady House is not doing that consistently enough. In a piece earlier this month, we talked about how House needs to pull the ball in the air more. That is the way for him to hit for power.

Brady House has had a bumpy start to his MLB career @PaulCubbage23 broke down the good, the bad and the ugly https://t.co/KjjRd0Wsyp

— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) September 3, 2025

All three of House’s home runs this season have been very similar. They have been pulled fly balls off of hanging breaking balls. House has actually held his own this year against breaking stuff, hitting .253 with all of his home runs.

Brady House – Washington Nationals (3)
pic.twitter.com/R9fXJlXadR

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) September 3, 2025

However, fastballs have been giving him fits. He is whiffing at 23.4% of them, the average launch angle against heaters is only 5 degrees and he has not hit any home runs against fastballs. Being on time against fastballs is one thing that Brady House really needs to work on this offseason. If you cannot consistently hit the fastball, life becomes really tough for you as a hitter.

If you are not on time, it is tough to pull the ball in the air for power. That is part of the reason why House’s air pull percentage is only 11.7%, which is below average. For some guys, pulling the ball in the air doesn’t matter as much, but for a guy like House it is a big deal.

While House has big time power, he does not have the otherworldly raw power of a guy like James Wood. He cannot just drive low line drives the other way out of ball parks like Wood can. That means he needs to optimize his angles to tap into his power. If House is to be a long term success, he has to do that.

A lot of Brady House’s struggles were to be expected. Guys with chase heavy approaches tend to have a rough adaptation period in the MLB. However, that chase means that House needs to slug.

If House can tap into his power, he can be a very effective player, even with a lower on base percentage. His defense at the hot corner is very good, so that gives him a solid floor. However, House needs to find a way to contribute on offense.

A .585 OPS and .255 on base percentage is just not going to play at this level. His approach based limitations make the development of his power a make or break issue. If he cannot tap into the power, House will not be the long term third baseman for this team. Quite frankly, it is that simple. Brady House needs to rediscover his power, or else he is in trouble.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...nals-need-brady-house-rediscover-power-stroke