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[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals swept in a gut punch of a home stand

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals are in free fall, losing 5 in a row after the Cardinals finished off their sweep

The Washington Nationals were uncompetitive all weekend against a red hot St. Louis Cardinals team that has now won 8 in a row. Erick Fedde, Andre Pallante, and Miles Mikolas had ERA’s of 4.78, 4.75, and 4.76 respectively before their starts against the Nats. However, the Nationals only managed three runs all series.

After a solid road trip where they held their own, the Nationals have shown next to nothing in their last five games. Now seven games under .500, the Nationals are not showing much improvement in what was supposed to be a step forward season.

Outside of CJ Abrams and a Nathaniel Lowe home run, the offense did nothing today, as has been the case this whole series. This series was a really alarming one. The team had the look of a group that needs a shakeup. Whether that is some sort of meeting or a shakeup in the coaching staff, something needs to change.

MacKenzie Gore was ok today, but not at his dominant best. He allowed four runs in 6.2 innings. Gore responded well after allowing two early solo homers, but ran into trouble when he fatigued in the seventh inning. In the end, those two solo homers were all the Cardinals really needed, but they tacked on more.

In the 8th, Nolan Arenado put the nail in the coffin with a two run homer. There are just not a whole lot of positives to talk about from this weekend, as this is a team searching for answers right now. One impressive thing was the amazing catch Dylan Crews made in center field late in the ballgame.

WHAT A CATCH! pic.twitter.com/Ob3KUR2ckO

— MLB (@MLB) May 11, 2025​

That was pretty much the only highlight in an ugly weekend. Before the season, Davey Martinez said the time to win was now, but that is not happening. At a certain point there needs to be some accountability because this rebuild seems to have stagnated.

#Nats manager Davey Martinez says the core guys are here, and the time to win is now @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/YNX0sPCZTv

— Tom Hunsicker (@TomSportsWUSA9) February 18, 2025​

CJ Abrams, James Wood, and MacKenzie Gore are excellent young players and a good core, but they need help. That help has not been there for most of the season. The starting pitching has slowed down after a hot start, and there are a lot of holes in the lineup still.

I wish I could be more positive about this team right now, because I love Nationals baseball, but the team is just not delivering. Fans have been very patient throughout the rebuild, but it is getting frustrating. The team will heat up from this, but has this team improved from where they were the last couple years?

Yet another 71-91 season would be maddening and frustrating. The Washington Nationals should be climbing out of their rebuild right now, but it does not look like they have emerged yet.

Guys like Wood, Gore and Abrams are doing their part, but the rest of the roster still needs so much work. I truly hope I am wrong and the Nats can put together a big winning streak, but being a Nationals fan is a helpless feeling right now.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/2025/5/11/24428156/washington-nationals-swept-devastating-home-stand

 

[Washington Nationals]

MLB Draft 2025: Ethan Holliday emerging as favorite to go first overall

SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While there is still a lot of uncertainty at the top of the draft, Ethan Holliday is gaining steam to be first pick

The theme of the 2025 MLB Draft has been uncertainty. Talk to any expert, and they will tell you it is a muddy picture at the top of the draft. This differs greatly from the last times the Washington Nationals had the first pick in the draft. Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper were slam dunk picks, and seen as generational prospects.

However, as we are getting deeper in the process, one name is rising to the top, Ethan Holliday. He is the most famous prospect in the draft, being the son of Matt Holliday and brother of former first overall pick Jackson Holliday. Maybe it was just him all along, and people tried to pretend otherwise. Whatever the case, in the three most recent high profile mock drafts, he has been the Nationals pick at one for all three.

MLB Pipeline mocked Ethan Holliday to the Nats, adding that the pick is likely to come down to Holliday, or high school pitcher Seth Hernandez. With Holliday’s bloodlines and pedigree, he is the safer pick than Hernandez, who would be the first ever high school right handed pitcher to be drafted first overall. Holliday would also bring excitement to a fanbase that is growing restless with the progress of the rebuild.

Today, Baseball America put out a mock that also had Holliday at the top. They noted that the Nats are tracking a variety of players, but Holliday’s name is the one that comes up the most. While Holliday struggled some in the summer showcase circuit, he has had a dominant spring, showing the huge power upside he possesses. While he is likely to move to third base, BA noted that he has looked good at shortstop this spring.

Keith Law, who is never afraid to throw a curveball also had Holliday as the Nationals top pick. He added a lot of the same things as the other mocks, talking about how a number of names are still in play. Law also floated the possibility of cutting a deal.

With none of the college players really taking the next step, I think Holliday is the easiest pick for the Nats. He has huge power and has the baseball intelligence that comes with being the son of an All-Star.

While he struggled at times this summer, it would not be the first time that has happened for a top player. Being the biggest name at those events, Holliday got pitched around a lot and tried to do too much because of that. I remember seeing that happen to Bryce Harper in 2016. It can be tough to stay locked in when you aren’t being given pitches to hit on a regular basis.

Another key factor for me would be the role of Matt Holliday. It is clear he knows hitting like the back of his hand. Having him in Ethan’s corner would be a huge asset and would help out the Nationals a lot. While there has been a lot of uncertainty at the top of this draft, sometimes the right answer is the one staring you in the face. Ethan Holliday is the guy staring Mike Rizzo right in the face.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/202...ft-2025-ethan-holliday-favorite-first-overall