RSS Nationals Team Notes

[Washington Nationals]

Taking a deep dive into the Washington Nationals youth movement

Nats fans have said a lot of things about owner Mark Lerner in recent years. However, one thing you cannot accuse him of is not picking a direction after firing Mike Rizzo. The Washington Nationals have gone all in on acquiring the brightest young minds in the baseball world.

Lerner has replaced a braintrust that was in their early 60’s with one that is in their early 30’s. In fact, the Nats POBO, GM and manager are all born in the 1990’s. You would have to think that this is the first time where that has ever happened in pro sports.

The youth movement in Washington is for real, as the Nationals have announced the hiring of 31 year old GM Ani Kilambi, now giving them a GM, Manager, and President of Baseball Operations all born in 1990 or later.https://t.co/jif0G0nzVY

— Dynes Sports (@dynessports) December 18, 2025

We are going to take a look at some of the Nats new coaches and front office members and compare them to their predecessors. When you do a direct comparison, it is really jarring to see how much younger the Nats have gotten.

Old POBO/GM: Mike Rizzo, 64

As Nationals fans know, Mike Rizzo was the longtime GM and President of Baseball Operations for the Nats. He was a grizzled veteran, age 64 when he was fired back in July. Rizzo came from a traditional scouting background and could be described as an old school guy.

Rizzo was a third generation scout and the son of famous scout Phil Rizzo. He worked his way up the Diamondbacks organization before coming to DC. Rizzo was the head man in DC for 15 years. For most of that time, Rizzo did a great job.

He always had a great eye for a trade and made some shrewd free agent pickups. However, as the game moved into an even more analytical direction, Rizzo had a tougher time adapting. While Rizzo tried to evolve at times, at his core, Rizzo was always that old school scout.

He still had a great tenure as Nats GM, but it was time for a change towards the end. Rizzo will always be a Nationals legend for the teams he built in the 2010’s. The Nats needed something different though, and that is exactly what they have gotten.

New POBO/GM: Paul Toboni, 35 and Ani Kilambi, 31

The top of the Nats front office has gotten much younger. It started with Paul Toboni, who the Nats hired from the Red Sox back in September. As President of Baseball Operations, Toboni will be the man running the show. He does not have the GM title, but he is the head decision maker.

Toboni will be making those decisions with a different philosophy to the one Rizzo used. Given the fact that he is about three decades younger, that makes total sense. Toboni was raised into a very different baseball world than the one where Rizzo got his start. He is much more analytically inclined, and that has shown in his hires.

One hire where that definitely showed up was in his GM hire. Ani Kilambi rose through the baseball ranks in an R&D role. He was not a scout or a former player. Kilambi is part of the new school. At 31, he is very young, but has been working in baseball for about a decade now.

The fact that the Nats have a separate position for the GM and POBO is new as well. It shows that this will be more of a collaborative effort. However, the youth does not stop in the front office.

Old Manager: Davey Martinez, 60

The coaching staff has also gotten much younger. That starts with the manager. Davey Martinez was 60 years old when he got let go. He took a fairly traditional path to becoming a manager as well.

Martinez had a solid 16 year MLB career. After a few years in retirement, Martinez eventually got into coaching. He worked with Joe Maddon on the Rays and Cubs. As a bench coach for a highly successful manager, it was inevitable for Martinez to get a managerial job of his own.

Eventually, Martinez landed the role with the Nats. In his second year, Davey caught lightning in a bottle, winning a World Series. However, for a lot of his tenure, his in-game management was a bit questionable. He also had an old-school mindset, which you could see in his staffing choices.

Martinez’s run in 2019 will be looked back on fondly, but like Rizzo, you could tell the writing was on the wall by 2025. His comments about how the blame should never be put on the coaches felt like a final straw for the veteran manager. The Nats decided to go in a very different direction.

New Manager: Blake Butera, 33

The Nats went from an older manager in Martinez to the youngest manager in over 50 years with Blake Butera. Their paths to being a manager were also very different. While Martinez had a long MLB career, Butera’s career stalled out in the Minor Leagues.

After a couple years in the Rays system, Butera stopped playing and became a Minor League coach. At just 25, Butera was managing a Rays Single-A team. The former BC Eagle clearly had a lot of fans in the Rays organization to get that role at such a young age.

After a few seasons as a Minor League manager, Butera moved into a player development role. He was the senior director of player development for the Rays before taking the Nats job. It is clear that Butera will put a heavy emphasis on developing players at the MLB level, which has been an issue for the Nats lately.

To do that, he will have to lean on his coaching staff, which is also very young. When you just look at the ages of the two coaching staffs, it is really crazy how much of a 180 the Nats organization has done.

Old Pitching Coach: Jim Hickey, 63

Like most of the old regime, Jim Hickey was a grizzled baseball veteran. Hickey had been a pitching coach for a long time, most notably with the Rays. That is where he formed a relationship with Davey Martinez.

Hickey, who was 63 last season, had a lot of success with the Rays, but his time with the Nats was a mixed bag. He did not have the most talent to work with, which led to the Nats pitching staffs not being great. However, there were not enough developmental success stories while Hickey was in DC.

This past season was particularly frustrating. As the league cut down on 4-seam fastball usage, the Nats staff was pumping heaters. Mitchell Parker, who has a mediocre fastball, was throwing his 4-seamer 55% of the time. Like many of the Nats coaches, it just felt like Hickey’s philosophy was outdated.

New Pitching Coach: Simon Mathews, 30

On a very young staff, Simon Mathews is one of the youngest guys. After pitching at Georgetown University, Mathews had an unsuccessful Minor League career before getting into coaching.

Like so many modern pitching gurus, Mathews has exposure to these elite pitching labs like Driveline. He was actually the director of pitching at a lab called Push Performance. Mathews crossed paths with Sean Doolittle while he was there.

Then he joined the Reds organization. He was involved with their rehab process for pitchers. This is a useful tool given how often pitchers go down these days. Then Mathews became the assistant pitching coach in Cincinnati this past season, where the Reds pitching staff had more success than they have had in a long time.

Hopefully he can help some of the Nats pitchers as well. He is yet another analytical mind who is going to be doing things a different way. Hopefully we see the Nats cut down on 4-seam usage in 2026.

Old Hitting Coach: Darnell Coles, 63

Like the rest of the old regime, Darnell Coles was in his 60’s. He was a long time big leaguer who also had plenty of coaching experience when he arrived in DC. However, this hire always felt a bit weird because his previous hitting coach experience was not great.

Coles got fired by both the Brewers and D-Backs after up and down tenures at both places. He had some solid years, but he was never seen as an elite hitting coach either. However, his philosophy of putting the ball in play gelled with Davey Martinez.

His tenure in DC was very frustrating. It never felt like the Nats young hitters were developing properly. Guys like Keibert Ruiz and Luis Garcia Jr. never got to that next level with Coles. Even the Nats star hitters like James Wood and CJ Abrams went on these extended slumps where adjustments never seemed to come.

Like the rest of the old staff, Coles was an old school guy who did not seem to be able to adapt. He has landed on his feet with an assistant hitting coach job with the Braves. However, he was always under fire from the Nats fans and it was easy to see why.

New Hitting Coach: Matt Borgschulte, 35

Yet another coach in their 60’s is being replaced by a guy in their 30’s. Matt Borgschulte is the old man of this staff at 35 years old. He is also the most experienced of the group. Borgschulte was the co-hitting coach for the Orioles for a couple seasons before becoming the Twins hitting coach.

Borgschulte did an alright job in his one year in Minnesota, but after manager Rocco Baldelli was fired, he was not retained. However, Borgschulte is highly regarded around the league. Whenever you listen to him talk about hitting, it is easy to see why.

He has a big job ahead of him with plenty of young Nats hitters looking to take big steps. Hopefully he can unlock guys like Dylan Crews, Brady House and Robert Hassell. More established guys like James Wood, CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile will also look to unlock a new level.

Wrapping up:

The Washington Nationals are all in on replacing guys in their 60’s with guys in their 30’s. It is a very fun experiment, and one that was needed in my opinion. Of course, there is risk in doing this, but the reward is high.

Baseball is constantly evolving, and the Nats are trying to be ahead of the curve. That is very exciting and something I have wanted to see for a while. Hopefully the Nats can be the smartest team in baseball with all of these young and talented minds.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...dive-into-washington-nationals-youth-movement

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals sign crafty lefty Foster Griffin from Japan

Paul Toboni has made his first free agent signing as Washington Nationals President of Baseball Operations and it is an outside the box move. He signed Foster Griffin to a 1-year $5.5 million deal. If you have not heard of him, I do not blame you. Griffin has spent the last three years in Japan where he has dominated.

Free-agent pitcher Foster Griffin and the Washington Nationals are in agreement on a one-year, $5.5 million contract with incentives to get it to $6.5 million, pending physical, according to sources familiar with the deal.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 16, 2025

With this deal, the 30 year old Griffin should have a spot in the Nats rotation. While pitching in Japan, Griffin was highly productive and now he is coming back to North America to challenge himself. Griffin was actually a first round pick out of high school in 2014, but things never quite clicked for him.

He had a couple cups of coffee in the big leagues in 2020 and 2022, but he did not impress. However, Griffin has reinvented himself in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants. He did not do it by becoming a fireballer like Cody Ponce. Instead, the southpaw really learned how to pitch. Griffin has a deep 7 pitch mix that worked like a charm in Japan.

In three seasons in Japan, Griffin posted a 2.57 ERA and struck out 318 batters in 315.2 innings. Last season was his best year, putting up a 1.62 ERA in 78 innings. Griffin will not blow anyone away in the big leagues, but Paul Toboni is betting that his craft and deep mix will allow him to get outs.

Paul Toboni signs his first Free Agent as the Nationals GM and it comes in the shape of LHP Foster Griffin

A 1 year, $5.5M deal. He is signed out of the NPB, coming over from the Yomiuri Giants

Across 315.2 IP as a SP for Yomiuri he posted a 2.57 ERA & 1.03 WHIP. 318/70 K/BB… pic.twitter.com/TwUg4CgVmB

— Baseball Unstitched Podcast (@BaseUnstitched) December 16, 2025

Griffin’s best pitch is a slider that he will have to lean on heavily in the MLB. The fastball is only 91 MPH, so he cannot afford to make mistakes. He also has a cutter, a curve, a changeup, a splitter and a sinker. This is a very different pitcher to the one that last pitched in the MLB in 2022. Back then, Griffin only threw a fastball, a cutter, a curve and a changeup.

NPB analysts are fairly bullish on Griffin. They project him as a back of the rotation innings eater at the MLB level. The lack of velocity creates some limitations, but this is a guy who really knows how to pitch.

Foster Griffin has been borderline elite in NPB over the past 3 seasons. High pitchability, deep mix, and above-average command.

I believe he will kitchen-sink his way into being a solid back-end starter in MLB. https://t.co/5hInlXk3NB pic.twitter.com/ta8FKNzWYm

— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) December 16, 2025

Griffin should push someone like Mitchell Parker out of the rotation. Griffin’s deeper mix and command give him an edge over Parker. It is interesting that this is the direction Toboni is going with his first free agent signing.

Instead of going with a proven back of the rotation arm like a Michael Lorenzen for example, Toboni is going with a bit of a mystery box. It is a riskier move, but it does come with more upside I suppose. There is also less of a book on Griffin around the league because he is more unknown.

Maybe Griffin can do what Erick Fedde did in 2024 and surprise hitters with his new mix. If that happens, the Nats could flip him for a nice package at the deadline. Happy to see this activity and I am interested to see how the Foster Griffin experiment plays out.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/lat...ionals-sign-crafty-lefty-foster-griffin-japan

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals have an impressive array of flame throwing pitching prospects

The Luis Perales trade made one thing clear, the Washington Nationals want their pitching prospects to throw absolute gas. After the deal, the Nats top pitching prospects are almost all flamethrowers. Between Perales, Jarlin Susana, Miguel Sime Jr., Travis Sykora, Alex Clemmey, Eriq Swan and Landon Harmon, there is a ton of heat in the Nats farm system.

Let’s start with the new kid on the block, Perales. The Nats targeted him because they believed in his pure stuff over the command oriented approach of Jake Bennett. Despite not being the biggest guy, Perales’ fastball is absolutely electric. While he had some command troubles coming off of Tommy John Surgery, the stuff was still there in his brief action in 2025.

The fastball averaged 99 MPH in the Arizona Fall League and also has strong life at the top of the zone. He also has a cutter, a slider and a splitter to go with it. Perales nearly threw half of the triple digit fastballs recorded in the Arizona Fall League this year.

There were 43 pitches thrown at 100 mph or harder during the 2025 Arizona Fall League. @RedSox prospect Luis Perales was responsible for 20 of them.

Here's how Perales and the rest of Boston's AFL crop fared in the desert: https://t.co/aoWv0sQgmH pic.twitter.com/Nw0uVCsHVk

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) November 21, 2025

Sure, there is injury risk and relief risk here, but the arm talent is absolutely electric. Over the past couple of years, the Nats have really targeted velocity and Perales fits the trend. This trend started before Paul Toboni arrived, but looks like it will continue.

The 2025 draft is a good example of the Nats prioritizing velocity. In the 3rd and 4th rounds of the draft, the Nats selected two of the hardest throwing high school pitchers in the class and signed both to overslot deals. Landon Harmon was taken in the third round. He has an electric fastball that already sits in the mid 90’s and touches 99. With a projectable frame, there should be even more in the tank as well.

Miguel Sime Jr., the Nats fourth round pick throws even harder. At 6’4 235 pounds at just 18 years old, he is a massive guy with an even bigger arm. His fastball sits in the upper 90’s and routinely hits triple digits. Sime was one of the hardest throwers in the entire class. He is still a bit raw, but the Nats wanted a chance to develop him.

Miguel Sime @LSUbaseball commit gets us started with some heat!

FB: 98-100
CV: 82-83 https://t.co/fWT071lkSI pic.twitter.com/fUHzebO3TR

— Jake Bargery (@JakeBarg) June 30, 2025

Sime is similar to another massive pitcher the Nats have developed in Jarlin Susana. Back in 2022, a teenaged Susana was the final piece of the Juan Soto deal, but he has developed well. Susana has become one of the best pitching prospects in the sport and is a consensus top 100 prospect. Even with injury and command issues, his stuff is just undeniable.

Susana is the hardest thrower of the bunch, with his heater sitting in the triple digits as a starter. The 6’6 right hander also has a filthy slider to go with the heater. When he is on his game, Susana can be unhittable. He underwent lat surgery to end his season early, but he is still so promising.

Jarlin Susana 100 mph on the first day of spring training. pic.twitter.com/n5oGN0pTnt

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) February 13, 2025

He has the rare ability to hold his triple digit velocity deep into games. When you watch him throw, it is insane how effortless his velocity looks. There are questions here, but the stuff is undeniable.

These are probably the most notable flame throwers, but they are not the only ones. Travis Sykora is arguably the Nats top pitching prospect. While he may not throw as hard as Perales or Susana, his heater still sits in the 94-97 MPH range. In high school, he could reach back for triple digits at times. Sykora will miss most, if not all of this season due to Tommy John Surgery.

Alex Clemmey is a nasty lefty who is one of the Nats better pitching prospects. He came over in the Lane Thomas trade, and was one of the Nats best performers in the Minor Leagues in 2025. In high school, he flirted with triple digits, but his fastball mostly lives in the 93-96 MPH range these days.

However, it plays up due to his deceptive delivery. With a lanky 6’6 frame, Clemmey’s arms and legs are just flying at the hitter. That hurts his command sometimes, but it does create a ton of deception.

At this past trade deadline, the Nats picked up yet another flame thrower in a trade with the Dodgers. That would be Eriq Swan. Like a lot of these guys, Swan has some command issues, but his fastball can hit the triple digits. A converted position player, Swan has serious athleticism and arm talent.

His fastball/sweeper combination probably works best out of the bullpen. However, this is another electric arm the Nats have in their system. These days, velocity is king and the Nats are living by that philosophy.

There are drawbacks to this approach, like command problems and injury concerns. However, heat plays in the big leagues. If you watched this past year’s playoffs, it felt like everyone was throwing in the upper 90’s. The Nats are trying to accumulate these kinds of power arms. Hopefully this approach can pay off with long term success.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...ssive-array-flame-throwing-pitching-prospects

 

[Washington Nationals]

Should the Washington Nationals have gotten involved in the Munetaka Murakami sweepstakes?

In what will be one of the most shocking moves of the offseason, the Chicago White Sox signed famed Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami to a 2-year $34 million deal. At the beginning of the offseason, many analysts expected Murakami to sign a deal north of $100 million. However, his market was much slower than expected due to swing and miss concerns, leading to the White Sox jumping into the race.

BREAKING: Third baseman Munetaka Murakami and the Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $34 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Murakami, 25, is the single-season home run champion in Japan and will bring his prodigious power to a rebuilding White Sox team.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 21, 2025

With Murakami’s market being this low, I am a bit disappointed that the Nats did not seem to take a swing. Of course, we do not know for sure, but the Nats name was never linked to the Japanese slugger. On paper, Murakami would have been a great opportunity signing for the Nats.

Munetaka Murakami is as big of a boom or bust player as you will find in free agency, even among Japanese imports. He has the potential to be a 40 home run bat, but also has a decent chance of flaming out due to his swing and miss issues and lack of a defensive home. Basically, he could be Kyle Schwarber or he could be post Texas Rangers Joey Gallo. At that price, I would have liked the Nats to be the team to find out.

Over the last few years, the soon to be 26 year old has been one of the most feared power hitters in Japan. In 2022, he hit an insane 56 home runs in the NPB. Since then, his strikeout rate has gone from around 21% to 28 or 29% and he has not hit quite as many homers. Last season, Murakami hit 22 homers in 56 NPB games and 24 in total. His slugging percentage of .663 was massive, but so was his 28.6% K rate.

Murakami hit 56 home runs in Japan in 2022 followed by 31, 33, and 24 last season but he was injured and only played in 69 games. The White Sox were 23rd in home runs last season. https://t.co/yYkIYpy2Lb

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) December 21, 2025

Despite all that risk, Murakami would have been the most interesting option for the Nats at first base. You do not find guys with 80 grade raw power on trees. Murakami has also shown strong plate discipline in Japan as well, walking over 14% of the time in each of the last six seasons. Those on base skills could offset some of the contact questions.

Given the fact he signed with the White Sox, Murakami was also clearly willing to sign with a rebuilding club. The contract should also be well within the Nats budget. It is a bit frustrating to see a team in a similar spot as the Nats take such a fun swing, while the Nats remain passive in the free agent market.

Murakami could have been the kind of player that really excited this fanbase as well. His power is absolutely ridiculous. The upside comparison for Murakami is Kyle Schwarber, and all Nats fans remember how fun he was back in 2021. Entering his age 26 season, Murakami is not a finished product either. It would have been very exciting, but I guess it was not meant to be.

Munetaka Murakami hit a walk-off home run last night and watched every second of it

The 25-year-old third baseman will be signed by an MLB team this offseasonpic.twitter.com/IgjL13DrvK

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 12, 2025

I understand why Paul Toboni would stay away though. It is clear from his weak market that MLB teams were petrified about his contact skills, or lack thereof. A 2-year $34 million deal may not be what his market was expected to be, but it is still a sizable commitment for a player with such a low floor.

There is a real chance that Murakami just can’t make enough contact against MLB pitching and just goes back to Japan after his contract is up. However, there is also a possibility that the White Sox got a 40 home run bat on a massive discount. These are the kinds of bets Paul Toboni should be making.

The Nats have not had answers at the first base position for a long time and Murakami could have solved that problem. Given the fact the Nats signed Foster Griffin, Toboni obviously has an idea of what is going on in the NPB.

It is a bummer that the Nats did not try to get involved here, but I still trust the Toboni process. I am curious to see what the Nats do at the first base position. Given the lack of internal options, it feels like they have to bring someone in via free agency. Toboni has hinted to that in some of his interviews at the Winter Meetings.

A guy like Rhys Hoskins makes a lot of sense as a veteran right handed bat who can add some thump. The Nats could use some right handed power and Hoskins provides that. Entering his age 33 season and coming off a slightly underwhelming two year tenure with the Brewers, Hoskins does not have a ton of upside, but you know what you are getting.

It pretty clearly will not happen this offseason, and I understand why, but I hope the Nats become players in the free agent market in the next couple years. If the Nats show progress in 2026, Mark Lerner is going to have to open up the checkbook, or else he will face the wrath of this fanbase.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/lat...ten-involved-in-munetaka-murakami-sweepstakes

 

[Washington Nationals]

Triston Casas Is The Perfect Washington Nationals Trade Candidate

With the addition of Willson Contreras from the Cardinals last night, the Boston Red Sox seemingly no longer have room for Triston Casas in their starting lineup, with Contreras taking over first base duties and Masataka Yoshida being in line for the majority of the reps at DH. Casas was a pillar of the Red Sox lineup in 2023, posting a 131 wRC+ in 132 games, but he has played just 92 games over the past 2 seasons, and now his future in Boston is in question.

Paul Toboni has executed one trade with his former club this offseason, swapping left-handed pitching prospect Jake Bennett for right-handed pitching prospect Luis Perales, and he has the opportunity to make another one and fill a massive position of need for the Nats by acquiring Triston Casas from the Red Sox. By digging into the Nats’ bullpen or prospect stash once more, Toboni can buy low on a first baseman who posted elite batted ball numbers in his last full season.

One of the major concerns people have about Triston Casas is his durability, which is a fair concern when he hasn’t played a full season in going on 3 years now. The reason I would not worry about these injuries in the case of a potential Casas trade is the fact that they were more freak incidents, and not a sign of anything recurring. In 2024, he suffered from a broken cartilage near his rib cage, which he described as being like a “car crash inside his body” when he swung, but he fully healed from it and was ready to go for Opening Day 2025.

His 2025 season was also cut short, this time by a tendon rupture in his left knee while beating out an infield single. While both injuries were unfortunate and have left Boston fans frustrated with Casas’ inability to stay on the field, they are also separate injuries that don’t point towards future issues.

When Casas is healthy, he’s one of the best first baseman bats in baseball, as shown by his impressive 2023 season at just 23 years old, where he slugged 24 home runs and posted a 131 wRC+. Perhaps even more impressive than his results that year were his underlying numbers, which suggested Casas was going to slug like this for a long time.

Of those numbers, the ones that stand out to me are his 86th percentile barrel rate, 93rd percentile bat speed, and 93rd percentile walk rate, demonstrating Casas’s rare ability to not only be selective and take his free passes, but to do damage when he gets his pitch. Some may be concerned about the slow start Casas had to the 2025 season, posting just a 56 wRC+ in 29 games, but many of his key metrics, such as bat speed and whiff rate, remained right in line with career norms, and he was showing signs of heating up before his season-ending injury.

So what would it cost for the Nats to acquire Casas from the Red Sox? While he won’t be free by any means, I believe the Nats could get a heck of a deal for Casas, as the combination of Toboni’s familiarity with the Red Sox front office, his injury history, and Boston wanting to send him somewhere he can thrive will allow the Nats to get a bargain.

The Red Sox proved just how much they covet big left-handed pitchers when they flipped Perales for Bennett from the Nats, and maybe they could be tempted again by Jackson Kent from the Nats, the 22-year-old who checks in at 6’3”. There’s also the possibility of Toboni flipping a prospect from the old regime which he doesn’t feel strongly about for Casas, with names such as Seaver King and Caleb Lomavita coming to mind.

There are still plenty of avenues for filling the Nationals’ hole at first base this offseason, but if the choice were mine, I would push all my chips in for Triston Casas. If Casas continues to fight the injury bug and never hits at his 2023 level again, the reality will be that the price for him wasn’t large enough to cry about it. If Casas proves his injuries have been flukes and he is, in fact, the big bat we saw him be in 2023, the Nationals will have gotten a steal for a heart of the order bat.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...-perfect-washington-nationals-trade-candidate

 

[Washington Nationals]

MLB Draft 2026: Could the Washington Nationals draft hometown hero Chris Hacopian?

We are doing a series highlighting some of the top names the Nats could potentially take with their 11th pick in the 2026 draft. The first player we covered was UCSB pitcher Jackson Flora. Now we are going to cover a position player in Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian, who is one of the best pure hitters in the class.

Along with being a great player, something that intrigues me about Hacopian is his background. He is a DMV native, growing up in Gaithersburg. Hacopian went to Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, before transferring to a baseball-centric academy for his senior year. At Churchill, Hacopian was an absolute star, becoming one of the best high school players in the area.

WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM

Christopher Hacopian finishes the day with his 3rd of the day as #12 @WC_Baseball_MD run-rule #10 @Woodbaseball1 17-7.

An absolutely absurd day at the plate for the @WakeBaseball commit. 4-for-4 with 3 HR’s and 8 RBI’s

WOW | @ChrisHacopian pic.twitter.com/8sXxI660zS

— Xposure Sports (@Xposure_Sports) March 26, 2022

For college, Hacopian decided to stay close to home and play with his brother at the University of Maryland. He was immediately a star, hitting .323 with a 1.009 OPS and 15 homers. As a sophomore, he got even better, batting .375 with a 1.158 OPS and 14 homers. In his sophomore year, his on base percentage was over .500 and he had 40 walks to just 19 strikeouts in 52 games.

This offensive profile is obviously very intriguing for scouts. Not many hitters have elite contact skills, great plate discipline and above average power. Hacopian looks to have that combination and it should make him a first round pick. Here is a good video breakdown on Hacopian that talks about his game.

Name you need to know for the 2026 MLB Draft?

Chris Hacopian, Texas A&M.

Our @jmstaph24 breaks down what makes him such a special player. pic.twitter.com/ZkLrN2uLgO

— On The Clock | College Baseball and MLB Draft (@OnTheClock_1) December 7, 2025

Before his junior season, Hacopian entered the transfer portal. With his brother graduating, and Maryland not being a traditional baseball powerhouse, Hacopian wanted to test himself in the SEC. He decided to transfer to Texas A&M, where he will play shortstop for the Aggies. Producing against SEC competition would only validate his case as the best pure hitter in the class.

If you look at the metrics, you will see why Hacopian is so elite. His chase rate was under 20%, his whiff rate was around 15% and his exit velocities were elite. That is the full package for a hitter really. There are not many prospects in this class that have all of those tools at the plate.

How can you not be totally juiced over Chris Hacopian in the SEC?

College Station will be rocking in 2026. pic.twitter.com/n3RaJClwQs

— Over-Slot Baseball (@OverSlot_) November 30, 2025

Despite his obvious ability at the plate, Hacopian is not a perfect prospect. There are not many holes in his offensive profile, but if you were to nitpick, the one concern would be his swing. Hacopian’s setup is a bit unusual with a big leg kick and a barrel tip. However, he has hit at every level, so that is not a concern for now. As a hitter, he is as complete as they come.

Here's an open/slow-mo look at this swing from Chris Hacopian (SS, @TerpsBaseball). Sophomore leading the Terps in hitting (.357) and OPS (1.076). 30 walks (18.3% BB-rate) compared to just 15 Ks (9.1% K-rate). https://t.co/DpdOfon6cD pic.twitter.com/4yowbGCNeb

— Burke Granger (@burkegranger) April 20, 2025

The bigger question marks come on the other side of the ball. Hacopian plays shortstop right now, but he does not have the athleticism to stick there. He is expected to move to third base in pro ball, though there are concerns if he can even stay on the infield. If he cannot, Hacopian would have to move to left field or first base.

He is a below average runner as well, so there is a lot of pressure on the bat here. The bat is really good though, so even if he does slide down the defensive spectrum, it would not be the end of the world. Ideally, Hacopian would be a third baseman. He would not be the defender that Brady House is, but he is a much more well rounded offensive player.

It is always fun to see a player be on his hometown team. If Hacopian was drafted by the Nats, he would be a hometown hero, much like James Wood. The Nats need well rounded hitters, and that is what Hacopian provides. He has a chance to be a near .300 hitter with 25 home run power if things go according to plan.

That would easily be worth the 11th overall pick. However, you have to have absolute confidence in the bat to select Hacopian given his lack of secondary tools. This season at Texas A&M will tell us a lot about just how elite he is. If Paul Toboni wants a safe college hitter with contact and power, Chris Hacopian is his guy. Being a DMV guy is the cherry on top.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/mlb...-nationals-draft-hometown-hero-chris-hacopian

 

[Washington Nationals]

Could the A’s be a surprise fit for Washington Nationals ace MacKenzie Gore?

We have talked a lot about the potential of a MacKenzie Gore trade this offseason, but one team we have not considered is the Athletics. At first glance, it is easy to dismiss that idea, but the more you think about it, the more sense it makes. The A’s have a playoff caliber lineup, but badly need high end pitching.

Last season, the A’s were top 10 in most offensive categories, but finished the season 76-86 due to a poor pitching staff. Yesterday they made their lineup even deeper by trading for Jeff McNeil. While McNeil is not a star, he is another above average hitter to add to an already deep lineup.

Welcome to the Green & Gold, Jeff! pic.twitter.com/c3IeTpcH7h

— Athletics (@Athletics) December 22, 2025

In addition to being deep, the A’s lineup is full of young and controllable talent. Players like Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler make up a strong young core. There are also veterans like McNeil and Brent Rooker to supplement that young talent.

This Athletics lineup looks pretty darn good.

However, Wilson will absolutely hit higher than 6th… pic.twitter.com/etiQqnGPiW

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) December 23, 2025

While the lineup is fearsome, the rotation is a different story. A projected rotation of Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, Luis Morales, Jacob Lopez and Luis Medina is not October caliber. That is where MacKenzie Gore comes into play. The A’s need a cheap arm with top of the rotation upside and Gore is exactly that.

As baseball fans know, the A’s are not exactly an organization known for splashing the cash. Gore can be a strong option for them while being affordable financially. He is only projected to make $4.7 million in arbitration for 2026. Gore has another year of team control in 2027 and it will not be overly expensive.

With that in mind, Gore is a really strong fit for the A’s. Heading into his age 27 season, he fits the age range of this A’s core and can provide elite swing and miss ability at the top of their rotation. While Gore can be inconsistent, he can also be electric when he is at his best. The A’s do not have a guy like that in their rotation. Severino and Springs are solid, but they do not have much upside.

MacKenzie Gore, Filthy 84mph Curveball.

8th K pic.twitter.com/oLrhVude32

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 10, 2025

With the addition of McNeil, it is clear that the A’s want to push towards a playoff spot in 2026. That makes a lot of sense given the strength of their lineup. However, their rotation is a clear achilles heel and it needs to be upgraded.

It does take two to tango though, so would the Nats be interested in what the A’s have to offer? I think there are quite a few interesting pieces in the A’s farm system for the Nats to explore. The only prospect that is clearly off limits for the Nats is Leo De Vries, who the A’s got in the Mason Miller trade.

Even with De Vries off the table, I think there is a lot in the A’s system that the Nats would want. Their 2nd, 3rd and 4th ranked prospects are all pitchers, which should interest the Nats. At one point, Jamie Arnold was a candidate to go first overall, but the A’s managed to snag him at 11th overall. Gage Jump is another left handed pitcher who is a top 100 prospect.

Both Jump and Arnold are very unique arms with a lot of fun developmental potential. Arnold is a low slot lefty whose funky mechanics and dynamic three pitch mix can overwhelm hitters. Jump is the opposite, with an extreme over the top motion which gives his fastball a ton of late life. He also has a deep mix and strong command, but is smaller at just 6 feet tall.

However, the most interesting A’s young pitcher might be someone who just recently graduated in Luis Morales. He has an electric fastball and a very good sweeper. Morales averaged over 97 MPH on his heater. In 48.2 innings, Morales posted a 3.14 ERA.

Luis Morales, 98mph ️ pic.twitter.com/NsxoAq97q6

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 28, 2025

However, the underlying numbers suggest there is more work to do. He posted a 4.68 FIP, a 4.54 xFIP and a 4.36 xERA. Those are not great, but if they were he would be off the table in Gore discussions. With his raw stuff, Morales still has a ton of upside and has already proven he can pitch in the big leagues at 23 years old.

I am not sure if he would be on the table for a Gore trade, but it is possible. If Morales is available, the Nats should jump all over that opportunity. He would immediately slide into the Nats rotation and has years of team control.

One of those arms would have to be the headliner, but an interesting secondary piece could be Tommy White. The man known as Tommy Tanks was a star at LSU, but defensive limitations and an aggressive approach made him slip to the second round in the 2024 draft.

White plays third base now, but he is likely to move to first base at some point. With Nick Kurtz at first and Brent Rooker at DH, White seems blocked with the A’s. However, he did show why he was highly touted in his first season. White hit .275 with a solid .773 OPS across two levels.

His combination of natural hitting ability and raw power is pretty rare. Sure, he does not walk as much as you would want, but he hits for a high average and can hit plenty of homers. White is not a guy you would want to headline a Gore deal, but would be a strong second or third piece. A package of Luis Morales and White would be something Paul Toboni would have to consider.

If Morales is off the table, a package of Gage Jump, Braden Nett and Tommy White would be an interesting one. They have not been mentioned as a candidate for Gore, but as we have laid out, the A’s make a lot of sense. Gore is a cheap arm with control, which the A’s will covet and they have prospect capital the Nats would appreciate. They are not the most likely team, but if it comes out that MacKenzie Gore has been traded to the A’s, do not be stunned.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...e-fit-washington-nationals-ace-mackenzie-gore

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals weekly news round up

Over the last few days, there have been a few pieces of Nationals news I wanted to catch up on. There has been a minor league signing, some staff hirings and a player on the 40-man roster left for Japan. None of these news items are earth shattering, but they could play a role in how the Nats 2026 season goes.

First, I want to talk about the Nats minor league signing. The Nats signed the uniquely named Warming Bernabel to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite. At just 23 years old, he is on the younger side for an MILB free agent pickup. Bernabel also has some big league experience with the Rockies.

The Nationals have signed 1B/3B Warming Bernabel to a minor league deal w/ an invite to MLB spring training, per source. @mikedeportes first on it.

Bernabel, 23, had a .698 OPS in 40 games w/ Colorado last year. Fits position of need w/ Nats. Doesn’t strike out, but does chase.

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) December 19, 2025

Bernabel, who plays first base and third base, will come to Spring Training looking to win a job. He actually played 40 MLB games, where he hit .252, with a respectable .698 OPS. Like most Rockies players, he was much better at Coors Field, but he was an extreme example. Bernabel hit .338 with a .899 OPS at home, while hitting .169 with a .502 OPS on the road.

While a lot of people talk about how it is easier for hitters to put up big numbers in Colorado, and that is true, it also tends to hurt their road production. Being at high altitude gets you used to pitches being less nasty due to the thin air. While the Coors effect is real, the rocky road effect is also a thing.

Bernabel is likely to be minor league depth, but there is a chance that he gets some run at some point this season. He makes a ton of contact and knows how to pull the ball in the air. The plate discipline and raw power is a bit of a problem though.

On the other side of the coin, the Nats have a player leaving the organization. Mike DeBartolo picked up Sauryn Lao off of waivers, and he made a couple appearances for the Nats down the stretch. However, it looks like the right hander will be going to Japan to sign with Nippon Ham Fighters.

According to my sources, the outstanding Dominican right-handed pitcher Sauryn Lao has signed a two-year contract agreement with one guaranteed year, while the second year will be subject to the option of the Japanese team Nippon-Ham Fighters. The contract is worth over $3M.… pic.twitter.com/DmKi3x2ZwV

— Mike Rodriguez (@mikedeportes) December 18, 2025

This just makes an already thin bullpen even thinner. There is now one less arm to turn to in the bullpen. It was unclear if Lao was going to make the Opening Day roster, but he was likely to have to throw some innings at some point in the season.

Lao leaving just makes bullpen additions even more needed. I am interested to see what Paul Toboni does with the bullpen. So far, the Nats have lost two relievers in Lao and Jose A. Ferrer, but they have not brought anyone in. They need help in the bullpen badly and it is only a matter of time before Toboni brings in reinforcements.

Lastly, there has been a steady trickle of staffing hires over the past week. The most notable one was the Nats hiring Chris O’Neill to be the Low-A manager. That Low-A team is going to have a lot of prospects coming through it, so it is important to have a good manager down there.

Can confirm, per source, that Chris O'Neill will be the next manager of the Nationals’ Class A affiliate in Fredericksburg. @granthpaulsen was on it.

O'Neill was at GW from ‘21-24 and was VCU’s hitting coach/recruiting coordinator in ‘25. Replaces Billy McMillon on that staff.

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) December 21, 2025

O’Neill is very familiar with the DC area, coaching at George Washington for a few years. This past year, O’Neill was an assistant coach at VCU. The Nats have hired a few coaches from the college ranks so far. It is very interesting to follow these minor league coaching hires because they will be doing so much of the development.

Another interesting hire was Justin Simanek, who will be a minor league pitching coach. Like so many of these Nats hires, Simanek is super young. He is a 28 year old who founded a pitching lab down in Mississippi three years ago. Simanek will be part of this crazy new project the Nats are embarking on.

After the Nats picked up Foster Griffin, there were no massive pieces of news. However, there was some interesting stuff that could become important down the road. It is a fascinating time to be a Nats fan and even the minor moves have some intrigue to them.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/washington-nationals-news/88015/washington-nationals-news-round-up

 

[Washington Nationals]

An unfortunate statistic highlights the Washington Nationals lack of spending

Yesterday, Ryan O’Hearn signed a 2-year $29 million contract with the Pirates. This is relevant to the Nats in a couple of ways. The most obvious is that the Nats missed out on a first base target. I wrote about O’Hearn as a fit and even said a potential contract could be 2-years $28 million. However, I want to talk about something else.

With O’Hearn signing with the Pirates, every team in baseball has given out a $20 million plus free agent contract since the last time the Nats have done so. The Nats have not given out a free agent contract of at least $20 million since they signed Will Harris back in January of 2020.

Every team in baseball has now given out a $20 million contract more recently than the Nationals. https://t.co/N05lVY4M9t

— Andrew Flax (@ajflax) December 23, 2025

Those were simpler times when the Nats were defending champions and Corona was still just a beer. However, that was almost six years ago and there has been a lot of losing since. This stunning stat just shows how much the Lerner’s have really closed up their pocket books over the past few years.

Don’t get me wrong, there are understandable reasons. The Nats have been in a rebuild for a while, and teams just don’t spend as much when they are rebuilding. Free agents usually want to go to winning teams and owners are more inclined to spend when they feel like they are close. This still does not excuse the total lack of spending over the past half decade.

I understand they are rebuilding but this is still ridiculous. The Lerner family needs to explain this to the fans. The fanbase is being let down https://t.co/J7hXvTAzLu

— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) December 23, 2025

We know that COVID hurt the Lerner’s financially, but how much did it hurt? Is there no money to spend, or are they just holding back? Neither answer is a good one and Nationals fans deserve better. We can accept being outspent by the Yankees and Dodgers, but now we are being outbid for free agents by teams like the Pirates and Marlins.

The Nats have a solid young core of players, but they need some veteran leaders around them. This probably is not the offseason to go out and sign a $100 million plus contract, but there is no excuse for not being in the market for mid tier free agents.

When the Nats were rebuilding in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s, they brought in these veterans to help out. They famously brought in Jayson Werth in order to add a veteran bat and set the culture. With Josh Bell gone, where are the leaders in this locker room?

Not all of these prospects are going to pan out and not all of these positions are going to be filled by internal options. Paul Toboni and the Lerner’s need to understand this. DC is a big market, and ownership needs to act accordingly.

No $20 million contracts in free agency in over half a decade is just embarrassing. Even the A’s, the Marlins, and now the Pirates are taking bigger swings than that. I trust Paul Toboni to help develop the current core group of players and make the team better. However, he is going to need help.

It may not be this offseason, but the Nats are going to have to make a big swing at some point and I do not trust this ownership group to do so. Back in the 2010’s Nats fans used to get new signings like Daniel Murphy as Christmas presents. Now, the best we can hope for are some minor league contracts and cheap one year deals.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...highlights-washington-nationals-lack-spending

 

[Washington Nationals]

How will the Washington Nationals deploy Luis Garcia Jr. in 2026?

One interesting and underdiscussed storyline from this offseason is the future of Luis Garcia Jr. in DC. Despite some speculating that Garcia would be non-tendered, Paul Toboni decided to bring the 25 year old back into the fold. Now that he is back, the biggest question now is how he will be deployed.

Down the stretch, the Nationals flirted with the idea of moving Garcia to first base. He actually started at first in two of the final five games, the first two starts he has ever made at the position. Garcia was also taking practice reps at the position in the second half of the season.

#Nationals Luis Garcia Jr. could sneakily gain 1B eligibility for fantasy in 2026

He started at 1B in 2 of the final 5 games of the 2025 season.

They do not currently have anyone blocking him there and he has been awful defensively at 2B/SS in his career. pic.twitter.com/XZenziE8V0

— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) December 8, 2025

That makes you think about how he will be used going forward. Garcia actually graded out well defensively in 2024, but that has been an exception to the rule so far in his career. Over the years, the defensive metrics and the eye test have not been kind to Garcia. This past season, he posted -7 outs above average at second base. The range limitations were clear to see in the 2025 season.

However, can we read too much into Garcia’s late season move with a new regime coming in? Well, Paul Toboni seems open to the idea. He wanted Garcia to get reps at first base in the Dominican Winter League to make him more versatile. Despite those comments, Garcia has only played second base in his 14 winter league games so far.

A few positional notes from Paul Toboni: He views Harry Ford as a catcher. Said his hope is that in a few years, he'll be an impactful defensive catcher.

Also said Luis García Jr. will continue to get reps at 1B in the winter leagues. Believes it'll make him more versatile.

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) December 8, 2025

That could be due to the composition of his winter league team, but it is still curious. It makes me think that Garcia won’t be a full time first baseman. However, that idea of being versatile stands out to me. It gives a clue about what Toboni is looking for.

There is a good chance that positions will not be as set under this new regime. Garcia could be splitting time at first, second and DH depending on the matchup and who has the hot hand. The Nats started using platoons more the past year or two, but I think it could be something Toboni really leans into.

The Red Sox did a lot of platooning last season, with guys like Rob Refsnyder and Romy Gonzalez specializing against left handed pitching. Meanwhile, a player like Wilyer Abreu would mainly play against right handed pitching.

Garcia is a productive hitter against right handed pitching. Last season he hit .270 with a .763 OPS against righties. All 16 of his homers also came against right handed pitching. In 2024, it was even better, with Garcia hitting .288 with a .795 OPS against righties.

Speaking of his offensive profile, there are reasons to be optimistic despite taking a step back at the plate in 2025. When you look under the hood, Garcia’s process was still solid. In fact, his exit velocities, xwOBA, barrel rate, bat speed and hard hit rate all improved from 2024 to 2025.

Garcia was one of the unluckier hitters in all of baseball last year. His wOBA was 37 points lower than his xwOBA and his batting average was 32 points lower than his expected batting average. Sure, he chases more than you would like, but there is a good hitter in there still.

WSN 2B Luis Garcia Jr
.300 wOBA-.348 xwOBA
.048 difference
.252/.289/.412
.291 xBA
.481 xSLG
16 HRs
9% Barrel%
46% Hard-Hit% pic.twitter.com/ftjLhwqs9F

— Jackson Scudder (@jscud23) October 27, 2025

Given the importance of Garcia’s bat, the Nats will need to make room for him against right handed pitching. The question is whether that will be at first base or second base. We will get a clearer answer by the end of the offseason. The Nats have signed a couple first baseman to minor league deals, but Matt Mervis and Warming Bernabel are not stopping the Nats from signing a proven first baseman like Rhys Hoskins if they want to.

If the Nats are more comfortable with Garcia at first base, it would not surprise me if the Nats brought in somebody who could play second base. We already discussed the idea of signing Willi Castro. Bringing in someone like Luis Rengifo or Ramon Urias could make sense if they feel the need for second base options.

Given the fact they tendered Garcia, he is clearly going to play a role on the team. He is projected to make $7 million in arbitration, which is not insignificant, especially for this team. How Paul Toboni and Blake Butera deploy him will tell us a lot about some of their philosophies. I am excited to see all of this play out in Spring Training as battles for playing time play out.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...shington-nationals-deploy-luis-garcia-jr-2026

 

[Washington Nationals]

Could Daylen Lile be the Washington Nationals version of this five time All Star?

In the second half of the season, Daylen Lile was a breakout star for the Washington Nationals. His smooth stroke and aggression on the bases made him a fan favorite in DC. He brought back memories of other Nats pure hitters like Daniel Murphy and Howie Kendrick. However, the one comparison that comes up the most is Michael Brantley.

This comparison just feels so natural. Lile and Brantley even look fairly similar. The Baseball Unstitched podcast made a great twitter thread on Lile which I would implore all of you to read. They discuss his game and that comparison.

Leading up to Opening Day, we will be detailing a player from all 30 teams that we expect to be a major contributor in 2026

Washington Nationals: Daylen Lile

A Thread (by @jscud23) pic.twitter.com/i7BNXPsNeQ

— Baseball Unstitched Podcast (@BaseUnstitched) December 26, 2025

While they were the last ones to make that Brantley comparison, they certainly were not the first. There was even some buzz about the comparison all the way back in 2023, when Lile was just an inexperienced Minor Leaguer. We made the comparison in an article in September. Fangraphs also brought up the name in their article on Lile.

So why does this comparison make so much sense? For Nationals fans, Michael Brantley is probably best remembered for being the guy who made the last out for the Astros in the 2019 World Series. He chased a Daniel Hudson slider that ended the series and put the Nats on the mountain top.

Exactly 6 years ago at this moment, Game 7 of the 2019 World Series went final at 11:50 PM ET on October 30, 2019, with the Washington Nationals winning it all. The game was 3 hours and 42 minutes and ended as Daniel Hudson struck out Michael Brantley for a 6-2 #Nats win pic.twitter.com/btusZDbB55

— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) October 31, 2025

Well, Brantley was much more than just that guy who struck out to end the World Series. In fact, striking out Brantley was a rare feat. For his career, Michael Brantley only struck out 10.7% of the time. While Lile is a great contact hitter, he will always probably strike out a little bit more than Brantley. Last season, Lile struck out 16% of the time.

Brantley and Lile are the same style of hitter though. Both are hit over power profiles, but have enough juice to hit for some power. Brantley hit 20 home runs twice and hit at least 15 four times. However, the hit tool was the real star of the show here. He was a .298 career hitter, and flirted with .300 most years he was healthy. Brantley also made five All-Star teams in his career.

That is a high bar for Lile to clear, but he has the potential to be that kind of player. As we saw in the second half, Lile is a special player when he is on a heater. He was the NL Player of the Month in September and was the Nats best player in the second half of the season.

For the season, Lile hit .299 with an .845 OPS in 91 games. That is very Michael Brantley type production. Both even have a similar defensive profile, at least right now. Brantley was not a great defender in the corner outfield spots, and neither was Lile in his first season. Lile is a better athlete than Brantley was, so he has more defensive upside.

The comparisons are not just on the stat sheet though. Their swings are also very similar. Both have simple and smooth left handed swings that are very visually appealing. They make hitting look so easy. When you see their swings side by side, it is so easy to see the comparison.

Our comp for Daylen Lile’s swing and skill set?: Michael Brantley

While Lile adds an extra toe-tap, they both have short strides with the foot landing early. From the set position to contact (), we see a short path to the baseball

Hands and lower half are connected as one pic.twitter.com/hXjgxueSY3

— Baseball Unstitched Podcast (@BaseUnstitched) December 26, 2025

Their Baseball Savant pages also closely resemble each other. Both have very high expected batting averages and low whiff rates. They both also have a knack for finding the sweet spot. Neither have elite, or even average exit velocity or barrel rate numbers, but those numbers aren’t terrible either. Here is a comparison between 2019 Brantley and 2025 Lile.

The Nats did not have many success stories in 2025. There is a reason that the manager and GM were both fired midseason. However, Lile was the biggest find of the year. He went from a solid prospect fighting for a spot in a crowded outfield picture to a player who could have All-Star games in his future.

I am looking forward to seeing what Lile can do in 2026. On the offensive side of the ball, there does not seem to be a ton of development required. Those contact skills should give him a strong floor. For Lile, the next step will be to improve his defense and turn that speed into more steals.

Lile is a player that I am incredibly high on entering 2026. He can be that Michael Brantley style hitter who can be an All-Star level contributor. It has been a while since the Nats have had someone who makes hitting look so easy. The power hitters are cool, but I love watching pure hitters like Daylen Lile and Michael Brantley.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...shington-nationals-version-five-time-all-star

 

[Washington Nationals]

Prospects Live Predicts The 2028 Washington Nationals Roster

Yesterday afternoon, Prospects Live, a site dedicated to covering the minor leagues, MLB Draft, and dynasty fantasy baseball rankings, put out their prediction for how the Nationals roster would look in the year 2028. I wanted to break down some of their choices, as while I agree with many of their decisions, there are as many that leave me scratching my head. Keep in mind, they are attempting to predict the roster 3 seasons from now with 0 external additions, a futile task as there is bound to be free agency and trade additions, but there are still certain parts of the roster much more likely to go to an internal option than others.

Prospects Live's 2028 Washington Nationals lineup & rotation projection.

Calm down! James Wood slots in as the DH here!

Is this team a contender? Will Harry Ford push Keibert Ruiz for the starting position? Let's hear your thoughts! pic.twitter.com/gTQgsnSjrU

— Prospects Live (@ProspectsLive) December 26, 2025

Predicting Keibert Ruiz as the Nationals’ 2028 starting catcher is a questionable decision after the recent acquisition of Harry Ford, to say the least. While it is true Ruiz will still be under contract that season, making him likely to still be around the organization in some capacity, he’s shown very little to make anyone believe he can hold onto the starting catcher role for 3 more years, especially with Harry Ford being big league ready in 2026. The most logical explanation to me is they made their projections and the graphic before the trade went down and forgot to update, or perhaps Prospects Live still believes in a version of Keibert Ruiz we haven’t seen in many years.

I like the choice of Ethan Petry over Yohandy Morales and Andres Chapparo at first base in 2028, as my future outlook is higher on him than those 2 and any other internal first base options in the organization. This seems like a position likely to see a free agent signing or trade acquisition, whether that is this offseason or in a future one, but for the sake of this exercise, I like Petry as the future Nats first baseman.

I also like the choice of Luke Dickerson at second base over Seaver King, who is closer to the big leagues but doesn’t excite me the way Dickerson does with his great speed and power potential. I believe King could have a strong career as a utility man for the Nationals, filling in for starters across all sorts of spots on the diamond, but it’s hard for me to put him over anyone else on this roster at one singular spot. The absence of Luis Garcia Jr. is notable, as he will be a free agent after the 2027 season, and Prospects Live either doesn’t think he will be back in DC or just leaves impending free agents off as a rule.

Willits at shortstop was likely one of the easier calls on the list for them, as the only question I would think would be if they believe he can reach the big league level by his age 20 season. If they didn’t, King would likely be in his place on this graphic, but Willits would almost certainly be knocking on the door in 2029 in his age-21 season.

The choice of Daylen Lile and Dylan Crews in the corner outfield spots was probably easy enough for the people at Prospects Live, but the choice of CJ Abrams in centerfield in his age-28 season is an interesting one. While Abrams likely is speedy enough now to handle centerfield duties, he has also gone down in sprint speed percentile every year since he reached the big leagues, and I don’t expect that to stop as he gets older.

Abrams’ arm is also fringy already at shortstop, and would be one of the weaker centerfield arms in baseball if he made the transition. While I think it’s an idea worth exploring, it seems much more likely to me that Abrams makes the transition to second base rather than centerfield as he matures. Not on the graphic for some reason is James Wood, who they say slots in at DH for the Nationals in 2028, although I think they shouldn’t count him out as a fielder so soon.

In the rotation, Prospects Live sees Cade Cavalli as the ace of this ballclub in 3 years, with the younglings Travis Sykora, Jarlin Susana, and Alex Clemmey right behind him. The decision to slot Brad Lord over Luis Perales is a fascinating one, perhaps confirming my suspicion that these projections and graphics were made before the Ford and Perales trades went down. There is also the surprising absence of DJ Herz, who will only be 27 years old during the 2028 campaign and has shown more promise at the big league level than almost any Nats starter. Overall, I think they are mostly on the money with the top 4 of this rotation, with the question marks being if Cavalli and Clemmey can maintain themselves as starters or will become bullpen weapons.

The Nationals’ bullpen outlook in 2028 is extremely bleak, according to Prospects Live; however, that is also the area of the club that is most difficult to predict, as bullpens are constantly shuffling through arms and will see the addition of several failed starters on the Nats farm currently. Cole Henry as the closer makes sense, as he may be more likely than anyone to still be around 3 years from now, but I am not sure he quite has closer stuff.

Pablo Aldonis is a 23-year-old lefty who destroyed Low and High A hitters in 2025, and seems like just as good a bet on the Nats farm as any to be in their bullpen in 3 years. Poulin, who will be 32 in 2028 and was solid for the Nats in 2025, is an odd choice as a setup man, but he does have plenty of service time remaining, giving him a decent chance of still being around by then.

Overall, I think Prospects Live’s prediction for the 2028 Washington Nationals roster would be much more accurate if they had updated it with the additions of Harry Ford and Luis Perales, but overall, they did as good a job as you can do guessing how a team will look 3 years in the future with 0 external additions. As far as 3-year outlooks go, I believe this is the best looking future as the Nationals have had since the rebuild began, with a mix of current big league talent, young and promising hitters, and intriguing arms down on the farm.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...ive-predicts-2028-washington-nationals-roster

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals 2025 draft class will be exciting to watch in the farm

As we enter 2026, one thing I will be keeping track of this season is the progress of the Nationals top 5 picks in the 2025 draft. Armed with plenty of bonus pool money, the Nationals were able to land five of MLB Pipeline’s top 100 players in last year’s draft. With Paul Toboni bringing in a new development system, I am excited to see who breaks out next year.

Eli Willits, Ethan Petry, Landon Harmon, Miguel Sime Jr., and Coy James were the Nats top 5 picks, and that is quite the haul. The Nats decided to select Willits first overall on an underslot deal so they could come away with those four players. This strategy allowed the Nats to get plenty of high quality players.

Despite Willits going well underslot, he still has the potential to be the best player in the class. After a strong pro debut as a 17 year old, Willits is the highest ranked 2025 draftee on the MLB Pipeline top 100. He is even ahead of the more famous Ethan Holliday.

Despite being the youngest first overall pick ever, Willits hit the ground running in pro ball. A lot of high school draftees do not play in affiliated ball until the spring after they were drafted. However, Willits was so advanced as a player that the Nats sent him to Low-A.

He rewarded their faith, hitting .300 in 15 games. Willits is just a natural baseball player. He makes a ton of contact from both sides of the plate, while also having a very good eye. Defensively, Willits is very instinctive and can make all the plays at shortstop. He is the definition of a gamer.

Eli Willits singles….Luke Dickerson drives him in!

FUTUREEEEE!!!!! pic.twitter.com/A8mXDGN0qU

— Fredericksburg Nationals (@FXBGNats) August 24, 2025

Willits is not a perfect prospect though. The power is still a bit of a question mark. He probably will not be a 25 home run guy, but he can add some strength. A comparison I like is Geraldo Perdomo, the shortstop for the Diamondbacks who had an insane 2025 season. Like Willits, Perdomo does not have insane tools, but he is a natural baseball player with great instincts and feel.

Willits should start 2026 at either Low-A or High-A. Due to the glut of young middle infielders, there is a chance that Willits goes to High-A so everyone has a spot. Given his strong numbers at Low-A, he could hold his own at the next level. Even if he starts at Low-A, a promotion to High-A would be on the horizon. Willits’ goal is to be an MLB player by 20 years old.

Even though Willits is the highest ranked player from his draft class right now, he still came at a discount. Despite being picked later, Kade Anderson and Ethan Holliday both commanded larger bonuses. By taking a discount, Willits allowed the Nats to go nuts with their next four picks.

While second rounder Ethan Petry commanded an overslot bonus, his $2.09 million bonus was around the $1.98 million slot value. Petry is your prototypical slugger. At 6’4 235 pounds, he is a menacing presence in the batters box. When he connects with the ball, it goes very far. He has some high profile college home runs against the likes of Paul Skenes, Chase Burns and Liam Doyle.

Ethan Petry hit a homerun last night off of an elevated 98.5 mph Liam Doyle fastball with 22.7” IVB and a -3.4° VAA

Petry has an 89% ZCon%, 110 mph 90th EV, and a whiff rate around 15% vs hard FB and BRK pic.twitter.com/CrrhLicyRN

— Jacob (@jacobledelman) March 29, 2025

Petry has played in the outfield, but he is likely to be a first baseman long term. He is not a great mover and while he has a big arm, that is not enough to survive in the outfield. That means he is really going to have to hit.

Like a lot of big sluggers, Petry has some swing and miss in his game. It improved throughout his college career, but he is always going to be a three true outcome slugger. In pro ball, Petry showed impressive patience at the plate. He walked nearly 13% of the time in Low-A.

As the only 2025 draftee in the Arizona Fall League, Petry also showed off his impressive batting eye. Against more advanced pitching, Petry had whiff problems and some trouble tapping into his power. However, his .400 on base percentage was still very impressive.

There are a lot of ways this could go for Petry. He could be a middle of the order slugger, or a guy who does not quite meet the offensive threshold to be an everyday first baseman. Petry should start next season in High-A, and I am interested to follow his progress.

The guy I might be most excited to watch is the Nats third round pick Landon Harmon. Using the money they saved from Willits, the Nats signed Harmon to a $2.5 million signing bonus, which is way over the $1.01 million slot value.

Harmon is a high school right handed pitcher with an electric fastball. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of Travis Sykora, who the Nats took in the 3rd round of the 2023 draft. Harmon has a projectable frame at 6’5 190 pounds. He has room to add at least 20 pounds as he matures.

Despite the skinny frame, Harmon has a big fastball. It sits in the mid-90’s and has touched 99. Scouts consider it a plus pitch due to the velocity, the explosive life on the pitch and the potential of more velocity down the road.

Possibly the best pick of the 3rd round in the 2025 MLB draft, the Nationals signing RHP Landon Harmon.

65-grade Fastball
55-grade Slider

Changeup could use some improvement, but at 6-ft-5, the 19-y/o's ceiling is incredibly high.

Here's him vs. the No. 4 pick Ethan Holliday… pic.twitter.com/pF9EvlwAzC

— Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) December 25, 2025

The fastball is certainly the star of the show here. Harmon has shown a slider that projects to be above average, but still needs some work. The changeup also needs plenty of fine tuning. Harmon’s command is good for a high school pitcher, but still could use some improvement. With his live arm and lower effort delivery, he projects to have at least average command though.

Harmon will spend most of this season in Low-A most likely. He may start the season in Rookie Ball depending on what new management thinks he is ready for. Right now, he is the Nats 8th ranked prospect, but he could be a big time riser.

The Nats 4th round pick, Miguel Sime Jr., is another flamethrowing high school righty. Like Harmon, Sime signed for well above slot value. Despite the pick having a slot value of $687k, Sime signed for $2 million.

The similarities between the two pitchers do not stop there though. Like Harmon, Sime’s fastball is his biggest weapon. He throws even harder than Harmon, consistently working in the upper 90’s and even touching triple digits on multiple occasions. The heater also has strong life and could be a plus-plus pitch one day.

Miguel Sime Jr. is another prep arm to watch for 2026. The 18-year-old, 6-ft-4, 235-lb RHP runs his fastball into the upper-90s consistently, and pairs it with an above-avg slider!

Between Sime and Landon Harmon, the upside of the Nationals’ 3rd/4th-round picks is sky-high.

:… pic.twitter.com/wqBUE0yaL9

— Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) December 28, 2025

Sime’s frame is more similar to Jarlin Susana than Harmon though. At 18, Sime is a massive dude with a 6’4 235 pound frame. That mass allows him to hold his velocity deep into his starts, just like Susana.

Sime is a raw prospect though. He has shown a decent feel to spin, but his curveball and slider are not elite. Occasionally he will uncork a really nice changeup, but the consistency is not there yet. The command is his biggest question mark though. He can be quite erratic at times, but his control was trending in a positive direction last spring.

With his stuff, Sime does not have to paint corners like Greg Maddux. All he has to do is be around the zone enough and not throw it right down the middle. Sime has a massive ceiling and a strong fall back in the bullpen. He is still raw though and will likely start the season in Rookie Ball.

In the 5th round, the Nats had one more trick up their sleeve. At this point, the savings from the Willits selection had been used up, but the Nats wanted one more big name prospect. By taking advantage of senior signings in rounds 6-10, the Nats were able to save enough money to take Coy James in the 5th round.

Around the draft, James had buzz to be an early second or even late first round pick. However, he was seen as a tough signing due to his Ole Miss commitment. Despite being taken in the 5th round, the Nats gave James $2.5 million to sign. The next highest bonus of the fifth round was $1.5 million.

The Nats paid up for James because of his well rounded skillset. While he is a shortstop now, most scouts see his future home being at third or second base. He has good hands and actions, but his range is not the best. Still, he is likely to be a solid defender on the infield.

His bat is the real star of the show though. From a young age, James was known as an advanced hitter. He has a strong combination of hitting ability and power. James has the potential to have above average hitting ability and power. He does chase more than you would like and he was inconsistent in the showcase events.

A strong senior year in high school helped his stock rebound, but there are still some questions. However, James is a good hitter with a nice looking right handed swing. Getting a guy with those tools in the 5th round is very exciting. James did not play in any affiliated games, but he did play on the back fields, where he showed some of that power.

Coy James first pro HR pic.twitter.com/R9dx1CaUsm

— Nationals Source (@NationalsSource) September 4, 2025

James could be the guy that Luke Dickerson was supposed to be last year. I think he will get his feet wet in rookie ball like Dickerson before quickly moving to Low-A. When James goes to Low-A, Willits would probably get promoted to High-A. While there is some doubt about James’ ability to stick at shortstop, he should get a chance to play there.

Overall, this is an extremely exciting draft class. Given how young all of these guys are, they will be Paul Toboni’s biggest development projects. I am fascinated to see what these guys can do in their first full seasons and how Toboni can help them improve. This has a chance to be a franchise changing draft.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/mlb...onals-2025-draft-class-exciting-watch-in-farm

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals weekly news update

There were no blockbuster moves made by the Nationals this past week, but there were a couple interesting news items I wanted to discuss. With the holiday season, the MLB offseason has slowed to a crawl this week. However, there was still some movement and fun things to take a look at.

The most noteworthy piece of Nats news this week was the signing of Matt Mervis to a Minor League deal. Mervis is a slugging first baseman who has shown promise in the minors but has not put it together in the MLB yet. He is also a DC native who went to high school at Georgetown Prep.

Matt Mervis signs deal with his hometown Nats

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 24, 2025

Mervis is getting a minor league deal with a spring training invite. The Nats have also brought in Warming Bernabel, so there could be a bit of a camp battle at the first base position. Hopefully the Nats also bring in a veteran like Rhys Hoskins because a Matt Mervis/Warming Bernabel first base platoon is not great.

In 78 MLB games, Mervis is a .165 career big league hitter with a .560 OPS, so not pretty. Mervis hit 7 home runs last April and posted an .848 OPS for the month, so maybe he can recapture that form. However, he went 5/45 in May and was DFA’d by the Marlins. He spent the rest of the year in the D-Backs system.

Even if he does not make the team, the 27 year old Mervis is a solid depth piece. He has 101 career minor league homers and a career .872 OPS. The Nats need more organizational depth and Mervis provides that. If he performs well in AAA, he should get a shot at some point this season.

The next piece of news is related to jersey numbers. A few Nats players changed their numbers this past week. Daylen Lile, Brady House, Brad Lord and Jackson Rutledge will all have new numbers in 2026.

Here are a few Nationals number changes. Daylen Lile in number 4 is icy icl pic.twitter.com/Ai3jgOKUs2

— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) December 23, 2025

The most interesting one for me is Lile, who went from 51 to 4. Notably, Davey Martinez wore number 4 during his time as manager. Brady House going to 12 is also a fun one. All of these guys are young players who have finally established themselves as big leaguers.

On a side note, I am somewhat interested to see how Jackson Rutledge performs this year. He is someone who might benefit from the new coaching staff. His slider is a really good pitch that got very good results last year. I have a feeling he will be throwing it more than 25.8% of the time in 2026.

Lastly, the Nationals officially finalized their coaching staff last week. Most of these names are not new, but there is one coach we have not talked about yet. It is also fun to see the staff become official.

our 2026 coaching staff is official pic.twitter.com/R9wCKUvR92

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) December 23, 2025

The new name I hinted at is Shawn O’Malley. He will be one of two assistant hitting coaches, with the other being Andrew Aydt. O’Malley is a former player, who actually spent some time in the MLB. He was the Mariners AAA hitting coach this past year, where he was the 2025 minor league coach of the year for the organization.

His work this past year with new Nationals catcher Harry Ford impresses me. In 2024, Ford struggled to show much power in AA. However, he turned things around at a higher level in 2025. He hit 7 homers in 430 at bats in 2024 but exploded in 2025, hitting 16 in 374 at bats.

The Nats coaching staff is now set and it is an exciting one. Sure, there is a lot of youth and not a ton of experience. However, the Nats desperately needed new ideas and they will get them from this staff.

I am very excited to see which players show major improvement this upcoming season. There is going to be a player who comes out of nowhere to become productive with this new staff, the question is who will it be. It was not the most eventful week in Nats news, but there was still some stuff to talk about and break down.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...6/the-washington-nationals-weekly-news-update

 

[Washington Nationals]

Where are the mentors on this Washington Nationals team?

The Washington Nationals are painfully light on experience. From the front office, to the coaching staff and the players, there are not many proven commodities. This is both exciting and somewhat concerning. As we get deeper into the offseason, the need for veteran leadership has become more glaring.

We have talked a lot about the inexperience in the front office and coaching staff. The influx of people in their 30’s has been pretty exciting. Over the past few years, the Nats front office and coaching staff has been old and behind the 8 ball. Now, it feels like the Nats are trying to modernize which I like.

I broke down the Nats youth movement in the front office and on the coaching staff. It is jarring when you look at the age gap between the new and old regimes https://t.co/9BplTJSx75

— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) December 19, 2025

It is a risky move, but the reward is also very high. These young minds seem to be on the cutting edge and have bright futures ahead of them. However, one thing that has become concerning is the total lack of experience on the roster. The Nats have not been active in free agency and are light on players who could play a mentor role.

Right now the Nats roster has a combined one playoff at bat and zero playoff innings. The only playoff at bat actually came from their new catcher Harry Ford, who got a hit last postseason. Besides that, no National has ever been in a playoff game.

This is going to be a young roster, but I hope Paul Toboni brings in at least one guy who has been there and done that. By far the oldest player on the roster right now is Trevor Williams, who won’t even be ready to start the season. Even Williams, who has been in the league since 2016 has never appeared in a playoff game. There is a real shortage of guys who have won a lot of baseball games in their career.

I worry about the culture and how all the losing will impact it. Besides Williams, there are not many other long time big leaguers on the roster. Even on a young team, you need some mentors. Who will players like James Wood and Dylan Crews learn from in this locker room? Keibert Ruiz is an old head on this team at this point.

Right now, the three oldest position players on the roster are Riley Adams, Drew Millas and Keibert Ruiz. That is pretty nuts if you ask me. They need to bring somebody in to help establish a culture. It is pretty clear that they are not going to splash the cash this offseason, but a Josh Bell type of veteran is needed.

Rhys Hoskins is a guy who strikes me as a strong fit. He has seen it all in his career. When he came up, Hoskins was on a rebuilding Phillies team looking to get back to prominence. Later on in his time with the Phillies, he was on more competitive teams who had a lot of veterans and a high standard.

Then Hoskins went to the Brewers where he was part of another winning culture. The Brewers culture is more analytically minded and not built around stars. Hoskins seems like someone who would be a good mentor and also a solid first baseman.

With how inexperienced this roster is, I would be very disappointed if Paul Toboni did not bring in more experience. At times, Mike Rizzo may have relied too much on these cheap veterans on one year deals. However, not having any mentors on the team creates problems as well.

You need to pick the right kind of guys. We saw that last year when the Nats brought in Nathaniel Lowe to be a leader, which did not work out. Just because a guy is a veteran does not mean they are a leader. However, you need some experience to balance things out.

This is a new era where the development of young players is the top priority. However, Toboni does constantly mention that you win with people. That is very true in an MLB locker room. Without mentors, development is tougher. The Nats need to bring in some veterans who are wired the right way to help out this young group.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/88100/where-are-mentors-on-washington-nationals-team

 

[Washington Nationals]

Where Does 2025 Rank Among The Most Important Years In Washington Nationals History?

2025 was, for all intents and purposes, a pretty bad year for the Washington Nationals. Expectations weren’t especially high, with most fans expecting a win total in the 70s and a few holding out with playoff hopes, but the team wasn’t able to achieve even that, finishing 66-96 and resulting in the firing of Manager Davey Martinez, with the ballclub since 2018, and General Manager Mike Rizzo, with the club since 2006. 2025 also saw the debut of Juan Soto, one of the icons of the Nationals franchise, as a New York Met, marking the first of 15 years as a division rival of the Nats.

While the results of the 2025 Nationals season were not pretty, the events that took place during it may have made it one of the most important seasons in the franchise’s history. The same way we look at 2005, 2012, and 2019 as critical junctures in the Nats’ history, we may one day speak about 2025 the same way. Let’s take a look at all the important events that took place this year for the Nats, and where 2025 ranks in terms of importance among years in Nationals history.

July 6th: Manager Davey Martinez and GM Mike Rizzo are fired

The first, and perhaps the most major, event that took place in what was looking like a forgettable 2025 Nationals season was the firing of Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez on July 6th, after a 4-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox, which dropped the Nats to 37-53 on the year. Fans were aware that Rizzo and Martinez’s contract options were due to be picked up that month, but with the deadline to pick up the option unknown, and the Lerners family’s general unwillingness to do anything to the team on the baseball side, many fans, myself included, were caught off guard by the decision.

While the decision was long-awaited and necessary in order to catch the Nationals back up to the rest of the league in terms of analytical thinking, its timing came as a shock to many, as the Nationals were one week away from making the first overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. With Rizzo, who rumor has it was all aboard the Kade Anderson train and was not going to be dissuaded from him, out of the picture, the new interim Mike Debartolo and the remaining front office had the freedom to make the pick they wanted to.

July 13th: Eli Willits is selected with the first overall pick

There was much speculation about whether the firing of Mike Rizzo would change the Nationals’ plans with the first overall pick, or if the plan was pretty much set in stone long before his removal. Leading up to the draft, Ethan Holliday, a shortstop out of Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Kade Anderson, a left-handed pitcher from LSU, dominated the talk about the Nationals’ selection, but outside options such as Eli Willits, Liam Doyle, and Jamie Arnold garnered speculation as well after Rizzo’s firing.

In the end, the talent, tools, and athleticism of Eli Willits won over the Nationals’ war room, who later said Willits was always the plan for them at 1.1. The choice by Debartolo and his staff to take a young, toolsy middle infielder like Willits over the big and famous tools of prospects like Holliday and Anderson was as strong an indicator of the new chapter the Nationals were beginning to write in their history. With the savings from selecting Willits first overall, the Nats also had one of their deepest drafts in memory, taking multiple prospects with the potential to be building blocks of the franchise in future years.

2nd Half 2025: The Daylen Lile Breakout

July was an exciting time for the Nationals, with the firing of their longtime manager and GM, having the first overall pick in the draft, and a hectic trade deadline which saw 6 Nationals sent to new homes. August and September, however, were rather unremarkable, as the team was well on its way to its 6th consecutive season under .500. One storyline that kept fans hooked, however, was the emergence of outfielder Daylen Lile in his return to the big leagues.

Lile made his big league debut in May, but was sent back down to Rochester in early June. He returned to the big leagues in mid-June, during the infamous 11-game losing streak, and from there, proved why he was going to play a big part in the Nationals’ future. In the second half of 2025, Lile posted a 162 wRC+, the 8th best among all hitters in baseball. In September, he posted a ridiculous 230 wRC+, the 2nd best in baseball, behind only AL MVP Aaron Judge. Lile finished the 2025 campaign with a 132 wRC+ and 1.4 fWAR over 91 games, good for a 5th-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Not much went right for the Nationals in 2025, but the breakout of Daylen Lile is one that went really, really right for them.

September 24th: Paul Toboni is hired as the new President of Baseball Operations

Ownership knew that they could not sit on their hands and wait too long when it came to the decision of who would be calling the shots on the baseball side of operations for the organization, and before the 2025 regular season even ended, they went out and got a new president of baseball operations in Paul Toboni. The 35-year-old Toboni had been an assistant GM for the Red Sox for years and was one of the most respected young minds in the game of baseball. Toboni also came from a rigorous analytical background, marking a sharp change in philosophy from the old school style organization Mike Rizzo was running.

It will be years until we know the true impact Toboni will have on this organization, but based on everything he’s done so far, from filling out his front office and the coaching staff with other young, brilliant baseball minds, to savvy offseason acquisitions such as Harry Ford and Luis Perales, I expect we will look with great joy on the decision in 2025 to have him lead this club/

Where does it rank in terms of the most important years in Nationals history?

When we sit back one day and discuss the most important years in Nationals history, I expect 2025 to be one of those years we talk about near the very top of the list. 2019 will always be the benchmark, one practically no non-championship Nats team can ever touch, and 2012 was critical in changing the culture and perspective around the ballclub, but outside of those two, there may not be a more impactful year in the ballclub’s history than 2025.

Others had their moments, such as 2005 marking the return of baseball to DC, the opening of Nationals Park in 2008, the arrival of Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper’s MVP in 2015, and the Juan Soto trade in 2022, but in terms of years that had moments which will shape this franchise forever, 2025 may just have them all beat.

We are just 2 days away from the beginning of 2026, and thus the beginning of a new year in Nationals history. While the expectation on the field is another middling season, where the young guns get their big league reps and the coaching staff goes through growing pains, that doesn’t mean it’s how the year will play out, as we learned from the 2025 ballclub. In the same way the 2025 season was not what we expected, sometimes in bad ways, I hope for the same thing in 2026, but perhaps with a few more surprises on the good side.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...-important-years-washington-nationals-history

 

[Washington Nationals]

Five Washington Nationals relievers who are breakout candidates in 2026

Entering 2026, the Washington Nationals bullpen is loaded with uncertainty. The unit had the worst bullpen ERA in all of baseball last year, with a 5.59 mark. Rather than adding to the unit, Paul Toboni has made the group even worse on paper so far this offseason by trading presumptive closer Jose A. Ferrer to the Mariners.

There is likely to be at least one free agent addition to the bullpen this offseason. However, most of the best free agent relievers are off the market. Toboni’s lack of urgency in attacking the free agent relief market tells me that he has some trust in the internal options at his disposal.

With that in mind, I am going to look at five pitchers who Toboni is likely to be intrigued by. Most of these guys did not put up great numbers last year, but have some intriguing traits. They all have good stuff but need to make some command improvements or adjust their pitch mixes.

The first pitcher I want to discuss is a guy who most fans probably do not have much hope for at this point. That would be Jackson Rutledge. The 2019 first rounder finally spent a full season in the MLB, but the results were not pretty. He posted an ugly 5.77 ERA in 63 appearances. The underlying numbers were not much better either.

However, Rutledge has some pitch usage tweaks he could make that could really help him. Last season, he was not throwing his best pitches enough. The results and the stuff models agree that Rutledge’s two best pitches are his slider and splitter. He only threw the slider 25.8% of the time and he threw the splitter just 9.4% of the time.

Jackson Rutledge appreciation post:
39% Chase
36% whiff
35% K%
His splitter and slider have been absolutely unhittable and play off his fastballs beautifully (both at >50% whiff rates)
Walks are high but the rest of the process looks elite and is desperately needed.#HighLevHim pic.twitter.com/eImzu6Otkx

— ████ (@Iletmykpop) May 3, 2025

Honestly, the slider should be the pitch Rutledge throws the most as a reliever. Batters hit just .194 against the pitch with a 39.7% whiff rate. The home run prone Rutledge also did not allow a single long ball on the slider. It should be his primary pitch against righties and an offering he throws more than 11% of the time against lefties.

Last season, Rutledge was solid against righties thanks to the slider, but lefties hit .363 against him. Upping his splitter usage would be one way to help solve his lefty problems. He threw the splitter 20% of the time against lefties with solid results. Meanwhile, he threw a cutter to lefties that got absolutely lit up 18% of the time. He may never be a star, but these usage tweaks could help Rutledge be a solid piece in the bullpen.

Another Nats reliever who should use a slider as their primary pitch is Clayton Beeter. He actually showed a lot for the Nats down the stretch. After being traded from the Yankees, he posted a 2.49 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 21.2 innings. Right now, he is the favorite to be the Nats closer.

Clayton Beeter slams the door for his 1st career save 13.2 straight scoreless, 20 Ks, just 2 hits allowed since joining the Nats. 96+ heat, filthy slider. The kid’s nasty. #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/JtgcqKPGN7

— natsfanatics (@natsfanatics_) September 15, 2025

He already throws his slider a lot, using it 46% of the time. However, I think he could use it even more. Beeter is a two pitch guy, using the slider 46% of the time and a fastball 54% of the time. I think he should flip those two numbers and use the slider as his primary pitch.

It got great results, with a .098 batting average against and a 49.1% whiff rate despite the heavy usage. The pitch also pops on stuff models with a 126 stuff+ rating. Beeter’s lack of strike-throwing could make this strategy harder to pull off. Pitchers tend to throw more fastballs when they are behind in the count.

However, Beeter’s slider command might actually be better than his fastball command. Trusting the pitch in any count could be the next step in his development. Beeter is not as much of a breakout candidate because he has sort of broken out already. I do think there are some more steps he could take to show that production was for real.

The next breakout candidate is a guy who I thought would establish himself in 2025, but did not do so. I had high hopes for Orlando Ribalta entering 2025, but he was awful, posting a 7.03 ERA in 22 outings. An injury cost him a few months, but even when he was on the field, the results were not there.

I was not the only Ribalta believer entering 2025, and the stuff is still impressive. Maybe 2026 is the year where we see the best out of the 6’7 reliever. He has a few really impressive pitches and looks the part.

I will be buying my Orlando Ribalta stocks please and thank you.

99th percentile in my four-seam fastball whiff model, very funky Bugs Bunny changeup, and a nasty gyro slider with good velocity. He could be a really fun relief arm for the Nats next year. Go Orlando! pic.twitter.com/HnN4W1inHf

— Steven (@GoCubs49) December 31, 2024

Ribalta throws a 4-seamer, a sinker, a slider and a changeup. All four pitches have promise, but the results are inconsistent. The 4-seam fastball averages 96.4 MPH and has very good carry. It was his best pitch in 2025, with batters hitting .192 against it.

His slider grades out well on models, but got lit up in 2025. Hitters had an insane .806 slugging percentage against the pitch. I think Ribalta’s best secondary pitch is his bugs bunny changeup. He generated whiffs more than 40% of the time with the changeup. Ribalta is also comfortable throwing it to righties and lefties.

He finishes off the arsenal with a sinker that generates a ton of weak contact. Ribalta had massive problems with walks and home runs, but the tools are there. Hopefully Toboni and the development team can help Ribalta solve some of these problems.

The one reliever the Nats have added to the fold is Griff McGarry, who they selected in the Rule 5 Draft from the Phillies. McGarry was a starter last year and posted a 3.44 ERA with a ton of strikeouts in 83.1 minor league innings.

However, a lack of command will push McGarry into a bullpen role. The Nats will be incentivized to keep McGarry on the roster because they would have to return him to the Phillies if they demote him. He has the stuff to thrive in the MLB, but the command is a question.

The raw stuff is world class. His 121 stuff+ rating was one of the best numbers in the minor leagues. At his best, his fastball/slider combination is electric. His arm slot is tough to pick up and he is a whiff machine.

Few pitchers in the minors have stuff on the level of Griff McGarry.

The Phillies righthander blows up our Stuff+ models with a 121 overall score.

And he's available in the Rule 5 draft pic.twitter.com/K3xSsNXRAm

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) December 2, 2025

Toboni has a simple task with McGarry. Find a way to get him in the zone enough. Walks will always be a part of his game, but he has to keep them under control. It is similar to the Beeter situation. Even if he walks 12% of hitters, which is bad for most guys, he will be fine because of his stuff.

This is a fun Rule 5 bet to make. There is a chance he gets returned to the Phillies very quickly. However, there is also a chance that he becomes a key piece to the bullpen due to his swing and miss stuff.

The last guy I want to talk about is Cole Henry. After an injury riddled road, he was finally healthy in 2025 and established himself as a solid reliever. He faded a bit down the stretch and ended the season with an ERA over 4, but he showed plenty of flashes.

Henry has a low slot and big extension which helps deceive hitters. His fastball has a ton of life and is by far his best pitch. Batters hit .191 against the pitch and whiffed nearly 30% of the time against his heater. That whiff number is insane for a fastball, especially one that is 94.4 MPH.

2) Cole Henry – WSH

The Nationals rookie has started off hot thanks to his wicked fastball. It sits in the mid 90s with a ton of ride and run to make it an extremely effective weapon with a 52.6 Whiff%. Once his secondaries click, Henry should solidify himself as a stud! pic.twitter.com/koR6qYWzcb

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) April 28, 2025

For Henry, the next step in his development will be improving his command and secondary pitches. His curveball is decent, but I think Toboni may help him find another breaking ball shape. A sweeper would make a lot of sense given his slot. Henry’s curve has sweeper-like movement anyway. Stuff models also like the curve.

There is a chance that Henry is the closer next season. He still has health questions, but the stuff is there. Henry also seems like a fun template for smart pitching minds to work with. He has a lot of unique characteristics, which is always a positive.

This bullpen is very short on proven commodities, but there are some interesting names to develop. None of these guys are sure things, but I expect a couple of them to take big steps in 2026. Paul Toboni is sure betting on that because on paper, he has made the worst bullpen in baseball even worse on paper. However, I think these guys could make the bullpen much better next season.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...-nationals-relievers-breakout-candidates-2026

 

[Washington Nationals]

The six best Washington Nationals moments from 2025

2025 was not exactly a banner year for the Washington Nationals, but that does not mean there were not any fun moments. As the year comes to a close, I wanted to highlight six of the coolest things that happened on the field for the Nats this year. We discussed how important 2025 was off the field, but now we will look at some on-field memories.

With a 66-96 record, this season did not go according to plan. It is never a good sign when a whole regime gets fired. However, there were still some good times this year and I had a blast covering these moments. Let’s get into the list, which is in no particular order.

The first moment to discuss actually occurred on Opening Day. When MacKenzie Gore took the mound for his first career Opening Day start, he was a man on a mission. He sliced through the Phillies lineup with ease. Sure, there were shadows, but that does not take away from how impressive the outing was.

What an #OpeningDay start for MacKenzie Gore:

6 IP
1 H
0 R
0 BB
13 K pic.twitter.com/dL3GsmHrmV

— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2025

Gore looked ready to take the leap to ace status. Everything was working for him on that March afternoon. His fastball was lively, his curveball just dropped off the table and he was showing a new slider to left handed hitters that was nasty. Gore struck out 13, while walking nobody and allowing just one hit.

That dominance continued for the first half of the season. Gore made his first All-Star team, and posted a 3.02 ERA in the first half. Things went off the rails after the All-Star break, but Gore showed how high his ceiling really is. Ironically, the Nats bullpen immediately blew the game when he came out, an ominous sign of things to come.

The next moment may be one that you have forgotten about. Back in April, the Nats made history by turning their first triple play at Nationals Park. It came against the Mets on April 25th and was shrouded in controversy.

Former Nat Jesse Winker hit a line drive which Nathaniel Lowe allegedly caught. Then Lowe threw it to second base to double off the runner and finally, CJ Abrams tagged the runner standing on second base to get the triple play. It was an odd play that was very confusing.

Triple play!

The @Nationals turn THREE pic.twitter.com/aMzhnATpzf

— MLB (@MLB) April 25, 2025

Upon further review, it did not seem like Lowe actually caught the ball, but the play stood. It was the first triple play in Nationals Park. In a season where so much went wrong for the Nats, this went so right. They ended up winning the game in walk off fashion and the Mets missed the playoffs by one game.

Another fun moment that occurred in April is when the Nats knocked off the champion Dodgers. Baseball is a sport where anything can happen, and this series proved that. The lowly Nationals won two out of three against the Dodgers, who won their second straight World Series this year.

After falling behind 4-0, 4 batters into the game, @Jirvy18 did not allow a run, finishing 6 innings. The @Nationals rallied with 3 in the 1st & 2 more in the 3rd for a 5-4 lead. But the @Dodgers score twice in the 7th and held on for a 6-5 win. The Nats won their 1st series at… pic.twitter.com/6bYDqwbNKx

— Charlie Slowes (@CharlieSlowes) April 9, 2025

I remember going to one of the games, where the Nats blitzed the Dodgers. James Wood hit two home runs and Brad Lord struck out Shohei Ohtani multiple times. Despite the cold weather, it was a really fun night.

That series, as well as a series win against the D-Backs afterwards had fans believing that this year could be a breakthrough for the Nats. The Nats were not a horrible team the first couple months. However, things really went off the rails when the month of June rolled around.

Speaking of June, there is one highlight from that miserable month. It is kind of funny that one of the highlights of the Nats season was a walk off homer to snap an 11 game losing streak, but here we are.

After losing three straight games to the lowly Rockies, the Nats losing streak had reached 11 games. The vibes were absolutely horrific. Between all the losing and Davey Martinez’s comments about how it is never on coaching, things were rough.

Game four of the Rockies series was another dog fight. Then in the 11th inning, the Nats young star James Wood had a signature moment. He hit an absolutely towering home run to straight away center to walk it off and snap the losing streak.

JAMES WOOD WALKS IT OFF!!!

HE SNAPS THE NATIONALS 11-GAME LOSING STREAK!!! pic.twitter.com/2P8SyNC5N4

— optimistic nats fan (@optimistic5518) June 19, 2025

He ended his season on a sour note, but Wood’s first half was so impressive. There were so many majestic home runs and impressive moments. Hopefully he can get back to that kind of form in 2026.

The next thing I want to talk about is actually a few plays combined. Jacob Young had a flair for the dramatic in the outfield this year. He made a few absolutely insane catches in 2025. Young has always been a defensive ace, but it felt like he made more acrobatic plays this year. We wrote about all of his crazy plays in September.

My favorite one came late in the season against the Mets. He made an insane catch where he made a play at the wall, but the ball popped out. His instincts came through though. Young kicked the ball in the air to himself and made an absurd play.

How on earth did Jacob Young catch this??? pic.twitter.com/xZ4ag2qCpf

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 21, 2025

He made another crazy catch later in the game, which ended up costing the Mets in a big way. In a season where the Mets were one win away from a playoff spot, the Nats magical plays proved costly.

The last highlight is yet another one of those magical plays against the Mets. This one came courtesy of Daylen Lile. As Nats fans know, Lile had a ridiculous month of September, where he won NL Player of the Month. He was an absolute hitting machine and was spraying the ball all over the yard.

While Lile is known for hitting a ton of triples, he took things one step further on this play. In extra innings, Lile smacked a ball that the center fielder just missed. The ball rolled away from the center fielder and Lile was on the move. At first, I was thinking he hit a triple, but he ended up going all the way home.

DAYLEN LILE, INSIDE-THE-PARK HOMER IN EXTRAS pic.twitter.com/QUmqYNemFQ

— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2025

This inside the park home run proved to be the difference, and the Nats won a dramatic game. It was the crown jewel of a month full of highlights for Daylen Lile. I cannot wait to see what the young outfielder has in store for us in 2026.

Sure, it was not a great year for the Nats. That does not mean that there were no fun memories. Some of the Nats young players showed their insane potential. Hopefully 2026 is the year where these guys can put it all together and show consistency.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...he-six-best-washington-nationals-moments-2025

 

[Washington Nationals]

Where will the Washington Nationals be televised in 2026?

When the clock struck midnight, it marked not only a new year, but also the expiration of the Washington Nationals deal with MASN. The Nationals marriage with MASN was forced upon them by the Orioles as a condition to moving to DC. It has created plenty of tension between the two franchises, but after a settlement last year, the Nats are now free to move on.

Nats and MASN current deal expires in just under 4 hours unless it was extended. pic.twitter.com/OFxhKbZpk7

— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) January 1, 2026

However, this break from MASN also creates uncertainty. Now that the deal has expired, Nats fans do not know where they will be watching their favorite team. The Nats have not found a new TV partner. There are some options that we will discuss and break down.

The first one, which I suspect may happen, would be to just return to MASN. It is telling that the Nats still do not have a new deal lined up yet, or at least not one that is publicly known. Given the struggles of regional sports networks, the Nats TV rights are not likely to be hot commodities.

There is a strong possibility that the Nats return to MASN on a short term deal and then consider their options down the road. Between a potential sale, the looming lockout and more, a lot can change in the next year or so. With that in mind, the Nats may not want to lock themselves down long term.

Feels like a one or two-year bridge deal with MASN is most likely outcome for the Nationals.

MLB presumably intervened when they did so they could sell Nats’ rights as part of broader set of teams to highest bidder in 2028.

Manfred wouldn’t care about them otherwise. https://t.co/sbOaAblm53

— Stars and Strikes – Daily Nats Content (@StarsStrikesBB) January 1, 2026

However, MASN is far from the only option that could be on the table for the Nats. One option that has been floated around is the idea of moving to Monumental Sports. Monumental is a local RSN that is the home of the Capitals and Wizards. On paper, it would make a ton of sense to just add another team to the mix.

The problem with this could be ownership. Monumental is owned by Ted Leonsis, who just so happens to own the Wizards and Caps. There is a good chance he does not have interest in bringing the Nats to Monumental if he does not get a piece of the team. A partial, or even full sale to Leonsis is intriguing given how the Lerner family is running this team. It does not seem to be on the table, at least in the near future.

Another potential option would be selling the streaming rights to ESPN. In a new media rights agreement with ESPN, six teams decided to give their streaming rights to ESPN. A lot of those teams were impacted by the Bally bankruptcy a few years back. With the Nats in limbo, this option could be on the table.

There is also a new development that could be worth tracking. DAZN is reportedly close to acquiring Main Street Sports Group, which owns the TV rights for 29 MLB, NBA and NHL teams. With new ownership, they could be looking to add to their portfolio, and the Nats need a new home.

This could be a new entry in a new network for the Washington Nationals. https://t.co/LxWjQe2hFs

— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) January 1, 2026

There is no guarantee there, but it is worth tracking. Regardless, the Nats TV situation is in a state of limbo. Like so much of the franchise, there are so many unknowns regarding this situation.

Fans deserve easy access to their favorite teams’ games. Ideally, the Nats gain from this financially, but at the end of the day, the fans need to come first here. This is a story we will continue to follow and hopefully it can get resolved soon.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...e-will-washington-nationals-be-televised-2026

 

[Washington Nationals]

Five New Year’s Resolutions for the Washington Nationals

It is officially 2026, and with that comes a new chapter for the Washington Nationals. 2025 was a disappointing year on the field, but a massively important one off of it. 2026 will be the first full year of the Paul Toboni era. Here are some resolutions Toboni and the Nats should have for the new year.

Create a Scouting and Player Development Monster:

In Paul Toboni’s opening press conference, he made his vision very clear. He wanted to create what he called a “scouting and player development monster”. Now it is time to make that goal a reality.

Paul Toboni, #Nats new Pres. of Baseball Ops

35-year-old comes from the Red Sox

Says he's going to create a "scouting and player development monster" & "you win with people"

Owner Mark Lerner: "We want to get back to where we're supposed to be.. don't give up on us"#Natitude pic.twitter.com/85Br99OCGB

— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) October 1, 2025

This is a concept that excites me, and many other Nats fans. Over the past few years, the Nats player development was lagging behind. Despite picking at the top of drafts and constantly selling at the deadline, Mike Rizzo left behind a below average farm system. He brought in talented players, but those guys did not get the proper development.

With a whole new front office and coaching staff at the MLB and Minor League level, hopefully the results can pick up. There were some success stories like Brad Lord and Daylen Lile, but we need to see more of them. A resolution for this new regime should be unearthing hidden gems.

This Minor League season will be fascinating to follow because of how much emphasis has been placed on development. The 2026 draft will also be a very exciting time for the franchise. Paul Toboni made his name as a scout, so I am excited to see how he approaches that. Nailing the draft and player development will be key for this new regime.

Trade MacKenzie Gore:

Honestly, I would be a bit disappointed if MacKenzie Gore is on the Opening Day roster. With two years of team control left, this offseason feels like the right time to trade him. He has been the Washington Nationals ace the past couple seasons, but given the Nats timeline, a trade makes a ton of sense.

It’s probably a long shot but if the Rangers can somehow swing a trade for MacKenzie Gore, that would be electric.

A left handed starter Texas desperately needs and is still very young

pic.twitter.com/SfVZckWh7S

— SleeperRangers (@SleeperRangers) December 29, 2025

Gore’s swing and miss prowess should give him a strong market despite his inconsistencies. The market for Gore has gotten quiet the past couple of weeks, but hopefully things heat up in the new year.

The Nats have so many needs, and it would be risky to hold on to Gore. They need a first baseman, pitching depth and just a general infusion of talent. Trading Gore would help that cause.

Teams like the Giants, Rangers, Yankees, Mets and Cubs could all be interested in Gore. They all have pieces that would really help the Nats. Waiting until the trade deadline for Gore to build value is tempting, but risky due to injuries. Gore performing in the first half also would not answer any of the biggest questions about him. The time to trade him is now.

Find More Quality Pitching:

Last season, the Nats pitching staff was disastrous. The unit posted a 5.35 staff ERA, the worst in team history. Their fastball heavy approach just did not work last year. It does not seem like the Nats will splash the cash for free agent pitching, but the staff still needs to get better.

One guy who could take a big step in 2026 is Cade Cavalli. He was finally healthy in 2025 and showed flashes. The 27 year old still has some warts, but he has a lot going for him. Cavalli has prototypical size and stuff. Despite that, he did not get the strikeout totals you would expect in the MLB.

Anyone else still holding onto Cade Cavalli stock?
34% Chase% and 4% Barrel% last year were both elite in 10 starts. Gets a lot of whiffs and chases, have a feeling we will see a rise in Ks next year. If he can finally stay healthy, I love the upside@SleeperNats @MallyBall9 pic.twitter.com/C6ImPQwg5E

— Jackson Scudder (@jscud23) November 26, 2025

However, he did a nice job limiting barrels. If he can generate more swing and miss in 2026, he is a real breakout candidate. Cavalli is the most obvious breakout candidate, but he is not the only one.

There are some guys in the bullpen like Jackson Rutledge, Cole Henry and Clayton Beeter who have untapped upside. I am interested to see what Toboni can do with guys like Brad Lord and Josiah Gray in 2026 as well. The Nats need to unlock some of their pitching talent.

Find a Way to Limit James Wood’s Strikeouts:

Don’t get it twisted, James Wood has the talent to be a star. However, his strikeout problems became concerning in the second half. He struck out 39% of the time after the All-Star break. Wood was in a prolonged slump where he looked lost for a long stretch.

We still know the talent is there though. He still hit 31 homers last year and has more in the tank. His quality of contact is exceptional and his opposite field power is jaw dropping. It is easy to envision Wood being a 40+ home run hitter as soon as next year.

Only 4 players in baseball had a wRC+ > 120 and FB% < 28% in 2025

Jacob Wilson
Yandy Diaz
James Wood
Christian Yelich

Now imagine if James Wood wasn’t striking out 32% of the time

We’re talking about a 150 wRC+ player pic.twitter.com/FMe7yJHkwD

— Baseball Unstitched Podcast (@BaseUnstitched) December 15, 2025

We saw him do it for half of the season. He is capable of greatness, he just needs to be consistent. Wood was a borderline MVP caliber player for three months. There is no reason he can’t do that over a full season. As long as that strikeout rate stays below 30%, he should be a star slugger.

Unlock Another Gear in the Stars:

This one relates to the last resolution about Wood, but it also applies to other players. Over the last few years, the Nats best players have shown extremely high high’s, but very low low’s. James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore are all examples of that.

They come out like a house on fire to start seasons. The first couple months they look like superstars. However, the wheels come off in the second half. If that was the case for just one of these guys, it would be easy to blame the player. However, this was a systemic problem under the new regime.

A goal for the new regime should be to help create consistency. CJ Abrams is a perfect example. Every offseason, he makes adjustments at his winter facility. As the months drag on, it seems like things devolve and he begins to struggle. That is a massive indictment on the previous coaching staff.

With three years of control, this makes me want to hold onto Abrams rather than trade him. I think there is more to unlock in his game. If he can just be what he is in the first half of seasons, that is a star player. I do not want him to find that level with another team.

CJ Abrams has emerged as one of the biggest names on MLB’s trade block. But should the Nationals trade him?@andrewcgolden and I think it’s best to hold off: pic.twitter.com/n9KLrXFQdi

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) December 16, 2025

With MacKenzie Gore, the circumstances are a bit different. He has less control, has more injury risk as a pitcher and is a Boras client. This does not apply to Abrams, so I think Toboni should hold onto him and develop him.

Wrapping Up:

2026 is going to be a year where the new regime plants the seeds for their project. It probably won’t result in a playoff appearance right away, but it should lead to improvement. If we do see the right steps, the pressure goes on to ownership.

Right now, Paul Toboni is clearly all in on creating his scouting and player development monster. However, once those seeds are in place, it will be time to spend. Hopefully that happens once this project gets off the ground.

I am excited to see how this year goes. It is certainly not a World Series or bust year, but for a baseball die hard, it is very exciting. This year will set the stage for what is to come. 2026 is the year where the Nats will build a strong new foundation.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/88145/five-new-years-resolutions-for-washington-nationals