The Washington Nationals enter the season in a state of transition. The 2019 World Series Championship feels like so long ago as the Nationals enter another season in which they are highly expected to be the last place team in the NL East. As the team continues to rebuild, the front office prioritized bringing in some lower cost veterans this offseason; including Zach Littell (1 year, $7million) and Foster Griffin (3 years, $5.5million). The major acquisitions Washington brought in is all for the continued rebuild for the future as they added some of the top prospects in baseball to their farm system (Gavin Fien and Harry Ford). Most projections place the Nationals in the 60-70 win range and this season isn’t about playoffs but rather testing the young core that was acquired in past trades to see if a new core can be cemented.
Lineup
The front office continues to prioritize developing the young talent, instead of bringing in immediate, established names. CJ Abrams is back at SS and is coming off back-to-back 30 SB seasons and will remains the leadoff man. James Wood, the center piece and face of the franchise, is coming off a 31-home run campaign and is now a bona fide superstar, though the strikeouts remain high. Luis Garcia Jr. is coming off a 16 home run and 66 RBI season and is expected split time a 1B and 2B while providing a steady left-handed bat in the lineup. Andres Chaparro, often platooning with Garcia Jr. will be the primary power threat at 1B, but will also see time at DH. The Nationals are very high on Brady House, who is expected to start at 3B after hitting over .400 this spring; signaling he is ready for his MLB debut.
Rotation
The Nationals rotation is a mix of veterans and rehab projects. With MacKenzie Gore traded to Texas, Cade Cavalli will lead the rotation after spending nearly three years away due to Tommy John surgery and numerous setbacks, but was recently clocked at throwing 97+mph. Griffin, coming off a dominant stint in Japan, has returned to the US in hopes of featuring a better command of his pitches. Jake Irvin earned the #3 spot with a strong spring and Washington is hoping he can provide the bulk innings this team will desperately need. Littell is the most consistent strike thrower of the staff and will likely be a trade deadline chip for a team that will likely be selling. Miles Mikolas was a late offseason addition and will attempt to hold up the backend of the rotation.
Bullpen
The Nationals’ bullpen is a mixed bag as the team chose to move on from Kyle Finnegan and Jose Ferrer last season. This Nationals pen is one of the youngest and most inexperienced in the league. Clayton Beeter, acquired at the 2025 deadline, is expected to get the first shot at the closer role after posting a 2.49 ERA in short stint with Washington last season and features a an upper-90s fastball and a good slider. Cole Henry is a homegrown arm who has shown mid-90s heat and should be the setup man, with the potential to one day become the full time closer. Cionel Perez, who made the roster after a dominant spring, is likely to be the main left-handed option as he has the most experience of the group. Brad Lord, who nearly missed making the starting rotation, will be counted upon to provide multiple inning depth.
Projected Lineup
- CJ Abrams – SS
- James Wood – LF
- Luis Garcia Jr. – 1B
- Andres Chaparro – DH
- Keibert Ruiz – C
- Daylen Lile – RF
- Brady House – 3B
- Jacob Young – CF
- Nasim Nunez – 2B
Projected Rotation
- Cade Cavalli
- Foster Griffin
- Jake Irvin
- Zack Littell
- Miles Mikolas
Projected Bullpen
Clayton Beeter – Closer
Cole Henry – Setup
Cionel Perez
Brady Lord
Gus Varland
Ken Waldichuk
Manager: Blake Butera (1st season)
Projection: 64 – 98 (5th in the NL East)
Written By: Brian Finnigan
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