The beginning of the 2026 season has been an interesting one for the Washington Nationals. Despite playing arguably the most difficult schedule so far through almost 20 games, the team has had a record of about .500, sitting at 9-10 so far heading into this weekend.
What might be even more frustrating is the fact that the team has had at least a handful of games that were ruined by subpar pitching, whether it be from the abysmal bullpen, or from inept starting pitching. These were expected to be the weak points of the team, but nobody expected it to be this bad.
We have already discussed the bullpen, but the Nationals have a very large hole in their rotation. In fact, some might say it is a Miles Mikolas-sized hole, as the offseason acquisition has been one of if not the worst starting pitcher in baseball so far this year.
Things hit a new low during the series in Pittsburgh, when the Nationals had to use an opener for the guy they signed to be an innings-eater, and also had to bring up Mitchell Parker, who was optioned in spring training, to save their bullpen and have Parker be a bulk reliever. For a front office that has been so smart and quick to make adjustments so far with their new way of thinking, why is Mikolas still part of the team?
The answers is unclear, but one thing is for sure: Mitchell Parker should take Miles Mikolas' spot in the starting rotation. If the sample size from just a few innings was not enough to convince you that Parker is fully adjusted, perhaps getting Mikolas out of the rotation will do a lot more for the team's chances to win every 5 days than what they have with him now.
He owns an 11.49 ERA and 2.17 WHIP in just 4 appearances, and has only managed to complete 15.2 innings in those games, not exactly eating innings like he was supposed to do. Combine that with the 25 hits, 20 earned runs, 6 homers allowed, and 11:9 K:BB ratio, and you have a guy that can't continue to be marched out there every 5 days.
Instead, Parker, who pitched just 2 innings in relief following up Mikolas, but looked good by allowing zero runs and striking out 5 while walking none, shoudl be given the chance to start. Given that him and Mikolas are on the same 5-day schedule and sharing a start day, what is the front office waiting for?
If you don't want to give Mikolas the axe, at least move him to the bullpen and let him be a low-leverage reliever. If the team was hoping he could emerge as a trade chip, that ship has sailed, and perhaps there is a reason why he was still available into spring training. While he has been a steady veteran presence, at some point winning and giving your team a chance to win games has to take precedent, right?
Do you think Mitchell Parker should be given Miles Mikolas' spot in the starting rotation? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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