The Nationals have certainly made some noise through their first 17 games of the season. Whether it’s a barrage of barrels, brutal injuries, bullpen collapses, or the new leadership’s philosophy unfolding, it’s all taking shape in real time. Here are two early-season trends that hold weight, and two that could be mirages.
The Nationals Bullpen is Blasphemous: Believe
The Nationals' bullpen has been a force to be reckoned with, in the worst of ways. Thus far, D.C. ranks 28th in baseball in bullpen ERA. Reliever Ken Waldichuk was recently recommended for Tommy John Surgery, and Cole Henry hit the 15-day IL. The ‘next man up’ mentality only works if the next man performs. That’s yet to be seen for D.C.
If the tide doesn’t start to shift, it might be time to shuffle in some new faces. Veteran starting pitcher Lucas Giolito remains a free agent a few weeks into the new season. His 3.41 ERA in 145 innings would’ve spearheaded the Nationals' current staff, pushing another arm to the pen and potentially providing reinforcements where necessary.
Washington might be hesitant to bring in veteran players when the youth movement is live and vibrant. However, if the bullpen production remains amongst the worst in baseball, all options should be on the table.
Distrust in the young core: Mirage
To start the new season, newly appointed President of Baseball Operations, Paul Toboni, demoted the former #2 selection in the 2023 draft, Dylan Crews. On top of Crews’ demotion, D.C. was hesitant about catching prospect Harry Ford, corner infield prospect Yohandy Morales, starting pitching prospect Luis Perales, and even Robert Hassell III.
The Nationals have plenty of young guns ready to fire. The question is: when will they pull the trigger?
There’s not necessarily a reason to rush anyone to the big leagues, but will there be a better time to find out what you have in certain developing talents? While the Nats are in the midst of a seemingly endless rebuild, why not take a chance on some internal pieces? Sure, you could end up firing a few blanks, but the only thing that speeds up a rebuild is a Juan-Soto-type player.
Offensive Outburst: Believe
Almost no one could’ve predicted what this Nats offense has morphed into.
The Curly W’s and their merry band of inexperienced sluggers may have space-jammed the $371 million Mets lineup out of the powers their foretold powers.
D.C. currently ranks fourth in batting average and OPS across the entire league. James Wood had led the charge, taking home player of the week honors, while the rest of the Nats lineup has followed in suit.
CJ Abrams has been a close second to Wood’s hot streak. The four-seam is forsaken when Abrams steps into the box. He has continued his career dominance against the heater and has already taken 6 home run trots before the team has played 20 games.
In addition to all this success, another layer of young talent waits to be unleashed by the Nats front office. With so much to look forward to on the horizon, this may be the prequel to the next deadly offensive core in the Nation’s Capital.
Joey Wiemer’s Breakout Year: Mirage
Offseason addition Joey Wiemer got his Nats tenure rolling by reaching base safely in his first 10 ABs, tying Carlos Delgado’s MLB record to start a season. Since then, Wiemer has cooled off significantly.
Although he maintains well above-average rankings in baserunning and his walk percentage, the power numbers simply aren’t where they need to be. Simply put: Wiemer will not slug anywhere near .600 throughout a full season. Although I’m sure you could’ve guessed that.
His xSLG slots him around the .400 mark, and his strikeout percentage of over 33% is wildly concerning. This hot start was definitely welcome from a simple flyer that D.C. decided to take, but it may be nothing more than a flash in the pan.
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