The Five Most Exciting Nationals Players to Watch in 2023
It is important to adjust your expectations for the 2023 Nationals accordingly, but once you do, pressure-free baseball can be a beautiful sight. While the Nationals might not win a whole lot of games this upcoming season, there are plenty of reasons to be excited while watching, and arguably more reasons than the past two seasons. Obviously losing Juan Soto and fan-favorite Josh Bell hurt, but we have a rare opportunity to see some of these young Nats come into their own, as well as some familiar faces make their return. These players aren’t just roster spots filled like some old, washed-up veterans we’ve seen before, but rather young, exciting Nationals players that have room to grow.
These lists are always subjective, but this is my list so it is correct. We’ll get a nice balance of the new, the vet, and everything in between. Without further ado, the five most exciting Nationals players to watch in 2023.
1. MacKenzie Gore
There are plenty of fans who are still not familiar with MacKenzie Gore, and understandably so since the left-hander was not able to debut with the Nationals last season due to injury. However, it is safe to say that we should get familiar, as Gore is arguably the best piece of the haul we got in return for Juan Soto.
Reese Evans spotlighted MacKenzie Gore in an article for the site a couple weeks back, which I will plug here, that outlined all of the reasons and more Nats fans should be excited to see the lefty debut for the club in 2023. And if you need any more reason, just check out his stuff:
2. CJ Abrams
No surprise here, as CJ Abrams has a legitimate shot to establish himself as the face of this franchise. Think about it: it was Ryan Zimmerman, then Bryce Harper, then Juan Soto, not to mention Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, etc. All of those players are gone now. This franchise needs an identity again, and Abrams will have the first crack at it.
Now he doesn’t necessarily need to perform to that level in 2023 – he can certainly be productive in his own right without setting the world on fire. But it would be nice if this speedy Shortstop helped us get over the speedy, face of the franchise Shortstops in years past…
Nevertheless, the Nationals seemed to have found a long term answer at a premiere position. Reese also detailed why here. And while you’re at it, check out these highlights with some more phenomenal calls from the great play-by-play guy, Don Orsillo.
3. Robert Hassell III
Now this one might be a stretch, but there is a world in which we see Robert Hassell III called up. He definitely won’t start the year with the Nationals, but a good early part of the season could put the pressure on the Nats to make the call. Also acquired in the Juan Soto trade (there’s a theme here), Hassell has major upside across the board. There isn’t an area to his game that he doesn’t do well.
He did struggle a bit after the trade to DC, but I am hoping with a full offseason to get settled, he picks back up and performs well. My opinion on Victor Robles is well documented at this point, so it remains to be seen just how many more chances he will get and the Nationals do not have another true centerfielder on their roster. If Hassell shows any flashes of being ready, I think he’s first in line.
Now on the flip side, there is a world where we don’t see RH3 this season, and I am perfectly OK with that. Too often have the Nationals rushed prospects when they’re clearly not ready and I would like to not add Hassell to that list. So whether it’s this season or next, Robert Hassell III is a reason to be excited for Nats fans. Check out his breakdown here.
4. Luis Garcia
I just wrote about how I think Luis Garcia could be in for a breakout season, which you can check out here, but the summary of it all is he has steadily progressed each year, he’s only 23 years old, has over 200 games of MLB experience now, and won’t be starting the year in AAA. Oh, and he won’t be asked to play Shortstop anymore, a position he clearly was not ready to handle on an everyday basis.
Because Luis Garcia won’t be asked to be THE guy, I think he will casually become A GUY for the Nationals in 2023 since he won’t be asked to do it all.
Check out some of his highlights from the man himself, Trey (@reverrsse on Twitter):
5. Stephen Strasburg
This one hurts. I know his contract is an albatross and he will never come close to living up to it. I know that.
I don’t care.
Stephen Strasburg has been my favorite National ever since he made his debut. Through all of the ups and the downs we’ve experienced as a franchise, he’s been here through it all. He put his body on the line to win us a World Series and probably will never be the same because of it. I’ve been an angry pitchfork fan plenty of times, and will continue to do so when warranted in the future, but Stephen Strasburg will not be one of those times.
Stras makes the list, not because I expect him to be healthy, but because I think this will be it. He’s tried to come back several times since 2019 and has gotten hurt almost immediately each time. I’m sure he will attempt to do so again in 2023, hopefully with a better outcome, but history tells me it won’t be.
So we have to ask the question of if Stephen Strasburg will get the David Wright treatment – unable to comeback from injuries for years, and ultimately decides to hang it up, getting one final appearance and getting a send-off to a standing ovation.
Imagine Stephen Strasburg’s final appearance to a sell-out crowd at Nats park. Imagine if it was to close a game, the final game at Nats Park in 2023. Chills.
I don’t want to think about that too much just yet, so here’s highlights of his dominant 2019 postseason.