We are officially two weeks into 2026 Nationals baseball and the early returns of the Blake Butera are pretty much exactly what you would expect to see - a mix of both elite potential and frustrating inconsistency. Obviously spring training records don't matter but the eye test most certainly does.
If you're trying to figure out if Paul Toboni's early dividends are paying off, here is the breakdown of what we've seen so far.
The Good: Trey Lipscomb and Other Forgotten Young Talent
If there's one player who is making it impossible to ignore, it's Trey Lipscomb. After a sizzling start where he refused to get out, Lipscomb is forcing the Nats to have conversations about the Opening Day roster. He's not just hitting, but raking in extra base hits with an approach that already looks light-years ahead of where it was last year.
Pair this with a massive three run blast from Luis Garcia Jr. in his debut and Brady House already flashing his home run power as well, the young offensive core is showing some of the talent that has been promised for so long. If these guys can carry this momentum into April, the "lineup protection" narrative might actually start to fix itself.
The Bad: The Dylan Crews Slump and Pitching Rust
It's early, but it really does seem like the Dylan Crews honeymoon is offically over. An 0-3 start with a bases loaded double play wasn't the introduction to 2026 that Crews was hoping to make. While it's just Spring Training, the swing and miss conerns that haunted his late 2025 season haven't vanished into thin air. He has plenty of time to ramp up, but mounting pressure certaintly won't help.
On the mound, the 'bad' has been the inconsistency. Jake Eder struggled with command and missed an easy put out at first base... the kind of mental error that drives fans up the wall. Even the newly acquired Andre Granillo had a rough outing, getting tagged for four unearned runs in his debut. If the Nats are going to rely on these arms to replace MacKenzie Gore's load, the rust needs to come off fast.
The Indifferent: Miles Mikolas Experience
We saw Miles Mikolas in a Nats uniform for the first time, and the results were...fine. He threw 48 pitches, only half for strikes, and walked three batters in a scoreless outing. It was the definition of an indifferent performance. He didn't look like an ace, but not like a complete disaster either.
This is the reality of the Mikolas signing, he's going to go out there, throw strikes (eventually), and be fine. For a fan base hungry for excitement, fine is a tough pill to swallow, but it's the reality of what the front office is giving us.