April showers came, and May flowers did hit the Washington Nationals. The team bloomed to a 16-12 record in May, much better than their 12-15 record in April. The team is also just 2.5 games outside of the NL Wild Card as of June 5. The playoffs were always going to be a luxury this season, but that luxury is becoming more and more achievable.
With great success comes recognition. MLB posted its "Team of the Month," which includes teams from both the American and National Leagues. Sure enough, the Nationals feature three players in the 11-man lineup. The first two are James Wood and CJ Abrams, of course, and the other? Keibert Ruiz. How about that!
Presenting our May Team of the Month! ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/ycTLGBE9es
— MLB (@MLB) June 4, 2026
James Wood and CJ Abrams slug their ways to elite status
A slow start is what we would best label Wood's beginning to the year. He batted .136 across 22 at-bats in March, and he only surged to a moderate .260 average over the course of April. That mark meets Wood's .258 batting average in the prior two seasons.
In May, the Nationals' best hitter rose to new levels on offense. Wood batted .311 with a .982 OPS. That includes 6 home runs, and in his 33 hits, 14 were extra-base hits with another 8 doubles. To pile on the stats, Wood also stole 5 bases as he paces for about 25 on the season; far better than his career best of 15 back in 2025.
CJ Abrams slashed .292/.377/.528 with a .905 OPS, and also added 4 homers and 21 RBIs. If he can keep this consistency up for another month or two, he will have more than a strong case to start this summer's All-Star Game. Additionally, Abrams also stole 4 bases in 6 tries, while also adding 12 walks as he continues to showcase his improved approach this season.
Wood is for sure on his way to another National League All-Star appearance. He is listed among MLB.com's Top Challengers to Watch in the NL race for a starting outfield job this coming July in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Keibert Ruiz Reaches Long-Awaited Heights
To begin the season, Ruiz was flat Stanley out there. He batted well below .200 for average through April. However, a new level of offense was unlocked. Amid pressure at the position, notably from Drew Millas, Ruiz took to the contest and drew off his competition.
In May, Ruiz batted to a bonkers .379 batting average. His OPS was 1.107, with 4 home runs, 8 doubles, and 16 RBI.
What Ruiz really does well does not show up often on the scoreboard. Ruiz had a defensive rating of +6.2, per Fangraphs. He is the 14th-best fielder in the MLB and the 2nd-best catcher per that metric.
Ruiz has been widely criticized over his Nationals career. The 24-year-old catcher is in the midst of an 8-year, $50 million contract and has had little to show for it. He batted under .250 in consecutive seasons of 2024 and 2025 and did so with a below-average defensive rating. As our own JJ Phillips highlights, Ruiz had the MLB's worst fielding run value in the year of 2023, to pile it on here.
If Ruiz can carry on his May excellence, the Nationals may be in store for a great second half of the MLB season. Is it time to gear up for a September playoff chase? Let us know on X, @districtondeck.
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