The Washington Nationals have been in a funk recently, which is not a surprise. The ups and downs of a baseball season are ones that all teams around the league face, but the Nationals might just have the most patient decision-makers in the league at times, which can hurt the team.
Following a recent series sweep, I decided to take a look at which players have held the team back the most so far in 2025, and if these players could actually lose their roster spot this month.
Josh Bell
The mention of Josh Bell comes with no surprise as he continues to struggle over a third into the season. Bell came back to the team on a 1-year deal in hopes of helping revitalize the lineup. However, about a month into the season, Bell was batting under .150 for his average and despite a slight uptick, he is still batting far below .200 . At this point, it is safe to say he will at least be discussed as a trade away option come deadline time this season. The value-add has been minimal from the veteran.
That hot streak he went on while the Nationals were on the west coast is looking more and more like a fluke, and he is now in a platoon situation with Andres Chaparro back in the big leagues. The team can only be so much more patient with a guy batting below .200 halfway through June before they decide enough is enough...right?
Keibert Ruiz
Keibert Ruiz extended his time with the franchise with a lengthy 8 year contract extension back in 2023. Despite that deal, his high hopes have so far been met with middling output. One may have questioned such a commitment in that contract extension, but given his youth and upside, it was a move made with confidence from the front office.
In 2023, Ruiz carried the worst defensive rating from all starting catchers in the MLB. Last season, he showed some improvement in that aspect, but he has been back to subpar this season. His defensive rating, per Fangraphs, has not been an above average rating at all since 2022. For such a large contract, this aspect of his game needs to show progression to prove his worth.
On the other hand, Ruiz's batting has been average at best. His on base percentage has been below .300 ever since 2023, and he bats just .250 and has lacked any better since the 2023 season. The Nationals have expected much upside to materialize from Ruiz, but it is yet to be seen. As we approach the dead of summer, it will be interesting to see if Mike Rizzo decides to explore moving the young catcher.
The only thing keeping him on the roster at this point is that the Nationals have no other options, as Riley Adams has been awful offensively, and Drew Millas seemingly doesn't have the trust of the coaching staff at the big league level. He won't lose his spot, but perhaps a good portion of his playing time, as we have already begun to see recently.
Trevor Williams
Williams remains a piece of the rotation leaving fans with unrest on a weekly basis. There has been no improvement as the season has gone on, and fans can't wait for him to leave the rotation. The numbers speak for themselves... a 5.91 ERA, .327 BABIP, 1.44 WHIP, 60.4% LOB% and so on. It remains to be seen what the team will do with Williams as the season goes on, but fans will agree that he must at least go to the bullpen.
It might be a bit of a reach to say that he might lose his spot on the active roster, but a demotion to the bullpen feels like it should be a minimum. Teams in baseball have done crazier things than DFA'ing one of their highest-paid players due to bad performance. Once guys like Cade Cavalli and Josiah Gray get back to the big leagues, Williams' spot in the rotation should be good as gone.
The team has no shortage of players with uncertain futures. Do you think anyone should be moved in particular? Is there anyone else making you uneasy? Let me know on X - @jetbets