The Washington Nationals have predictably gotten off to a bad start in 2025. From terrible hitting to having the worst bullpen in the league by far, the team can't seem to gain any footing. Of course, there have been a few bright spots; James Wood seems to be living up to the hype, MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams have been great to start the year, and Keibert Ruiz is finally playing at a decent level.
But outside of those four, there has been little to be happy about. Some of the young players are struggling and that is to be expected, but for some, it has gotten to the point where their struggles can no longer be defended. Here are three players whose performances have become indefensible.
1. Trevor Williams
It seems pretty clear at this point that Trevor Williams' 2024 season was a fluke. Williams recorded a 2.03 ERA in 13 starts in 2024 and allowed just 3 home runs in 66.2 innings. The Nationals resigned Williams to a two-year deal this offseason in hopes that he could perform somewhat closely to how he did last season. However, as pretty much everyone except for the Nationals could have predicted, Williams is awful once again. In 3 starts in 2025, Williams has a 7.36 ERA and has nearly matched the amount of home runs he has allowed in 52 fewer innings. Williams should never have been re-signed to begin with, but there is no defending his poor performance and the Nationals need to move on.
2. Lucas Sims
Where to even start with this one? Lucas Sims has been one of the worst Nationals pitchers in recent memory. Sims has appeared in 10 games (he failed to record an out in 2 of them), has thrown just 6.1 innings, has walked 8 batters, and has a 12.79 ERA and a 2.684 WHIP. There is not a single silver lining anywhere in Sims' performances in 2025. He was awful in spring training and has somehow found a way to be even worse in the regular season. In his most recent appearance, Sims allowed 2 hits, 3 walks, and 4 runs without recording an out against the Miami Marlins. How he is still on the team is insane, but he needs a one way trip to free agency ASAP.
3. Paul DeJong
Paul DeJong has joined a long list of (mostly) failed stopgaps at third base, one that includes Nick Senzel, Maikel Franco, Starlin Castro, and Jeimer Candelario (who was actually decent), and others. While he has provided borderline elite defense at third base, his bat has been extremely underwhelming for someone who hit 24 home runs last season. In 54 at bats, DeJong has recorded a slashline of .204/.246/.278, which is good for a .523 OPS and a 50 wRC+. The elite defense is really nice to have at the hot corner (especially after last season), but with how poorly he has been hitting, DeJong is not worth keeping around, especially with Brady House waiting in the wings.
(Note: DeJong went on the IL after getting hit in the face with a fastball and Trey Lipscomb has been called up. I wish DeJong a speedy recovery and hope he can see the field again soon!)