The Washington Nationals avoided the sweep Sunday, but the bigger issues did not go away. Washington dropped the series to the San Francisco Giants at home and now sits at 10-12 on the season. After a strong start, things are starting to level out, and some of the team’s early issues are becoming harder to ignore.
The Nationals are getting solid production from their top players. But if the Nats want to turn things around, the rest of the roster must deliver more. Here are three players who need to step it up.
Keibert Ruiz
Keibert Ruiz is not a depth piece going through a slow start. This is supposed to still be the Nationals’ long-term catcher. Ruiz signed an eight-year extension in 2023, with the expectation that he would be a steady piece behind the plate. Instead, he has experienced a rough stretch dating back to last season. Ruiz struggled heavily in 2025, and the start to this season has been even worse. He is hitting .184 with a .536 OPS and just one walk. He also sits at a 34 wRC+ and has already dipped into negative WAR.
That performance falls short from an everyday catcher, especially for a team that has already seen this position struggle before. The catcher group proved problematic last season, and so far, it looks like more of the same. Ruiz is still getting regular at-bats, but with top prospect Harry Ford waiting in Triple-A, the pressure to produce will continue to grow.
Miles Mikolas
Miles Mikolas came in to give the Nationals some stability in the rotation. So far, it has gone the other way. Through three starts, Mikolas is 0-3 with an 11.49 ERA and a 2.17 WHIP. In just over 15 innings, he has allowed six home runs, and opposing hitters are slugging .352 against him. He also sits at a -0.9 WAR.
The low point came against the Dodgers, when he gave up 11 runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings, which set a franchise record for runs allowed in a game. Well beyond just one bad outing, his results have been poor across the board. He has struggled to keep games under control. The Nationals brought him in to eat innings and keep games close. That has not happened yet.
Nasim Nuñez
Nasim Nuñez has been in the lineup a lot this season, and the production has not been there. In 62 at-bats, Nuñez is hitting .177 with a .476 OPS and almost no extra-base impact. He has made very little hard contact, and he has not barreled a ball all season.
With a larger role at second base, the Nationals need more from him offensively. His speed and defense remain, but he is not getting on base enough for it to matter. If he wants to keep getting everyday at-bats, the bat must be better than this.
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