I know, I know. I’ve spent the last three months hammering Paul Toboni for managerial malpractice and calling this offseason a slow motion car crash. But baseball has a funny way of making you eat your words, and through the first three weeks of the 2026 season, the Washington Nationals are actually...dare I say it...good?
After a gritty series win against the Giants capped by a 3-0 shutout on Sunday, the Nats are sitting at 10-12. While that’s not world beating, the way they are playing is a complete 180 from the lifeless ball we expected.
If you’re ready to put the pitchforks down for a second, here are three massive positives from this surprising start.
1. The James Wood Power Surge
Remember that "sophomore slump" I was worried about last week? James Wood apparently doesn't read my articles. Despite the high strikeout rate, Wood is currently leading the team with 7 home runs and 20 runs scored.
He isn't just hitting homers, he’s hitting statcast breaking moonshots that are carrying this offense. The fact that he’s finding this much power while still "figuring out" his swing is terrifying for the rest of the NL East. We wanted a superstar, and even when he’s struggling to make contact, James Wood is proving he’s exactly that.
2. The CJ Abrams MVP Campaign
If James Wood is the engine, CJ Abrams is the nitro. Abrams is currently slashing a ridiculous .320/.429/1.029 with 19 RBIs. He isn't just the best player on the Nationals, he’s playing like the best shortstop in the National League.
The "hustle" drama from Opening Day feels like a lifetime ago. Abrams has responded by becoming a machine at the plate, leading the team in almost every major category. If Paul Toboni was actually considering trading this guy in the winter, he should thank his lucky stars he didn't pull the trigger.
3. Waiver Wire Gems (The Lovelady Effect)
I’ve been incredibly critical of Toboni’s "roster churn," but I have to give credit where it’s due: the bullpen is actually holding up. Richard Lovelady is currently sitting on a 3.00 ERA and has become a high-leverage weapon out of nowhere.
Combined with Foster Griffin’s ability to bridge the gap to the late innings, the Nats have built a functional bullpen out of "scraps." It’s the kind of efficient roster building that makes a 33-year-old manager like Blake Butera look like a genius. If the pitching can keep the Nats in games like they did Sunday, this "surprising" start might just become a surprising season.
Verdict
Are the 2026 Nationals a playoff team? Probably not yet, but they are definitely frisky. They are athletic, they have elite power at the top of the order, and they are starting to win games they would have lost by 10 runs last year.
The "demise" of the season is on hold for now. Let’s see if they can keep this momentum going into the Braves series.
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