To any and everyone taking time away from loved ones, turkey, and football to read this article, Happy Thanksgiving! On this annual day of giving thanks and ultimate good vibes around the country, let's take a look at 3 things with the Washington Nationals organization that every fan should be thankful for.
Young Starting Pitching Talent
This first one feels obvious to me. For the first time in what feels like a very long time, the Washington Nationals have an abundance of young starting pitching talent. Between arms that are already in the show and arms that will be heading to DC in the next couple years (more on them later), the organization is truly in a great position when it comes to starting pitching.
In the big leagues, you already have a trio of lefties in MacKenzie Gore, DJ Herz, and Mitchell Parker, who have all shown true glimpses of their immense potential. You also have righties like Jake Irvin, Josiah Gray, and Cade Cavalli, the latter two will hopefully be seen at some point in their recoveries from Tommy John surgery, to help round out the big-league caliber youth.
While the rotation is likely going to come down to a numbers crunch unless the Nationals choose to go with a 6-man rotation, the club has a great problem in that they have too many young, quality arms for just 5 spots. Sprinkle in a veteran signing, and we could really see a lot of these young starters take the next step towards greatness, which is by being more consistent.
Outfield of the Future
This is one to be extremely grateful for as well, as the Nationals basically have their own version of the Boston Red Sox "Killer B's" outfield, with James Wood, Dylan Crews, and Jacob Young matching up well to Boston's Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Mookie Betts outfield of the 2010s.
While neither Wood or Crews are comparable to Betts yet, the ceiling is certainly there for both of them to become players capable of winning an MVP award, while their floor is likely being that of a player similar to Benintendi, a solid big leaguer who will sprinkle in an All-Star appearance. Young compares similarly to Bradley Jr., in that both are glove-first center fielders with a bat that's capable of holding their own, albeit to a lesser extent.
We know that Wood and Crews are going to be 2/3 of the future outfield, and Young could be challenged by Robert Hassell III in Spring Training, who was once a highly-ranked prospect of his own, to form the true Nationals outfield of the future. Either way, the team has a very exciting, must-watch group of outfielders, and we should be very thankful for that.
A Stocked Farm System
Finally, for the first time in a long time, the Washington Nationals have a very highly-touted farm system, featuring many prospects that should be major contributors in the next few seasons. Between Brady House and Seaver King, a pair of former 1st-round picks on the infield who should make their way to DC sooner than later, or Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana, a pair of Top 100 prospects and flame-throwing righties, the Nationals are in a great spot with their farm system.
All of this, of course, is on top of the Nationals currently having the #1 overall prospect in baseball in Dylan Crews, who has the potential to be the face of the franchise for years to come, and the Nationals feature one of the more exciting farm systems in the entire sport. Throw in some names like Alex Clemmey, Luke Dickerson, Cade Cavalli, Robert Hassell III, and Yohandy Morales, among others, and you can see some clear organizational depth, which is something the team hasn't had for a long time.
The Nationals had depleted their farm system to chase a World Series for years, and once Juan Soto was traded in 2022, General Manager Mike Rizzo began the process of restoring the farm system, which was long overdue. While the trades he made hurt a ton in the moment, they have the potential to pay off in the long run, either giving the organization a ton of options to get top tier talent to the Nation's Capital, or can be used in trades to acquire other talent. Either way, there's a lot to be thankful for with the team's upcoming prospects, and that is certainly something to be thankful for.
What are you most thankful for with the Washington Nationals? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.