The Washington Nationals are about 25% through their 2026 season. The team's record is a very quality 21-23 as of May 14, and there are many bright spots worth praising. However, the team is still not short of any weakness. That is evidently clear when looking at the Nationals' pitching rotation.
Cade Cavalli and Foster Griffin (other than his May 14 blow-up) have paved the way as the Nationals' best in the pitching category. Cavalli stands strong enough with a 4.02 ERA, and Griffin surprises many with a team-best 2.12 ERA among starters.
Where criticism is warranted is among the 3 bottom pitchers in the Nationals' rotation. Miles Mikolas is struggling mightily to a 7.00 ERA, while Zack Littell is much of the same with his 6.94 ERA, and Jake Irvin struggles with a 5.91 ERA. Pitching struggles in D.C. are all too familiar, and it begs the question: Is there any pitcher who is the 'next man up'
Brad Lord Gets Set for the Start
Before the season, there was a lot of optimism that Lord may be a starter in 2026. Last season, Brad Lord played in 48 games and started 19 of them. In that time, Lord went out and posted a 4.34 ERA with a 1.2 WAR. His Statcast page shows elite form in ground ball rate (49.0%) and barrel rate (7.1%).
Lord is commended for having great command, and while leading his pitching arsenal with a 48% four-seam fastball, he dominates as a soft-contact pitcher. Given Lord's 2026 results out of the Nationals' bullpen, he may be a candidate No. 1 to get a starting nod.
In 2026, Lord has played 13 games while fielding a 3.21 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 59.6% ground-ball rate (top-3% in MLB), and a 5.0% walk rate (top-7% in MLB). He does so while averaging just over 2 IP per appearance as a longer-relief option.
It seems like Lord's day may come sooner or later. The issue at hand is the free agency signings the Nationals made. Mikolas was signed to a 1-year, $2.25M deal, and Littell was signed to a 1-year, $7M contact. Though the stakes are moderate and low with Mikolas, the team did invest in the veterans. To call it quits in mid-May would be to admit a mistake in signing these pitchers. Nonetheless, the Nationals are well within the playoff mix, only 4.5 games out of the Wild Card. Perhaps the team ought to make the winning moves over the face-saving ones.
If any pitcher gets the boot, it ought to be Mikolas. His contact is cheaper, and thus, he is more expendable. Yes, Irvin could also get booted; however, his output is not quite as abysmal as the latter men. Surely, either of the trio is worth a bench, and fans would not lament the move.
Lord is not only thriving this season but also striding. In his last 15 IP, Lord has allowed 2 earned runs. An ERA that blew up to 5.68 on April 13 has shrunk by over 2 full points to its low-3.00 range. Paul Toboni, it is time...
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