The Nationals had plenty of glaring concerns heading into 2026. Any team that overhauls the front office and on-field management would need some time to settle in before competing right away.
That’s what most fans thought, and then the Nats offense erupted to start the new season. Brady House, James Wood, Daylen Lile, and Luis Garcia Jr. have all been terrorizing opposing arms. Unfortunately, even with all the extra-base hits and clutch knocks, the boys in D.C. find themselves at a measly 4-8 after dropping a series to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals Series Shone a Light on Glaring Holes in the Nationals' Roster
Before the St. Louis series, the Nats had lost five in a row, after starting rather hot. Washington bounced back in game one against the Cardinals. The victory was sponsored by home runs from James Wood, Brady House, and CJ Abrams, all in the same inning.
After taking game one and bringing Nationals fans some relief, the bullpen went back to its malicious ways. In game two, the Nationals led 5-2 late in the game. They ended up losing 7-6 in 10 innings.
Gus Varland served up a two-run shot in the eighth to Cardinals outfielder Nathan Church, who had an OPS hovering around .400 before his big swing. After that, one of the only arms out of the pen who’d been meeting expectations, Cole Henry, allowed two runs in the tenth that eventually netted the Cardinals the win.
In game three, it was all Redbirds. The bullpen tossed 6 innings and allowed 3 earned runs, a better showing, but still not what the fans deserve. Brad Lord was effective, but Henry and Cionel Perez were both flustered by the Cardinal bats.
Some notable ERAs out of the Washington bullpen include Perez at 14.73, PJ Poulin at 5.63, Ken Waldichuk at 7.04, and Lord at 4.91.
Is help on the way?
Thankfully, it looks like the Nationals have help on the way. Younger prospects like Miguel Sime Jr. and Landon Harmon are exciting, but they are still years away from even earning consideration to make the big league roster.
Let me be clear, Sime Jr. will not even see the majors within the next 2-3 years in all likelihood, as there’s no reason to rush Sime Jr. since he is just now making his professional debut. However, if this poor performance continues, the Nationals definitely need to explore other internal options that they might have more readily available at the upper levels of the minor leagues. Guys like Paxton Schultz, who took Andre Granillo's place a couple days ago, fit that bill, and more could be on the way soon.
The Nationals might not be looking to compete this year, but if the offense performs as it has been, the pitching has to step it up. The best place to be for a rebuilding team is when opposing fans call you “fun.” The offense is most certainly fun, but the pitfalls on the mound have been an insurmountable hurdle to begin the 2026 campaign.