The 2026 season overall has been a massive success for the Washington Nationals no matter how you slice it so far. Despite coming into the year with little to no expectations, the club has been one of the better stories in baseball with a lot of surprises all over their roster in a good way.
Guys like Curtis Mead and Foster Griffin have come out of nowhere to turn into some of the best players on the team, and the organization is getting the most out of a lot of their incumbent former top prospects and young stars. Keibert Ruiz has begun to look like the guy the Nationals got several years ago, and James Wood has continued to be James Wood of course.
But perhaps the most pleasant surprise this season has been not only the growth of CJ Abrams, but the overall consistency in which he is performing as the Nationals' starting shortstop. After an offseason filled with trade rumors that saw his former trademate MacKenzie Gore get dealt, Abrams was ultimately held by Paul Toboni and the new front office.
That decision looks like a great one, as Abrams has turned into arguably the best shortstop in the National League in 2026, and perhaps even one of the best players in baseball so far. As All-Star voting opened up within the last couple of days, perhaps now is as good of a time as any to tell a friend that CJ Abrams should be starting the Midsummer Classic, and Monday night showed why.
With the Nationals down 3-1 in the 9th inning to the Giants and down to their final 2 outs after some questionable decisions by manager Blake Butera with some of his pitching choices, Abrams once again proved why the 'C' in "CJ" stands for Clutch, and delivered a game-tying 2-out single to knot the game at 3.
ok ..... OK !!! pic.twitter.com/RO3ezToIaq
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 9, 2026
It was a huge moment for the Nationals, and after Abrams promptly stole second base soon after before Daylen Lile had the chance to ultimately provide the go-ahead RBI single that fired up the dugout in a big way. The game overall was an emotional thriller, and one that showed exactly why Abrams needs to start the game in Philadelphia.
Obviously, there are other candidates, and this one moment doesn't tell the full story, but when you factor in his numbers combined with the performance of the club, his case becomes pretty clear. It becomes even more clear when you realize that Abrams has been one of two true superstar hitters carrying the best offense in baseball, and Monday night was just another example of Abrams doing what he does best.
What did you think of the Nationals' dramatic comeback victory over the Giants last night? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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