After a bit of a rough stretch in which people were starting to wonder if the other shoe had finally dropped for the Washington Nationals this season, the team rebounded tremendously. The Nationals came into the weekend after Friday night's loss having lost 7 of 9, but they were able to take the final 2 games of the series in large part due to some timely hitting, great starting pitching, and timely bullpen work from a newcomer.
Foster Griffin did the heavy lifting on Saturday night as he continues to show that he should be getting serious consideration for both National League Rookie of the Year and to be an All-Star in Philadelphia as well. Zack Littell helped carry the way on Sunday after getting roughed up early, but the Nationals really have one main man to thank for getting them through this series.
Luis Garcia Jr. is on an all-time heater for the Nationals
The man who is about as polarizing as anyone on this Nationals roster when it comes to discussions about his future is Luis Garcia Jr., who has long been debated about where his future lies. He has been thought of as a guy who didn't hit for enough power to stick at first base long-term, but given what we have seen so far this season and especially recently, that might not be true.
In reality, Garcia Jr. has been playing great baseball for a good bit now, as he has slashed .320/.352/.780 over his last 30 games, with 13 homers and 33 RBIs in that same span. However, the numbers get even more ridiculous when you look at a smaller sample size from the past couple weeks and even days.
In his last 15 games, Garcia Jr. is at a .340/.377/.860 slash line with 8 homers and 14 RBIs, but it gets even more absurd if you cut that in half. In his last 7 games, he is at .435/.500/.1.304, good for an absurd 1.804 OPS to go along with 6 homers, 9 RBIs, and an even 3:3 K:BB ratio. He has homered in 5 of his last 6 games started, and now finds himself among some of the league's best at his position.
Following his second home run today, GarcÃa Jr. now has six home runs in his last six games. Since the beginning of the 2022 season, only four players in Major League Baseball have homered six times in a six-game span:
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) June 28, 2026
Luis GarcÃa Jr. - June 22-28, 2026
Kyle Schwarber - May 9-15,…
In the span of a few weeks, Garcia Jr. has gone from a bit of an afterthought in this young Nationals core to a guy that looks like an All-Star candidate, and has carried the offense while James Wood and CJ Abrams have slumped over the past week or so, showing his true potential. What the team chooses to do with him for the future will be very interesting, but for now, we have no choice but to enjoy the ride that he is taking us on.
With still almost half a season left, Garcia Jr. is only 2 homers and 15 RBIs shy of trying his career-best marks for both he set back in 2024, and he should finish with a career year across the board. Despite what some people might try and argue, it's funny how much true coaching can make a difference in a youngster reaching their full potential.
What do you think of Luis Garcia Jr.'s hot streak continuing to carry the Nationals? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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