Dylan Crews has returned to the Nationals roster, which means that we have a crowded outfield on the depth chart. The current outfield has James Wood, Dylan Crews, Jacob Young, Daylen Lile, and Robert Hassell III. Obviously, there are only three spots in the outfield, so it will be interesting to see how manager Miguel Cairo handles the rotation. Let's discuss how they should manage it, and how they probably will.
How the Outfield Should Look
As far as James Wood, he will be the secure option, or will he? James Wood has a -6.9 defensive rating, per fangraphs, and this marks him fourth worst on the roster (Lowe, Bell, Lile). In this situation, I wonder if the Nationals should give reps to their younger guys. This would mean that James Wood should play DH for most of the final forty games.
On the other hand, Daylen Lile would pick up much of that playing time, and he has been even worse in the field. Does Lile play DH? Probably not. He is not breaking out on offense, although neither has he been abysmal. I would venture to say that left field could very well remain a balanced rotation that find Wood with quality reps and Lile with progressive reps.
Over to centerfield, Jacob Young, who is now under a ton of pressure in 2025, must play a ton. The season may be lost, but he is the far best defensive outfielder on this team. If the Nationals wish to stay competitive for the fans, he must play quite a bit. I do not see Robert Hassell III as a short-term future piece with this team. I would not mind even sending him back down to the minors. He has not quite looked major league ready.
Right field must be the Dylan Crews show. He is the future and needs more reps since he has been out injured. Mix in Lile or Hassell, but it should be 90% Crews.
How the Outfield WILL Look
Miguel Cairo is not thinking too different from myself. Per Bobby Blanco of MASN, Cairo says that this outfield will rotate with James Wood seeing a lot of DH time. This is the way it should be, saving the legs on Wood and not overworking him in a lost year.
Miguel Cairo said all five outfielders will get playing time. He’ll rotate them between the three outfield spots and designated hitter, with James Wood benefiting the most from getting off his feet as a DH.
— Bobby Blanco (@Bobby_Blanco) August 14, 2025
He also said Josh Bell and Paul DeJong will handle first base.
As for everyone else, it will be a steady rotation. When Wood plays in left, it will be Young or Hassell in center and Crews in right. When Wood plays DH, I expect Lile always in left, with the same mix in center and Crews in right.
What I do not love is Hassell getting rotational time. Sure, he may improve. This is not the end of the world. To get the best out of each player, I think they should be playing as much as possible. If not, let them at least play daily in the minors.
What do you want to see in this outfield? Should Lile or Hassell go back down? Let me know on X @jetbets17