The Washington Nationals are gearing up for the 2026 season, and if their spring training play is any indication, there is a very real chance this could be an ugly season. Obviously, nobody should be expecting the Nationals to actually compete for anything serious, but hopefully the team makes positive strides forward.
So far, that has not proven to be the case at least offensively for many Nationals players, as the offense as a whole has been pretty awful so far this spring outside of a few outliers like Brady House, who has been fantastic. Some guys like Daylen Lile and others have flashed here and there, but for the most part the team has been abysmal at the plate.
The performances have been so abysmal collectively that some people are wondering if 2023 #2 overall pick Dylan Crews will even make the Opening Day roster for the Nationals, and based on the numbers those wonders are not off base at all. Crews is not the only guy who has looked poor this spring, but given his draft status, the pressure is always going to be higher on him than others.
Perhaps these early struggles were a big reason why ESPN's Jeff Passan had a pretty wild take as it regards to the 2026 Washington Nationals. In his 2026 ultimate MLB season preview, which is free to access on ESPN, Passan did a fill in the blank for each team that finished the sentence "It wouldn't surprise me if..." and for the Nationals, the result was brutal.
His take was that it would not surprise him if the Nationals are worse than the Rockies this year, and that in itself should be enough to make you cringe if you're a Nationals fan like myself. Particularly, Passan said, "As bad as the Nationals could be over the first four months of the season, they'll be worse after they move expiring contracts to keep building a farm system that has drastically improved since he took over." which doesn't exactly inspire a ton of confidence.
However, he is correct, the Nationals likely will struggle mightily this season, and with guys like Zack Littell and perhaps Miles Mikolas or Foster Griffin likely to be dealt before the trade deadline, the team will only get worse. Hopefully for the sanity of the fanbase, their youngsters will be able to take steps forward to prove they are worth building around beyond this season.
What do you think of Jess Passan's claim that the Nationals could be worse than the Rockies this season? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.