Although it is currently very early on in spring training, there had actually been a lot to be excited for when it came to the Washington Nationals. It had been a lot of the other guys who had been contributing a ton so far, while a lot of the more established players have really yet to get going.
Guys like James Wood, Dylan Crews, and Daylen Lile have not really offered much in the way of offense so far for the Nationals, but that should not continue. With guys not yet playing every game and often playing only a handful of innings at most, it can often be hard to get into a rhythm until later on in the spring when playing time becomes more regular.
The pitching side of things for the Nationals has been solid enough overall, but the Nationals are still facing some similar issues that have plagued them over the last few seasons. For as much emphasis as the organization has put into fundamentals so far this offseason, the defense has been absolutely abysmal...more on this to come later today.
It hit a new low on Wednesday evening in the team's 7-0 loss at the hands of the New York Yankees, with the Nationals committing another 3 errors in the field. What is even more bizarre is the 2 of the 3 were throwing errors by pitchers Andrew Alvarez and Clayton Beeter, as the defense from pitchers has been awful so far.
But the offense was only able to muster a single hit as the Nationals saw their record drop to 4-1-1 so far this spring. Crews is still hitless to this point, and while it's still early, the fact he is still swinging and missing as much as he is might be a concern soon. I personally will wait to reserve judgement as he's only had 6 at-bats so far this spring, but there are still some major question marks that he must answer.
Credit to 2025 trade deadline acquisition Christian Franklin, who mustered the only hit of the game for the Nationals, as familiar foe Ryan Weathers, formerly of the Miami Marlins, held the Nationals to just 1 hit over 3.2 innings while striking out 5 and walking none. The Nationals as a team did not manage to draw a single walk, and this game gave major flashbacks to the darkest days of the 2025 season. Hopefully the Nationals can bounce back as they return to action on Thursday against the Phillies.
What did you think of the Nationals' pitiful performance on Wednesday night? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.