New year, same Nationals. That is the perfect way to frame the team's Wednesday debacle. They may have finally reached 71 wins yet again with a surprising win over the Phillies, but they may have become a premier hitting team in the MLB, but one thing the Nationals have not done? Be good in the bullpen.
The Nationals went out and hosted the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, September 16. In a 3-0 loss at Nationals Park, the team set a new bar for poor bullpen play. The six-pitcher box score shows that the team allowed 13 walks. That number ties the Nationals' all-time worst single-game total.
To make matters more disappointing, tying the record is nothing new. The team has walked 13 batters twice before. The most recent instance was in August 2024 in a loss to the Angels. The time before that? 2008 against the Brewers.
Nationals' bullpen continues to set all of the worst kinds of records
The season is lost; that is no secret. The Nationals have been eliminated from playoff contention for some time now. That has made September a time for evaluation. Who is here to stay, and who is here to go? Who is a legitimate talent? Who may need to begin 2027 in the minors (Should we even play ball re: the impending lockout)?
Nonetheless, the talent on the mound last night was nothing awful on its face. In fact, the starter of the evening was Jared Simpson, a recent call-up who went a perfect 3 innings in his debut a few weeks back.
Simpson's day set the tone. He pitched 0.1 innings, allowing 2 runs on 1 hit and 4 walks. Blake Butera pulled Simpson after 26 pitches and only 10 strikes.
The game then went to Riley Cornelio. He did quite well, as did all three pitchers following Simpson. Cornelio's day lasted 2.2 innings, with 0 hits and 2 walks. In came Will Dion, who allowed 2 hits, struck out 3 batters, and allowed no runs. Then came Richard "Dicky" Lovelady, who went a shallow two-thirds of an inning, allowing a run on 2 hits but walking zero batters.
Luis Perales is where the record of 13 walks really took shape. In what was just his 5th career MLB game, entering his 8th career MLB inning, Perales managed to keep the Nationals from scoring. Hence, the record was tied in walks, but the Nationals only lost 3-0.
Yet, Perales walked 5 batters, allowed zero hits, and recorded 2 strikeouts. He found the strike zone on just 25 of 49 pitches, but when he threw his good stuff, it was darn good.
Then came Yovanny Cruz for the final 2 outs of the game. He brought the Nationals' total walks to 13, and just like that, the record was tied again.
I do not know how much we can actually blame the Nationals. In the end, the bullpen allowed just one run to an NL-contending lineup. Nonetheless, the 2026 output has been a joke, and not a very good one.
The Nationals have a 2026 team relief-pitching WAR of minus-2.9. That is the worst mark in the MLB. They are just one of two teams with a bullpen ERA above 5.00. They are also 29th in K/9, 2nd in bullpen HR allowed, and 2nd in total innings pitched in relief.
That reflects little progress in the new Nationals era with Butera and company at the helm. In 2025, the Nationals were better — the 3rd-worst team in relief pitching WAR.
With so much youth in the pipeline, one can only hope that Paul Toboni gets some help in relief. The team needs 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-inning guys. The guys must be good and trustworthy. Who may those players be? Only time will tell, but something must change.
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