The Nationals Need an Ace

One of the few positives from the young squad has been the rotation, but the need for an ace remains to take the next step.

Heading into the 2023 season, the Nationals rotation had plenty of question marks. Chad Kuhl had cracked the rotation, Trevor Williams had not been an everyday starter since 2020, Patrick Corbin was, well, Patrick Corbin, Josiah Gray was coming off an up-and-down 2022 season, and MacKenzie Gore had plenty of question marks. 

None of these guys besides Gore are in the long-term plans, barring a comeback from Josiah with a significant improvement on his fatal flaws of shaky control with below-average stuff.

With this being said, the Nats rotation should be in desperate need for reinforcements heading into 2025, but after unexpected breakouts from under-the-radar guys, the rotation has turned into our biggest strength. 

Who knew a rotation of MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker, DJ Herz, and even Patrick Corbin at times, would instill so much confidence? On any given day, the young guys can provide us with a chance, admittedly with some growing pains along the way.

Gore was one of the better pitchers in the National League through his first 10-15 starts, with wicked stuff leading to big strikeout and whiff numbers, before enduring a rough stretch before finding himself again.

Jake Irvin had a top-5 ERA in the National League in mid-July at 2.80 after an 8-inning, 1-hit outing vs the Mets on Independence Day, before a couple of terrible outings ballooned his second-half ERA. Irvin knows how to compete, and should be a playoff game 3 or 4 starter at his peak.

Mitchell Parker is someone to really buy stock in. He will not wow you with raw stuff or velocity, but if he can locate the fastball, he can beat anybody.

DJ Herz may be the most intriguing out of the group. Herz is wild. Sometimes it works for him, sometimes it does not. Herz has elite extension, strikeout rates, and hard hit rates, but allows the home run ball, and rarely pitches deep into games.

With the groundwork laid out, pitchers like Cade Cavalli, Tanner Stuart, Brad Lord, and Andry Lara, provide depth, with Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana being future potential studs. Pitching seems to be set, but the shakiness we have seen in the second half makes something abundantly clear: the Nationals need a veteran ace.

The best Nationals teams have always had a workhorse, most notably Max Scherzer, but guys like Jordan Zimmermann and Gio Gonzalez were always there to take the ball. With a young staff with big-time potential, a veteran there to provide consistency, and who has proven himself, is vital to take the next step.

There will be plenty of off-season predictions, but an ace, or at least a top-of-the-rotation guy, should be at the top of the list. Our outfield and pitching depth would allow Washington to make a deal if need be, but pitchers like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Walker Beuhler (who would be a great target on a bounce-back deal), and Blake Snell are all free agents, with payroll being very reasonable with Corbin’s contract coming off the books.

Every single contending time has its solidified ace, and the Nats are primed to find one in free agency if they are willing to open up their pocketbooks. Our young guys are fantastic, but their inconsistency disqualifies them from ace status, at least for now, making the need for an an ace even more prevalent. If we get our next Max or even a Jordan Zimmermann type, it will be a successful offseason. If not, the same trend from this year will continue. Lots of flashes, but not enough to contend again. Let us hope the Learners will remember how to spend.