Three Nationals Players On Roster Bubble Who Deserve A Shot In 2024
The Nationals have had a pleasantly surprising season, but not everyone who contributed to the 2023 campaign is guaranteed to return in 2024. Here are three players who deserve an extended look.
Luis García
Once thought to be in the same breath as players such as CJ Abrams and Keibert Ruiz as key pieces to the Nationals' future, Luis García seems to have really fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. García was on the receiving end of a shocking demotion to AAA Rochester in early August. While he was not necessarily hitting the cover off the ball, García was not necessarily the problem either to the Nationals' offensive woes and most of their issues, mainly the lack of power, were systemic and not isolated to any one player.
As we later found out, García was assigned to AAA to work on his routine and game preparation. He did not light up the competition during his AAA stint, but whatever he did work on must have worked as he has been great in his time back with the Nationals. In 18 games back with the club, García has an .872 OPS over 58 At-Bats. It is a small sample size, but encouraging nonetheless.
As it stands now, García is penciled in as the Nationals' starting second baseman in 2024, and I think he will still get a fair shot at proving himself as the long-term answer at the position. However, I think the Nationals are much more open to other options at second base than they were at the start of the 2023 season. The emergence of Trey Lipscomb in AA Harrisburg, who will likely find himself in AAA Rochester to start the 2024 campaign, offers the Nationals a very intriguing option should García revert back to his former self. Lipscomb is also already a better defender than García, as he was awarded the Nationals Minor League Defensive Player of the Year.
He has work to do, but I still believe Luis García deserves a chance in 2024 based on his strong month of September.
Robert Garcia
A bit of a dark horse inclusion on this list, but I believe what Robert Garcia has provided to the Nationals this final stretch of the season should be recognized.
Claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins on August 1st, Garcia has now appeared in 24 games for the Nationals, pitching to a 3.69 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP. While they are not spectacular numbers, Garcia has found himself in several tight spots with the struggles of both the Nationals' starting rotation and bullpen as of late and has performed well. Bullpen volatility is well documented in baseball, and Garcia is far from a proven commodity, but he has impressed during his brief time with the team.
I am including Garcia on this list for two reasons beyond his good ERA and WHIP: he is a left handed reliever and I do not trust Jose A. Ferrer yet. Think about how desperately the Nationals have needed a left handed reliever in the past couple of seasons. Anthony Banda made the team out of Spring Training due to necessity, not necessarily merit from a strong Spring Training performance. Last season, the Nationals ran with an all Right Handed bullpen for a time before bringing back Sean Doolittle for 5 innings prior to his injury that effectively ended his career.
It has been a revolving door of southpaws in the Nationals' bullpen over the past couple of seasons and Garcia may just end up being another name on that laundry list, but I believe he has shown enough in August and September to warrant a roster spot to start 2024.
Jacob Young
When talking about roster cuts, I included Alex Call for various reasons, but one of which was the emergence of Jacob Young. And before you freak out over his inclusion as a "roster bubble" player, remember this is an advocation for Young to stick around. In no way do I think the Nationals are close to giving up on him.
Jacob Young has had a meteoric rise through the Nationals' system, going from High A Wilmington all the way to the Nationals 25 Man Roster in a single calendar year without skipping a level. He got off to a great start to his Major League career after going hitless in his first game, as he rattled off an 11 game hitting streak. Young has since cooled off at the plate, as his numbers have dropped to a .651 OPS with a .239/.314/.337 slash line.
The offensive production needs to improve, but where Young really provides value is on the defensive side of the ball as he is a well above average Centerfielder. A skillset like his is at worst the makings of a 4th outfielder, and if his bat can improve to a mid .700s OPS, then you have a starter on this current roster.
It is important to remember Young is (no pun intended) young, and despite his impressive Minor League numbers, it is natural to take some time to adjust to Major League pitching. His inclusion on this list is really based on the idea that the Nationals will bring back Victor Robles (not a guarantee) and Stone Garrett (likely), which would give them a starting outfield of Stone Garrett, Victor Robles and Lane Thomas in Left Field, Center Field and Right Field respectively. Young deserves a chance to stick around as this team's 4th outfielder and a late game replacement for Stone Garrett, a strategy Davey Martinez employed frequently throughout the season.
I also included Young on this list because I do expect both James Wood and Dylan Crews to debut for the Nationals at some point in 2024, which would create a logjam in the Nationals' outfield. I am rooting for Young and think he should stick around with the Nationals Major League roster in 2024, regardless of other potential shuffling.
Honorable Mention: Drew Millas
I think Drew Millas has really impressed in his time with the Nationals and given the Nationals a real possibility of carrying three catchers on their roster next season. Riley Adams will be recovering from his hamate injury and may need an extended rehab stint, but if he regains his form he provides value offensively and should be rostered. Millas on the other hand, is the best suited catcher to back up Keibert Ruiz as he is by far the best defensive catcher of the bunch. Too many valuable catchers is a good problem to have.