What's wrong with CJ Abrams?

All-Star Struggles?

It's no secret that CJ Abrams is right in the thick of an ugly slump. In his last 30 games, the shortstop's slash line is an abysmal .172/.222/.284 with 34 strikeouts. Oddly enough, the cold streak and struggles for Abrams actually began after his first selection to the MLB All-Star game. While it was well deserved, Abrams has regressed greatly since the midseason break.

In May, Abrams hit .249 with two home runs and nine RBI. Once the calendar turned to June, CJ hit .373 with four home runs and 16 RBI. He's developed a trend in his short career of being a streaky hitter, but has yet to suffer a slump as significant as he's in now. In July, Abrams hit .176 with 2 home runs and 10 RBI. The struggles continued into August, as he hit .187 with three home runs and ten RBI. Since July 1, Abrams owns the 5th-worst wRC+ in all of baseball, according to fangraphs.com. Not only has his bat gone cold, but his shaky defense hasn't helped his cause. Abrams is up to 15 errors this season, not much of an improvement from last season (22). What gives with the 23-year-old shortstop?

Abrams is a streaky hitter but has not had a slump last over 50 games in his career. At this point, the struggles at the plate have created a mental problem for CJ. The young shortstop is likely giving 110 percent effort to rise from the slump and continue to dig a hole. To me, it's clear that Abrams is in his own head, as his plate approach and discipline has arguably contributed the most to his struggles. It's clear that he is pressing and doing anything he can to get out of this slump, and hopefully for his sake it turns around soon. When a player is in the early stages of his career, a skilled hitting coach to lean on can boost and aid the development of said player. Abrams has Darnell Coles to rely on, which is not in his best interest.

The coaching style of the Nationals and specifically Coles' approach to hitting doesn't suit Abrams. In his best form, CJ's hitting fly balls and line drives to right-center field. Coles' philosophy focuses on staying through the ball to the opposite field with an emphasis on a lower launch angle. Coles' strategy is evident through the Nats' tendencies and statistics since his hiring in 2021. James Wood, for example, the Nats' 21-year-old phenom, took what seemed forever to record a base hit to the pull side. The first hit to right center ended up over 400 feet from the batters' box in Philadelphia off Wood's bat. Coles' approach is puzzling, as he's seemingly reluctant to adjust to the "modern-day" way of hitting, focusing on power and production over a contact-based approach at the plate. The Nats seem to be on the back end of adjusting to modern ideologies in many facets of baseball.

What's the solution to Abrams' struggles without a reliable hitting coach? The only solution to CJ's slump is to just work through the struggles and get out of it. While it sounds simple, Abrams needs to approach every game the same, and the results will come. The 23-year-old has lots of potential and showed in the first half of the season. His batting average was as high as .286 on July 2 with an OPS of .859. Abrams undoubtedly has the talent to be the Nats' shortstop for years. In the long run, CJ recovering from this slump will result in a better baseball player.

Editor's Note: This article was written before Sunday's game, where Abrams led off the game with a solo shot off of Jared Jones. Hopefully this is something positive to build on for CJ, and he can finish the season on a high note as he nears his first 20-homer season!