As of the time of writing, the Washington Nationals are now 2-0 in 2025 Spring Training, and are well on their way to a World Series victory. If they keep going at their current pace, they will not lose a game for a very long time. In all seriousness, Sunday was another solid showing for a Nationals group that is still not fielding a lineup with all of their projected starters, but the team overall looked great.
There were multiple standouts from today's 11-6 victory over the New York Mets, and in case you were wondering, no, Juan Soto did not play in this game. If you missed my recap from the 1st game of spring training, be sure to check that out here, as pieces like this will be a good way for you to stay updated with who is performing well so far in the actual games.
Nathaniel Lowe as good as advertised in 1st Nationals game
It took just 3 trips to the dish for prized offseason acquisition Nathaniel Lowe to make an impact, and if Sunday was any example, he is exactly what this team has been missing for a long time now. Getting his 1st start with the Nationals and batting 3rd, Lowe drew a pair of walks and then laced a double to right-center field in his first official at-bat, driving in a run as well.
Since the retirement of Ryan Zimmerman, 1st base has been a bit of a black hole for the Nationals, but Nathaniel Lowe has a chance to make everyone forget all about that in his first season in DC. His plate discipline and pop that he showed is exactly what the team needs, as having a veteran that will consistently work good plate appearances and get on base will be a good thing to model for many of the young guys on the club.
Everything that we wrote about him and expected from him after being acquired from the Texas Rangers for Robert Garcia is already what we are seeing, and it is certainly encouraging to see this so early on.
Young guys continuing to make the most of their opportunity
Sunday's game was a continuation of Saturday's game for 3 young guys that figure to factor into the long-term picture with the Nationals. For Dylan Crews, his spot seems to already be cemented, as he should open the season in right field for the Nats, and is expected to be an NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner.
The book on him so far is to throw a breaking ball to him with 2 strikes, but on Sunday he finally got one, and made the pitcher pay as he ended up recording a stand-up triple. His ability to hit breaking pitches will be huge for his overall plate approach moving forward, and this was a big step already.
Dylan Crews starting hot in Spring Training 🔥
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 23, 2025
MLB's No. 4 overall prospect has a triple, a walk, two runs and a stolen base for the @Nationals already -- and it's still the third inning. pic.twitter.com/t2buojor2y
Another guy who has started out red hot so far is Robert Hassell III, who finished 2/3 after not starting this game. Following his 3-run double yesterday, to see him record another pair of base knocks is encouraging, and he is going to be a key prospect to watch throughout the rest of spring training. Additionally, he also made a pretty sweet diving grab in center field as well. Genuinely, I do not think it is out of the question at this point that he makes the Opening Day roster, but starting with AAA Rochester before being promoted later this season feels more likely.
One last young guy who is making the most of his early opportunity is Yohandy Morales. He went 1/3 today with an RBI double that he smoked to left field, and got a chance to play 3rd base today as opposed to playing 1st base yesterday. While I don't expect to see Morales until next season in the big leagues, he is a guy who has a ton of upside, and was the Nationals 2nd draft choice after Dylan Crews in 2023. If he can unlock his power, watch out.
Rutledge's room for error shrinking by the day
Not to end on a bit of a sour note here, but I think at this point Jackson Rutledge is running out of time to prove himself. Obviously, it was just his 1st appearance of the spring, but what we saw from Rutledge in his lone inning of work was more of the same from what we have seen from him at the big league level for the last couple years now.
Despite not allowing a hit, he gave up 2 earned runs due to issuing 4 walks, while only striking out 1 batter. The issue for Rutledge, who, for a 6'8" pitcher does not throw overly hard, has been his control, and we are seeing more of the same early on. A former 1st round pick back in 2019, Rutledge likely finds himself squarely on the bubble of the 40-man roster at this time, and Sunday's game was not what the 25-year-old righty needed to kick off a pivotal spring.
What was your biggest takeaway from today's game? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.