The Nationals stepped into free agency this offseason with the world in front of them. An array of pitchers was available for signing, yet the team plays cautiously with its expenses. Instead of splashing for a bigger name, or even an above-average name, the team settled. The signings were Zack Littell, who was late in the cycle for cheap, and 9-year veteran Miles Mikolas.
It is looking very clear that the cheapness of the offseason is coming back to bite the Nationals. That failure, however, is not so much in the hands of Littell as in the hands of Mikolas.
The Nationals signed Mikolas late in the cycle to a 1-year, $2.25 million deal. The hope was that the veteran could become a solid arm in the rotation and do so at a big discount. Well, early on, the signing has been a disaster.
The team by no means loses much money, but bad play is not good, and that is exactly what Mikolas has achieved through 3 games, failure. Mikolas has 12.1 IP, a 0-3 record, and a 12.41 ERA and 2.35 WHIP. Mikolas has allowed 5 home runs and done so with only 11 strikeouts.
Among all 67 listed starting pitchers thus far in 2026, Mikolas is the worst and by a mile. The 2nd-worst ERA being floated by a starting pitcher is a 9.00 from the Rockies, Michael Lorenzen. Nathan Eovaldi is the 3rd-worst with a 7.98 ERA, and very likely to bounce back. Mikolas has double the ERA of 63 out of 66 other starting pitchers, so what gives?
Will the Nationals Replace Miles Mikolas?
There seems to be no solution to Mikolas at the moment. The only way a fix happens is via the farm system. However, the Nationals' top 2 pitching prospects happen to be on the injured list. These players are Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana.
If anyone comes up to start, one intriguing option would be . He is the Nationals' 22-year-old No. 6 prospect. The bad news, however, is that Perales is off to a bad start. In 4.1 IP this season, Perales has a >6.00 ERA and >2.00 WHIP. The sample size is small, but better play must come over the next few weeks to even consider a call-up for Perales.
The other options will then be to recall 2025 starting pitcher Mitchell Parker or add either Riley Cornelio or Andrew Alvarez from Triple-A. Neither of those players is ranked in the Nationals' Top-30 Prospects at the moment.
The solutions do not look appeasing. The Nationals may have a new analytical brass in the managerial room, but that only goes so far. The team has to spend a bit more money to become truly competitive. Granted, if the team becomes a playoff contender, that may shift the angle there. However, to become a contender, you have to spend at least a few bucks.
The Nationals are hitting the ball well, so that is great to see. The club is 3rd in runs scored, T-2nd in hits, 3rd in average, and 3rd in OPS. We can only hope that the pitching improves just enough for the bats to help rake in some wins. As of now, the team is 4-8 entering Friday against the Brewers and angling towards another < 70-win season.