The Washington Nationals and center fielder Jacob Young are in agreement on a contract extension worth $23 million over four years. The deal buys out all three years of arbitration eligibility Young had under the current MLB collective bargaining agreement as well as one year of free agency, and includes a club option year at $8 million for 2031. The deal was first reported by FanSided's Robert Murray.
Terms: Jacob Young and the Nationals reached an agreement on a four-year, $23 million contract extension that includes an $8 million option for a fifth season, according to a source familiar with the deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) November 6, 2026
What the extension means for Washington
Ahead of the expiration of the current MLB CBA, there's speculation that the current system that gives teams control over a player's rights until they've reached 6 years of major league service might be modified. If that ends up being the case, this deal allows the Nationals to lock in Young on a cost-effective deal that keeps him around while they need him. Young was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn a $2.3 million salary through the arbitration process in 2027.
The extension also shuts down speculation of a trade for Young. JY's one of four young talented outfielders already on Washington's major league roster, a situation that was previously viewed by other clubs as an opportunity for the Nationals to trade out of a surplus at the position. In Young's case, that will not be happening in the immediate future.
Young, who played his age-26 campaign this past season, has been a Gold Glove contender in center field each of the last three years. After posting 2.6 FanGraphs WAR in 2024, his offensive production slipped to a point where it was hard to justify him getting extended playing time even with his plus-plus defense in center in 2025. That turned around in '26, as he slashed his groundball rate by 15 percentage points, converting almost all of it into flyballs, and many of those into pulled flyballs.
Embracing a similar approach to Keibert Ruiz, who also broke out in 2026 by pulling as many balls in the air as he could, Young hit twice as many home runs this past season (10) as he had his entire career to that point, increasing his slugging clip by 103 points despite still having below-average bat speed. A 95 wRC+ was the best of his career, and expected metrics back up the improvements he made at the plate.
For the Nationals, the extension gives the team some wiggle room, so to speak. Even if Young's production were to dip, he remains an excellent defensive outfielder and baserunner, and the team will be happy to have him on a low-cost contract even if he simply exists as a fourth outfielder.
What it means for the rest of Washington's outfield, particularly Dylan Crews, is unclear. Daylen Lile and James Wood seem to have established themselves as the team's go-to options in the corners. Crews, 24, is coming off a disappointing result to a season in which most people, himself included, hoped he'd establish a foothold in the major leagues. Still, as The Athletic's Spencer Nusbaum pointed out, manager Blake Butera found a way for all four men to get 400 plate appearances in 2026, so if the team wants to continue giving Crews a chance to finally piece it together, they have the means to do so.
Players much older than Crews have broken out in the past, and done so sustainably, so it's not out of the question. No matter what happens, this extension for Jacob Young gives the Nationals some insurance and relatively high-floor security at a critical up-the-middle position. Young is the second National since Paul Toboni was named president of baseball operations to sign a multi-year contract extension with the team after Cade Cavalli. You can find our reporting on the Cavalli signing here.
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