Which former Nationals players found themselves in the American League postseason?

With the Championship Series in full swing, and our beloved Washington Nationals nowhere near the playoffs for the sixth straight season, let's take a look at how some former players have performed in October on the American League side of things...

There was a quartet of former Nats seen in action on the national stage. Three of whom were parted ways with during this season. Nathaniel Lowe, who was designated for assignment in mid-August, Amed Rosario, who was traded a week before the deadline for a pair of prospects, and Kyle Finnegan, who was also traded for a pair of prospects, were all seen in action. Another familiar face, Victor Robles, was the final position player left from the 2019 World Series championship team before being designated for assignment in May of last year.

Nathaniel Lowe (Red Sox)

Lowe was brought into D.C. with relatively high expectations and had a tenure that was, at best, disappointing. Struggling to find any real consistency, and younger talent looming made the decision an easy one to designate Lowe for assignment. With the Red Sox having a glaring need at first base following an injury to Roman Anthony, Lowe was the obvious short-term fix and provided a much better fit in the second half of the regular season than he ever did for the Nats. However, the postseason resembled what Nats fans had grown accustomed to seeing on a daily basis from Lowe, going 1-7 over three games, along with an error that allowed two runs from the Yankees to score. 

Amed Rosario (Guardians)

After being picked up in the offseason by the Nationals on a one-year deal, Amed Rosario's short stint in D.C. was productive enough to warrant being shipped off at the deadline for a top-20 prospect in the Yankees farm system. The positional versatility and speed, along with his considerably better slash line against lefties (.302/.364/.488), appealed greatly to a Yankees team that had already actively pursued Rosario in free agency. After starting Game One of the Wild Card over star Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisolm Jr. with Cy Young candidate LHP Garrett Crochet on the mound, Rosario offered up a 0-3 performance and never really got going. Ending the postseason with a 3-10 effort at the plate with one double and an RBI over four games. Serving as a catalyst for a Yankees offense that served as no match for a hungry Blue Jays team. Rosario is now a free agent again. 

Kyle Finnegan (Tigers)

Our 2024 All-Star, whom the Nats decided to non-tender and resign to stave off two million dollars, was traded at the deadline to the Detroit Tigers and has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since. Who would've thought? After ranking third in all of Major League Baseball in saves last year, and moving into second place all-time on the Nats' all-time saves list, and struggling only when being overused, the Tigers struck gold with a slight shift in Kyle Finnegan's pitch usage. With an increase in splitter usage (over 40%), Finnegan's tenure with the Tigers began with a scoreless streak that amounted to 14⅓ innings, quickly becoming one of AJ Hinch's favorite, highest leverage relievers for a team well-known for its 'pitching-chaos'. The postseason saw more heavy usage for Finnegan, appearing in six of the eight games the Tigers played, which was his first taste of Postseason baseball. While being tagged with the loss in the 15-inning marathon that was Game 5 of the ALDS, Finnegan still earned a win against Cleveland and struck out 3 over his 7.1 innings in some of the highest-pressure spots for the Tigers. 

Victor Robles (Mariners): 

A staple of the outfield for almost eight seasons, starting center fielder for all seven games of the 2019 World Series, what was once a highly touted prospect, was unfortunately plagued with injuries and never really amounted to the high ceiling everyone had hoped he would. After being designated for assignment in May of 2024, the Mariners picked up Victor Robles, and he made an immediate impact, earning a two-year extension less than eighty days after being an afterthought and moved on from. At the end of the 2024 season, in 77 games with the Mariners, Robles batted .328 with 30 stolen bases and went into the 2025 season with high expectations before unfortunately dislocating his shoulder in April. Now back in postseason baseball over seven games, Robles has collected just three hits, two of which are doubles. Most notably, in the 14th inning of Game 5 of the ALDS, he was thrown out to end the inning. With the Championship Series underway, Robles has started both of the first two games and gone a combined 1-8 with three strikeouts and a walk. In Game 1 of the ALCS, with his alignment card in his mouth, Robles booted a line drive hit by Anthony Santander, leading to pandemonium on social media. 

This is just the American League edition of former Nationals in the Playoffs, stay tuned for a look at the National League soon!