The Washington Nationals now have lost 90 or more games in five straight seasons from 2021 through 2025. It stands as the worst stretch in franchise history, including the Expos years. It shows just how far the Nationals have fallen since winning the 2019 World Series, when they ranked at the top of the sport.
Since that title, the Nats have sunk to the bottom of the standings year after year. Five straight 90-loss seasons have defined the rebuild, and uncertainty still surrounds the future. The fanbase continues to wait for contending baseball to finally return to D.C. Let’s look back at each of these seasons to assess which one was the worst and where they leave the team now.
2021: The Fire Sale
The Nationals finished 2021 with a 65–97 record, one of their worst seasons since the move to Washington and a stunning drop just two years removed from a championship. By the All-Star break they registered a dismal 37–53, and it was clear change was coming.
That change arrived in late July. At the trade deadline, Mike Rizzo pulled the trigger on a massive teardown, sending Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers in one of the biggest deals of the decade. On the same day, Kyle Schwarber, who already had 25 home runs, was traded to Boston. In total, eight veterans moved out and the front office effectively dismantled the remains of the 2019 roster.
The results after the deadline proved ugly. Washington went 18–42 the rest of the way, the worst 60-game finish in franchise history. A record-high 60 different players appeared for the club that season, showing the unsettled nature of the roster.
For many fans, 2021 marked the true start of the rebuild. The fire sale ended the era of Scherzer, Turner, and the rest of the World Series core. Outside of Juan Soto, the product on the field was unwatchable once those stars were gone. This season made clear that a long rebuild lay ahead.
2022: Rock Bottom
If 2021 started the rebuild, 2022 was when the Nationals hit rock bottom. They finished 55–107, the worst record in baseball and the franchise’s lowest win total since 1976.
Juan Soto continued doing everything he could, but the roster surrounding him left the team with no chance of competing. Josh Bell provided one of the few other bright spots, holding down the middle of the order until he was traded at the deadline.
The defining moment came on August 2, when the Nationals traded Soto and Bell to the Padres in one of the biggest blockbusters in baseball history. In return, Washington landed C.J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, James Wood, Jarlin Susana, and Luke Voit. Although in hindsight the trade is viewed as a success because of the talent it brought back, at the time it clearly signaled the team’s full commitment to a rebuild that would take years.
After Soto’s departure, the offense completely collapsed. With the last superstar from the 2019 team gone, the Nationals limped to the finish line. What Washington lost defined the year more than anything it produced.
2023: Signs of Life
The Nationals recorded some progress in 2023, finishing 71–91. Despite a repeat last-place season, it felt different from the year before. For the first time, the young core from the major trades started to show why the front office tore everything down in the first place.
C.J. Abrams settled in as the everyday shortstop and showed off his speed and athleticism. MacKenzie Gore brought swing-and-miss stuff to the rotation, while Josiah Gray built on his 2022 and gave the team an All-Star arm to lean on. Veterans Lane Thomas and Jeimer Candelario carried much of the offensive load and helped keep the lineup competitive.
The year had its ups and downs. Washington stumbled to a 36–54 record by midseason, then caught fire with a 25–15 stretch after the break that hinted at better days ahead. The momentum didn’t last, as the club finished 10–22 in September and locked in a 91-loss season.
By the end of the year, it was clear the Nationals had building blocks in Abrams, Gore, and Gray. Thomas, Candelario, and Stone Garrett also emerged as key contributors, while Keibert Ruiz gave the team steady production behind the plate. The wins remained scarce, but fans could finally see a direction taking shape.
2024: Prospects Arrive, Results Stay the Same
The Nationals once again finished 71–91 in 2024, the same disappointing record as the year before. This time they moved up to fourth place in the division, finishing ahead of a Marlins team that completely collapsed. Still, it was another year of waiting for the future.
That future finally started to reveal itself on the field. James Wood made his long-anticipated debut on July 1 and immediately looked the part of a middle-of-the-order bat. Just weeks later, the Nats called up Dylan Crews on August 26, adding even more excitement for a fanbase desperate for new stars.
Even with those arrivals, the win total didn’t move. Washington played around a .400 pace all season and was out of the playoff race by mid-September. The new talent appeared real, but it didn’t translate into wins yet.
Despite the promise of individual steps, collectively the team delivered another 91-loss season. Back-to-back years with the same record, along with more young talent starting to arrive, put the pressure on 2025 as a year that had to be a turning point.
2025: Change at the Top
Instead, a disastrous season struck. This was supposed to be the year the rebuild finally turned a corner, but instead it has been the worst season since 2022. The Nationals are sitting at 64–92 with only a handful of games left, locking in their fifth straight 90-loss season and sixth straight losing year overall. It provides another harsh reminder of how long this rebuild has dragged on.
The biggest story came in July when ownership finally decided enough was enough. On July 6, the Nationals fired longtime GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez, ending Rizzo’s 17-year run and severing the last connection to the 2019 World Series. Mike DeBartolo took over as interim GM and Miguel Cairo stepped in as interim manager while the search for new leadership began.
Ten different players made their MLB debuts in 2025, giving fans plenty of new names to watch. But despite all the fresh faces, the Nationals still dropped their 90th game by mid-September and once again settled near the bottom of the standings. It marked another disappointing season on the seemingly endless road to a rebuild.
The Worst Year: 2021
Looking back on this five-year stretch, 2021 stands out as the worst. The Nationals went 65–97 and saw the last pieces of their championship core walk out the door. The trade deadline fire sale that summer sent fan favorites Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to Los Angeles, Kyle Schwarber to Boston, and several others out of town. From that point on, Washington went 18–42, one of the ugliest two-month stretches the team has ever had.
More than the record, 2021 provided fans with a sobering sense of the reality ahead. Fans knew the World Series window was closed and a long rebuild was about to begin. The product on the field was painful to behold, and the emotional toll of seeing stars leave made the season feel like rock bottom.
A case can be made for 2022 being worse with 107 losses, or for 2025 being the most frustrating after the false hope of a turning point. But 2021 was the year everything came crashing down. As the first time in over a decade the Nationals finished at the bottom of the division, it signaled the true end of an era.
Looking Ahead to 2026
For the first time in years, the Nationals are heading into an offseason of real change. After firing Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez in July, the team is in the process of hiring a new GM and manager. The Nationals have already begun interviewing candidates, and ownership promises a hire by the end of the year. Whoever takes over will be tasked with finally steering the rebuild in the right direction.
The good news is that the young core is already in place. C.J. Abrams continues progressing at shortstop. MacKenzie Gore now has an All-Star appearance under his belt. James Wood earned his first All-Star selection and a trip to the Home Run Derby, with the hope he can keep improving. Dylan Crews and Daylen Lile have joined the mix, and plenty more young players show promise. The young pieces are there, but the Nationals need to add proven veterans in free agency if they want to take the next step toward contending.
Patience runs thin in Washington. Owner Mark Lerner conceded that the results so far remain lacking, and promised a fresh approach. The Nationals must nail their GM and manager hires this offseason if they want to transform the rebuild. 2026 has to be a turning point where young pieces finally start turning into wins. It has been far too long since fans have seen good baseball in D.C., and ending the drought will take smart hires, smart spending in free agency, and better play on the field. After five straight 90-loss seasons, the time for waiting is over.