From James Wood to C.J. Abrams to Daylen Lile, the Nationals have lots of young talent who fans should be excited about. However, one player that does not get significant praise is Nasim Nuñez. Nuñez has shown that he is a valuable major leaguer, and the Nationals should start him at shortstop next season.
As smart baseball thinkers have written on this site, CJ Abrams is not a defensively viable shortstop, and the Nationals should move him to second base. The Nationals have shown no inclination of acquiring another shortstop. Looking internally, Nuñez is the best option to take a step up and be the Nationals' starting shortstop in 2026.
The primary argument for making Nuñez the starting shortstop is his elite defense. In limited playing time last season, he recorded four outs above average, which is well above average for defenders across the league. The Nationals should focus on run prevention and supporting their young pitchers. Nuñez is also a great defensive talent and can help the Nationals with this goal.
One of his other strengths is his elite speed. His average sprint speed in 2025 was 29.8 feet per second, which was in the 98th percentile of all qualified runners. The Nationals should have an aggressive and dynamic offense that steals bases and puts pressure on opposing competition. Nunez' speed is a key asset to help improve this.
The primary concern with Nuñez is his limited offensive production. In two seasons, he has a career OPS of .672. While this is below average, it is not unplayably bad. If Nuñez is bringing value with his speed and defense, it is worth playing him if he is a below-average hitter.
Moreover, Nuñez’s offense has steadily improved. His rolling xwOBA, a hitting statistic that is more predictive of future offensive output than just OPS, has steadily improved to above .300, which is around league average. Moreover, Nuñez hits the ball hard, avoids strikeouts, and draws walks at rates that are just below the league average. The infielder is not an elite hitter, but his baseline offensive skills are good enough for him to start in the major leagues.
Nuñez is also only 25. With more experience facing Major League pitching, his offense will most likely only improve. Nuñez is already a solid player with baseline skills that can improve the Nationals next season. Furthermore, if he improves his offensive abilities, the Nationals will have another piece to add to their promising young core.