The Washington Nationals have a pitching staff-sized problem. In our nation’s capital, home runs are a commodity for opponents, and walks are dished out like bottomless margaritas. Specifically, one National hurler is on track to make the wrong kind of history.
Zack Littell and the Long Ball
As of May sixth, Zack Littell is on pace to surrender 60 home runs to opposing sluggers. That's TEN more than the all-time MLB record of 50 in a season. Ironically, the record is held by Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven. To add insult to injury, Blyleven gave up 50 round trippers in 271.1 innings. Littell is on pace to shatter that record at warp speed. An offseason signing inked for reliable innings has quickly turned into yet another contractual vice, which is tough considering he was one of the organization's most expensive signings in years.
In 2025, Littell was an above-average innings eater in the Rays and Reds rotations, respectively. His season amounted to 186.2 innings of 3.81 ERA ball. His innate ability to limit walks helped keep men off base just enough for him to outperform his FIP of 4.88.
Regression was always a possibility for Littell. When you have a massive difference between your ERA and FIP, and you can’t rack up strikeouts, it’s hard to maintain consistent success. At this point, the Nats aren’t in search of bona fide production; they just want to avoid an outright DFA.
The Rest of the Nationals Staff isn’t Making Things Any Easier
Other members of the starting rotation, such as Miles Mikolas and Cade Cavalli, have also been underwhelming. Mikolas was signed for innings, similarly to Littell. Currently, he sports an 7.44 ERA. His leash has become so short that he’s often pulled before completing four innings.
Cavalli is younger and therefore has much more room for improvement. His stuff plays at the highest level, but sometimes, inexperience shines through the flash. Cavalli has left too many fastballs up in the zone, leading to an xBA of .281. Although that’s not great, it’s far better than the actual batting average of .401 against his heater. This suggests that Cavalli is due for positive regression.
The Nationals made subtle additions this offseason for veteran leadership. Mikolas and Littell were supposed to be calm in 2026’s storm. Instead, they’re the hail that breaks your windshield.
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