For the fifth time in six seasons, the Washington Nationals finished in last place of the NL East. The Nationals won only 66 games, five fewer than 2024. The franchise heads into the offseason with a new front office, as well as building blocks. However, the Nationals must also grapple with a pitching staff that lacked depth in 2025.
The Offense
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 687 | 20th |
| Home Runs | 161 | 24th |
| OPS | .693 | 24th |
| Whiff% | 25.2% | 15th |
| Hard Hit% | 42.1% | 7th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 5.18 | 29th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 5.59 | 30th |
| Strikeouts | 1,248 | 28th |
| Whiff% | 25.2% | 14th |
| Chase% | 26.9% | 27th |
The Good
James Wood‘s second season in the Majors was a big one, to say the least. Wood, known for his power and ability to go the other way, hit 31 home runs this past season for the Nationals. It was a significant breakthrough for Wood, who put up eye-popping exit velocities in 2024, even though it didn’t result in home runs.
However, Wood’s power approach came at a cost. Regularly selling out for fastballs, Wood batted only .195 off non-fastballs and whiffed (32.9%) a lot. The 23-year-old led the Majors in total strikeouts (221). But more concerning, Wood’s splits by half were very troublesome. After a .915 OPS before the break, the young outfielder posted a .689 OPS.
And, Wood led the Majors in K% (39%) after the break (min. 150 PA).
Wood was part of a very young outfield, one filled with raw talent. Jacob Young (+14 Outs Above Average) yet again was a show-stealer in the outfield. Dylan Crews (20 XBH over 322 PA) hit for power when he was healthy. And then there was Daylen Lile, the rookie who was one of the best hitters over the final month of 2025.
Lile, an athletic hitter with a short swing, hit .299/.347/.498 in his rookie campaign. However, his September was other-worldly. Lile hit .391/.440/.772, as he led the Majors in total hits (36) and finished tied with Jackson Merrill for the third-most extra-base hits (16).
There were other positives from 2025. Josh Bell, who returned to the organization last winter, hit 22 home runs. CJ Abrams had 59 extra-base hits, 19 of which were home runs, during the 2025 campaign.
As for the pitching, there weren’t many positives. However, MacKenzie Gore struck out 185 and earned an All-Star nod. Cade Cavalli, who spent all of 2023 and 2024 recovering from UCL reconstruction, threw 48.2 IP at the MLB level this season.
The Bad
Before the Nationals relieved ex-manager Davey Martinez and former baseball ops president Mike Rizzo from their respective roles in the summer, the latter made several moves in the offseason to complement their young core. Those moves, though, didn’t work as hoped.
The big one was acquiring Nathaniel Lowe from the Rangers for reliever Robert Garcia. Lowe was set to fill a long-standing hole at first for the Nationals. However, Lowe slashed .219/.292/.373 before he was cut late in the summer.
That wasn’t the only move that blew up. Trevor Williams, re-signed in the winter after a resurgence thanks to his sweeper, gave up a lot of contact (19.8% Whiff%) and ultimately went down to season-ending surgery. Former NPB pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara, also added to fill out the rotation, didn’t make the Opening Day roster even though he signed a Major League deal in the winter.
The only moves that worked out well were the re-signing of Kyle Finnegan — who was non-tendered in December — and the additions of Josh Bell and Michael Soroka. It wasn’t close to enough.
Focusing on the pitching staff, the Nationals’ rotation was one of the worst in baseball. Washington starters had the second-worst ERA in the Majors, behind only the Rockies. Aside from Williams’ trouble, the Nationals saw regression from Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin. Irvin led the Majors in earned runs allowed (114) and home runs allowed (38).
Washington’s bullpen also lacked depth. The team didn’t have Derek Law available thanks to a forearm injury. Eduardo Salazar and Zach Brzykcy had tough seasons.
The Nationals’ offense, as well, had its problems.
Aside from the down year from Lowe, Dylan Crews played only 85 games due to injury. Riley Adams (.560 OPS) was one of the worst statistical hitters in the league last season. Brady House, a former first-round pick, had the third-lowest wOBA (.227) in the Majors during the second half (min. 150 PA).
House, in total, struck out 78 times and walked just eight over 73 games.
Early Projected Lineup for 2026
- C: Keibert Ruiz
- 1B: Andres Chaparro
- 2B: Luis Garcia Jr.
- 3B: Brady House
- SS: CJ Abrams
- OF: Daylen Lile (LF), Jacob Young (CF), Dylan Crews (RF)
- DH: James Wood
- SP: MacKenzie Gore, Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray, Brad Lord, Mitchell Parker
- RP: Jose Ferrer, Zach Brzykcy, Cole Henry, P.J. Poulin, Ryan Loutos, Konnor Pilkington, Eduardo Salazar, Clayton Beeter
The Nationals’ new front office won’t have to deal with a hefty payroll to manage, even though Washington’s been known to be a frugal franchise over the last few seasons.
Aside from pay raises for arbitration-eligible players like Luis Garcia, MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, and Jake Irvin, most of the Nationals’ core is still on pre-arbitration deals.
There is a clear hole at first base, much like there was heading into last winter. Additionally, the Nationals’ rotation is still in flux, as the team will have to make decisions on whether to fill the back half internally or externally. It should be noted that Trevor Williams, under contract for 2026, likely won’t be available in the spring.
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