The Washington Nationals missed the postseason for the fifth straight year. Washington has been amidst a lengthy rebuild but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Nationals fans saw several of the team’s highly-touted prospects debut in the Nation’s Capital in 2024, players who could be key building blocks for the future. Here’s our 2024 MLB season recap for the Nationals.
The Offense
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 660 | 25th |
| Home Runs | 135 | 29th |
| OPS | .684 | 25th |
| Whiff% | 22.6% | 3rd |
| Hard Hit% | 36.8% | 24th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 4.40 | 23rd |
| Relievers’ ERA | 4.14 | 21st |
| Strikeouts | 1,314 | t-24th |
| Whiff% | 24.5% | 20th |
| Chase% | 28,7% | 11th |
The Good
It was (mostly) a great season for CJ Abrams, who finished the year with a career-high 20 home runs and 234 total bases. Abrams hit for more power this year, as he put the ball in the air more with a nearly 3% increase in fly balls. He swiped 31 bases, down from 47 a year earlier. Abrams was one of nine players this year with a 20 HR and 30 SB campaign.
However, Abrams’ season wasn’t perfect by any means. He hit just .203/.260/.326 (.586 OPS) in the second half. In September, Abrams was demoted to the Minors after an all-nighter at a Chicago casino during the Nationals’ series against the Cubs. He’d ammassed enough time for a full year of service time beforehand. But, it wasn’t a great end.
Abrams, though, was one of the few pluses from the Nationals’ offense this season. Luis Garcia Jr. hit a career-high 18 home runs, while Jesse Winker (traded to Mets in summer) posted a .793 OPS after Washington grabbed him on a Minor League deal last winter.
However, arguably the best stories that came out of Washington were the arrivals of James Wood and Dylan Crews. Both were and are highly-touted players. Wood was acquired in the Juan Soto megadeal and wowed in the Minors with plus tools and eye-popping exit velocity numbers. Crews, meanwhile, hit everything at LSU and went second overall in 2023, showing he made the right bet when he could have been a first-round pick in 2020.
Wood’s numbers were interesting after he came to Washington, albeit very good. The 6’7” outfielder hit .264/.354/.427 with nine home runs, 14 stolen bases, and an 11.6% BB%. Wood hit balls hard, to the tune of a 10.6% Barrel%, well above league average. And, he stayed very disciplined. However, he didn’t showcase gaudy home run totals, as he showcased a penchant for keeping a shorter, fluid swing with the hands in.
However, there were several occassions where his plus natural power just carried the baseball.
Crews, meanwhile, didn’t exhaust his rookie eligibility in September after he was promoted. He hit .218/.288/.353 with three home runs and nine extra-base hits. It was a strong building block heading into 2025.
On the mound, there arguably wasn’t a better story for the Nationals this season than MacKenzie Gore. Gore struck out a career-high 181 batters and his best opponent’s OPS (.736) in a full season.
MacKenzie Gore cut down on the mistakes on the mound, despite leading the league in wild pitches (14). Gore gave up 15 home runs (0.8 HR/9) last season, significantly down from 27 a year earlier. And, his increased usage of the changeup helped make him more than just a three-pitcher hurler and gave up a much-needed secondary offering against righties to go along with the curveball.
Opposing right-handed batters had a .760 OPS against Gore, who’s usually succeeded more against righties than lefties, in 2023. This season, it was down to .704.
The Nationals also saw good performances from rookies Mitchell Parker (94 ERA+) and DJ Herz (97 ERA+). Parker delivered 151 innings for the Nats this season. Herz, meanwhile, struck out 106 over 88.2 IP and shook off concerns about his command, thanks in large part to a good fastball and changeup he showcased after his MLB debut.
The Bad
Compared to 2023, the Nationals’ offense was down in runs scored (-40) and OPS, among other figures.
The Nationals enjoyed breakout campaigns from Jeimer Candelario and Lane Thomas in 2023 but 2024 was a different story. Thomas saw his SLG with Washington drop from .468 to .407 in what could be considered a correction season. Washington traded Thomas to the Guardians at the deadline.
Joey Meneses, who broke out in 2022, had just three home runs and a .593 OPS before a demotion. That OPS ranked in the bottom 20 of the league among hitters with min. 250 PA. Again, another correction for a player who never flashed great pop in the Minors.
Both Meneses and Thomas were microcosms of the Nationals’ offense, one that had troubles getting extra-base hits and runs across.
As for the Nats’ pitching, there were positives across the board. However, there were problems for several of their arms during the second half.
Jake Irvin gave up the most earned runs (47) among pitchers in the second half, and tied for second-most home runs (17) with Kyle Freeland. Irvin posted a 5.90 ERA in the second half, a sharp departure from his first half (3.49).
Patrick Corbin, a free agent after 2024, was tied with Brandon Pfaadt for the third-most (44) earned runs allowed in that span.
Lastly, the Nationals didn’t have as much success in one-run games in 2024. Washington went 28-21 in one-run contests in 2023. But this past season, Washington was 14-23.
Early Projected Lineup for 2025
- C: Keibert Ruiz
- 1B: Andres Chaparro
- 2B: Luis Garcia Jr.
- 3B: Jose Tena
- SS: CJ Abrams
- OF: James Wood (LF), Jacob Young (CF), Dylan Crews (RF)
- DH: Juan Yepez
- SP: MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, DJ Herz, Mitchell Parker, (FA Addition)
- RP: Kyle Finnegan, Zach Brzykcy, Joe La Sorsa, Derek Law, Robert Garcia, Tanner Rainey, Jose A. Ferrar, Eduardo Salazar
The Nationals outfield is set for 2025 and beyond with two plus hitters in Crews and Wood, plus an elite defender in Jacob Young. CJ Abrams, despite being sent down late in September, remains their best bat outside of Crews and Wood.
The one thing I have to wonder is whether the Nationals will look to support their young core with a big bat. No, Juan Soto likely won’t happen. However, a player like Alex Bregman or Christian Walker would fill an immediate need: a power bat who can slid behind Abrams and Crews.
Given the Nationals finished 29th in the league in home runs last year, it would make sense on the principal.
Washington has a young rotation, as all the names listed in the early projected rotation are all 27 or younger. It likely wouldn’t hurt to add a back-end starter this offseason, as injuries or funks can happen. The Nats will also need to live with Josiah Gray again in 2025. Gray started only two games in 2024 and needed surgery to fix a partially orn UCL.
However, one bullpen piece that’ll be worth watching is Kyle Finnegan. A 2024 All-Star, Finnegan has one year left before free agency and can flummox hitters with a hard, upper-90s fastball with carry and a good splitter.
If the Nationals believe they’re still a year or two away from contending — and that likely might be the case given the state of the NL East — Washington may look to get something for Finnegan.
Which, could open the door for someone like Zach Brzykcy in the ninth. Brzykcy struck out 224 over 159 career Minor League innings and has a power fastball/changeup/curveball combo.