Max Kranick is back in the National League East, and the Washington Nationals are giving the former Mets pitcher a look at exactly the right time for their bullpen.
The Nationals have been searching for answers in relief all season, and the numbers explain why. Their bullpen owns a 5.07 ERA, the worst of any National League team, and their 27 blown saves in 54 chances leave them at an ugly 50 percent.
Kranick, who grew up a Mets fan in the Pocono area of Pennsylvania, had a strong start to 2025 before cooling off and finishing with a 3.65 ERA prior to a season-ending elbow injury. Now he’s back after being recalled by the Nationals over the All-Star Break.
Washington signed Kranick in early May, and the minor league work he logged this year came only on a rehab assignment that didn’t exactly light things up. He threw just 11.2 innings and posted a 5.40 ERA. Even so, the Nationals are willing to see whether he can help stabilize a group that has been one of the league’s weakest.
The timing also fits Washington’s place in the standings. At 48-49, the Nationals are fringe trade deadline buyers, sitting four games out of a National League Wild Card spot. The next week should help clarify whether they push forward as buyers or drift toward selling a few pieces.
Kranick’s path to this point has already included a brief Mets chapter. He joined New York in the 2023-2024 offseason on a waiver claim from the Pittsburgh Pirates, never got into a major league game, was designated for assignment early in the season, went unclaimed, and was reassigned to the minors. He later sat and waited until he made the NLWC roster, though he never appeared.
The Mets and Nationals will see each other again on August 14th and then in the final series of the season. For now, Kranick’s run in Washington looks like an extended tryout, whether that ends up helping the Nationals or catching the eye of another team down the line.
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