The Washington Nationals may not finish with a winning record this season, but the bigger question is what they can do now to set up 2027.
That’s the lane the organization is already staring down as James Wood remains out with an oblique issue that doesn’t seem to be getting better, and CJ Abrams could be next. Abrams, who was supposed to shift to second base, is day to day with a sprained ankle and could need imaging, manager Blake Butera told reporters in Texas.
The Nats have been one of MLB’s worst teams since late July, which has only sharpened the focus on roster choices that could matter a year from now. One place to start is pitching, where the club could finally lean into a move it has largely avoided: converting relievers into starters, and starters into relievers.
That kind of transition is familiar to people from Butera’s past with the Tampa Bay Rays and pitching director Grayson Crawford’s background with the New York Mets. Around the league, teams have shown that a reliever can stretch out if he can fill the zone, handle hitters from both sides, carry one “plus” pitch and build the rest of the arsenal around it.
Washington has a few arms on the 40-man roster who might fit that mold, including lefty Will Dion on the big-league roster. Triple-A Rochester’s staff is almost all relievers right now, which has already given righty Zak Kent and lefty Jared Simpson a chance to test that idea.
Eddy Yean is another arm to keep in mind if he broadens his mix.
The reverse path is on the table too. Jake Irvin, who has a 5.80 ERA this season, could be a candidate to move into relief, especially since he’s been much more effective when his velocity ticks up.
On the position-player side, the Nationals have built an offense that leads MLB in runs and has arguably been the best platoon-hitting unit in baseball. That formula seems likely to stick.
The challenge is roster space. A first-base platoon would occupy two spots in 2027, and the upper levels of the minors are loaded with right-handed bats, which makes it even more important that Brady House and Dylan Crews - and to a lesser extent, Jacob Young - continue to handle righties.
There isn’t an obvious platoon bat waiting in the wings.
That’s why Andres Chaparro is such an interesting piece. He’s finally getting regular at-bats, and he now leads MLB with a 1.183 OPS in the second half.
That production raises a real 2027 question: could Washington use him at first base against lefties in a platoon with Abimelec Ortiz, then slide him to third base against righties to give House a breather? It’s an awkward defensive fit, but it might be the cleanest offensive setup.
There is at least some reason to think about it. Chaparro gets semi-regular pregame work at third, though he has played only three innings there in games.
He had a decent defensive reputation at third in the minors, but he doesn’t really profile there in the majors. Still, if the bat keeps carrying and the glove holds up, it would help sort out the roster picture.
The emergence of a prospect who can handle third base - maybe Seaver King, who probably deserves a promotion anyway and has just gotten his first reps at the position - could change the equation.
Health is another big piece of the 2027 puzzle. Washington has been relatively lucky so far, but the depth hasn’t been truly tested.
Wood’s injury has lingered, and Abrams’ ankle could force the issue in a way the club hasn’t yet faced. How this stretch goes without him could tell the Nationals a lot about their ability to survive when things start to break the wrong way.
There’s also belief inside the organization that its biomechanics and strength-and-conditioning group will get a boost next season through new tools and information. That could matter too.
And then there’s Cade Cavalli, who looks primed to reach 200 strikeouts. He’s been one of the best pitchers in MLB for the last two months, and the new cutter has been a huge part of that surge. If he gets there, he would be the first National since 2019 to do it.
Butera was also asked about managing pitchers’ innings based on last year’s workload, and he pushed back on the idea of a hard cap. “We don’t really believe that’s the answer, unless it’s some crazy injury they’re coming off of, and the doctor recommends that.
But a lot of what we’re doing is just monitoring the stuff, monitoring the workload, and making sure that everything’s staying on the same trend line that we’ve seen thus far. And if that starts to wiggle at all, we’ll make our adjustments.”
A few other notes stand out. Keibert Ruiz has tightened up his plate discipline, stopping his chase in three-ball counts; since June 28, he has nine walks and nine strikeouts.
McNeese State’s pitching department deserves a shout, too - the Louisiana school has four pitchers in the big leagues this year, including Dion. And Jacob Young’s batted-ball profile has taken a major step forward as he’s used his athleticism to add bat speed and, more importantly, stop pounding grounders.
That’s the biggest year-over-year improvement in that category in MLB this season.
There are still some reasons to squint at what’s ahead. The Nationals have cut back sharply on fastball usage in the second half, which is a positive, but they still aren’t missing many bats.
That raises the question of how many more buttons they can press with the current group. The club also believes playing Nasim Nuñez at shortstop will help it win more in 2026, and sees him as useful on a future roster, but he’s been below replacement level in fWAR since early July, which makes some rest worth considering.
And while Triple-A Rochester has made progress, the pitching situation there is thin enough that it’s basically running bullpen games at this point, especially with Jackson Kent’s promotion and Luis Perales working out of the bullpen recently. New acquisitions Jack Cebert and Josh Hartle may be candidates to arrive soon, which would at least give the organization a few more options to work with.
In Other News...
Nationals Pitching Did Enough But A Familiar Problem Ruined It
Andrew Alvarez gave the Nationals a start they could live with, and the bullpen backed it up well enough to keep the game within reach in Texas. Against a Rangers lineup that can punish mistakes, Washingtons pitchers did their part for much of the night, but Jacob deGrom made the difference for the home club and left the Nationals with very little margin for error.
The problem, as so often has been the case, was offense. Washington could not put together much against deGrom or the Rangers staff, and the lack of run support wasted a respectable effort on the mound. Blake Butera pointed to deGroms ability and noted the bullpens recent improvement, but the bigger concern for the Nationals remains the same familiar one: until the lineup starts giving its pitchers something to work with, nights like this will keep ending the same way. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Suddenly Have A CJ Abrams Question They Cant Ignore
CJ Abrams availability suddenly became a real concern after the Nationals shortstop rolled his left ankle stepping on second base against the Rangers and missed the next game. Manager Blake Butera said Abrams has a sprained ankle and is considered day to day, which at least leaves Washington with some hope this is a short-term issue rather than something that lingers into a bigger absence.
The next step is the medical check, with Abrams set to see the team physician and possibly go through imaging as the Nationals try to sort out how much time he might lose. If he avoids the injured list, Washington could have a workaround ready in the form of designated hitter duty before he returns to the field, but for now the club is waiting to find out how the ankle responds. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Prospect Is Creating A Debate Washington Cant Ignore
Seaver King has turned his first full season into one of the more intriguing developments in the Nationals system. The clubs No. 4 prospect and the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft has long been viewed as a polished hitter, but this year he has started to add a layer of power that was not always the loudest part of his profile. With 18 homers already and career highs in hits and RBIs, he has climbed into the conversation as one of Washingtons most productive minor league players.
The timing matters, too, because the surge has come after a left oblique strain interrupted his season and cost him nearly all of last month. Since getting back on the field, King has kept hitting at a level that puts him among the top bats in the minors, with the kind of averages and on-base production that make evaluators pay attention. For the Nationals, the debate is no longer just about how good King can be, but how quickly this version of him starts forcing a bigger conversation. [Read more 🡒]