The Washington Nationals were one of the more surprising teams in the majors in 2026, but the finish still left plenty of unfinished business. They ended up below .500, even while scoring 821 runs, which ranked third in Major League Baseball. The problem was just as loud on the other side of the ball: the pitching staff gave up 815 runs, the fourth-most in the league.
That imbalance sets up a busy offseason, and it leaves the Nationals staring at a handful of major questions as they try to move back toward playoff contention. The lineup showed real bite. The pitching staff, especially the bullpen, didn’t come close to matching it.
The first issue is the rotation, where the Nationals appear to have three spots in place in theory. Cade Cavalli, a former top prospect, started to look like the pitcher the organization had long hoped for in his first full season in the rotation.
Connelly Early, acquired for infielder Curtis Mead, is expected to occupy another slot. Andrew Alvarez also showed enough to project, at least for now, as a back-end starter.
Even with those arms, Washington still needs more if it wants to push forward. Josiah Gray and DJ Herz remain internal possibilities, but the club still needs a veteran starter to pair with Cavalli. A proven arm such as Michael King or Robbie Ray would bring both stability and the kind of experience the rotation still lacks.
Then there’s the ninth inning, where the Nationals need answers in a hurry. Their bullpen was a real liability, blowing a major league-worst 42 saves while allowing 442 runs.
Clayton Beeter led the team with 12 saves, but he finished the season in Triple-A. That alone tells you how unsettled the back end was.
The overall relief group needs a deep reset, not a tweak. Paul Toboni said the Nationals won’t limit themselves to pitchers with closing experience as they rebuild the bullpen, but adding one or two relievers who have handled the ninth before could go a long way toward making the unit more trustworthy in 2027.
The third question sits above the roster itself: will ownership actually spend enough to support the next step? There is talent to build around. CJ Abrams and James Wood give the lineup a strong young foundation, and Keibert Ruiz began to show signs that he might finally live up to his former top prospect label.
But Washington also has to think about what comes next with that core. Abrams is in line for a significant arbitration raise and could be a long-term extension candidate.
The concern is that the Nationals have not topped $110 million in salary since 2022. If they’re serious about turning this promising group into a real contender, ownership will have to open the checkbook.
Whether that happens is another matter entirely.
In Other News...
Nationals Suddenly Have A Farm System That Changes Everything
Paul Tobonis arrival as Nationals president of baseball operations has quickly put a different kind of emphasis on the organization, one built around scouting, development and stacking the system with talent that can help in more than one way. The result is a farm that now looks deeper than it has in years, with several prospects pushing the conversation forward and giving Washington a stronger foundation than the club has had in a while.
At the center of that shift is Eli Willits, whose first full professional season confirmed why the Nationals were so bullish on his future, while other names like Cayden Wallace have also helped raise the systems ceiling. Maxwell Romero Jr. joined that wave as one of the more unexpected breakthrough stories, and it is the collection of those performances that has made Washingtons minor league pipeline worth watching, both for what it might become on the field and for what kind of trade leverage it could create down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Suddenly Have A Catching Decision Fans Didn't Expect
The Nationals thought they had their catching future mapped out when they acquired Keibert Ruiz in 2021 and later locked him up through 2030, but the position has not been nearly as settled as that plan suggested. Ruiz went through uneven stretches on both sides of the ball in 2024 and 2025, which made every bit of progress in 2026 feel important for a club trying to sort out where it stands behind the plate.
Harry Ford was supposed to add another layer to the picture, but injuries and inconsistency have made that path harder to read than expected. With Ruiz still in place and Ford not yet forcing the issue, Washington suddenly has a catching decision on its hands that looked far simpler not long ago. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Have A Bigger Rotation Question Than Fans Wanted
The Nationals have already begun sketching out next seasons rotation, and the picture starts with Cade Cavalli, Andrew Alvarez and Connelly Early. Paul Toboni, the clubs president of baseball operations, has identified that trio as the likeliest starters for 2026, giving Washington at least a partial answer after a year in which rotation stability remained a moving target.
Cavallis rise makes that early framework feel a little more secure. The former first-round pick put together a strong 2026 season and earned a contract extension, which only raises the stakes for what comes next around him. Washington still has work to do, though, and the last two rotation spots are far from settled, with competition inside the organization and the possibility of free-agent help both still in play. [Read more 🡒]