For a Nationals team still searching for its next real identity, the clearest answer right now is sitting at the top of the rotation.
Washington has not been a serious playoff conversation piece for a while, even with the extra Wild Card slot in the mix. Still, the club enters September 15 with 70 wins, which is one shy of matching its highest total since the 2019 season, not counting the COVID-shortened 2020 year, when the Nationals won the World Series.
That number comes in a season that has not produced the final result the organization wanted, but there has been a shift around the team. A front office change has brought some energy back to an organization that has been looking for it, especially after trading away its former face-of-the-franchise player and moving forward without an obvious clubhouse leader. The sense now is that the Nationals at least have a head to build around.
That foundation appears to be their current 1-2 punch atop the rotation, a pair that looks like the kind of building block the franchise has been missing.
The pitching staff overall has been a headache. Washington already set a franchise record for blown saves, reaching 38 on September 8, and there are still a couple weeks left in the season. The numbers around the staff tell the same story: the Nationals have allowed the fourth-most runs in baseball with 769, and a lot of that damage has come from the bullpen.
The starting rotation, though, has been steadier. Its ERA sits just above 4.30, which is closer to league average than the rest of the staff has managed to be. A big reason for that has been the work of young right-hander Cade Cavalli and left-handed starter Andrew Alvarez, who have handled much of the load at the front of the group.
In Other News...
Nationals Offseason Reset Starts With Two Pitchers Running Out Of Time
The Nationals offseason checklist starts in a place that has become impossible to ignore: the back end of the pitching staff. After a season in which Washington set a Major League Baseball record with 38 blown saves, the club is staring at a reset that figures to center on finding a dependable reliever who can steady games late and keep the bullpen from unraveling again.
Two arms in particular sit at the heart of the issue, even if their paths are moving in different directions. Clayton Beeter has already been shipped to the minors, while Jake Irvins season has been interrupted by injuries and uneven results, leaving the Nationals with more questions than answers as they map out how to fix a problem that became far too familiar this year. [Read more 🡒]
Yovanny Cruz Is Giving The Nationals A Bullpen Question Worth Watching
Yovanny Cruzs latest appearance gave the Nationals another encouraging look at a reliever who seems to be settling in after his stint at Triple-A. Sent down to work on his mechanics, Cruz came back with noticeably better command and a sharper feel for how to attack hitters, and Washington has every reason to keep paying attention when a bullpen arm starts pairing confidence with cleaner execution.
His outing also hinted at something new in the mix, with a different pitch giving him another way to navigate a major league lineup. Cruz kept traffic off the bases, limited quality contact and fit into a relief effort that saw the Nationals bullpen pile up four scoreless innings, leaving the club with a worthwhile question about where he fits once those mechanics keep holding up. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Prospect Choices For Fall Ball Say Plenty About Their Plans
Rochesters recent 9-8 loss to Buffalo offered a little bit of everything for the Nationals Triple-A affiliate, from a productive night at the plate to a rough outing on the mound. Riley Adams, Sam Petersen and Cayden Wallace each chipped in multiple hits and runs, giving the lineup enough punch to stay in the game even as the pitching staff worked through a tough one.
The bigger organizational tell, though, may have come with Washington sending six prospects to the Arizona Fall Leagues Salt River Rafters, a move that lines up with the clubs desire to get certain young players more reps before next season. Fall ball assignments are always part evaluation and part opportunity, and this batch of names suggests the Nationals are still sorting out which arms and bats need the most live action in a developmental setting. [Read more 🡒]