The Washington Nationals are by no means expected to win a lot of games this year, but this may be the team’s most highly anticipated season since their 2019 campaign, which culminated in an unprecedented World Series championship. However, since 2020, the Nationals have been tied for the worst record in Major League Baseball (MLB), at 289-422. They also lost franchise superstar Juan Soto and now have zero players remaining from their championship-winning team just six years ago.
To put it simply, not much has gone right for the Nats since they reached the top. However, the team is optimistic for a fresh start this season. Unable to remain competitive after the World Series, the Nationals entered full rebuild mode in 2022, trading Juan Soto for several top prospects. Headed into this season, many of their former top prospects and recent draft picks will be on the opening day roster, redirecting the team toward a more youthful, exciting and hopefully competitive era.
Last year, Nationals’ No. 2 prospect and MLB’s No. 14 overall prospect, James Wood, made his highly touted MLB debut. As the major piece in the Soto trade, expectations for Wood were through the roof. His combination of power and build — standing at 6 feet 7 inches and weighing in at 234 pounds — has generated comparisons to two-time MVP Aaron Judge, and he showed flashes of this potential in the 79 games he played last year.
Wood’s raw power jumped off the page, ranking toward the top of the league in average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage. Equally impressive was his plate discipline, demonstrated by a low chase percentage and 11.6 walk percentage (the New York Yankees had the best team walk rate at 10.8%). This degree of power and discipline is uncanny for such a young player, but his strikeout rate (28.9%, compared to the Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners, who had the highest at 26.8%) and ground ball rate (55.6%) will need some work for him to reach his full potential. However, with 120 weighted runs created (wRC+) — 20 points above average — as a rookie, Wood is primed for a successful first full season in the majors.
Young talents CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews (MLB’s No. 7 overall prospect) complement Wood at the top of the Nationals lineup. Abrams was a first-time all-star last year but struggled heavily in the second half, hitting .203 with only a 64 wRC+ (36 points below average), compared to hitting .268 with a 129 wRC+ in the first half. Abrams also struggled defensively at shortstop, ranking in the first percentile in both fielding run value and outs above average (-17).
Crews’ rise to the big leagues was quick — he was the second overall pick in the draft just two years ago. His raw skill and stellar track record of hitting speak for themselves, talents Crews has the chance to showcase in his first full season in the majors. It is hard to judge him holistically based on just 31 games last season, but the Nats should have a clearer image of Crews’ outlook after this season.
The Nats’ three young talents are surrounded by solid complementary figures, including Luis García Jr., who had a career high .762 OPS, 111 wRC+ and 18 home runs last season. Additionally, the Nationals will look for catcher Keibert Ruiz to take a leap, a major pickup from when they dealt Max Scherzer and Trea Turner four years ago. Ruiz mightily struggled last season largely due to his poor plate discipline and weak contact quality, so the Nats are hoping he takes a stride forward this year as they have him signed through 2030. The Nats also added veteran sluggers Josh Bell and Nate Lowe this offseason and expect solid contributions from the two in the middle of their lineup.
Much of the Nats’ excitement comes from their young starting rotation, led by Mackenzie Gore. Gore is coming off of a solid 2024 campaign, finishing with a 3.90 earned run average (ERA), along with a 3.53 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) — a stat that measures performance based solely on outcomes the pitcher has control over, such as strikeouts and walks. Gore’s velocity and extension down the mound are elite; if he can develop the rest of his pitch mix and sustain his consistent early success in seasons, he will be a strong ace.
Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker are two young starters that the Nats are expecting big things from this season. Irvin started incredibly strong last season but pitched to a 5.90 ERA in the second half, leading to mediocre season stats. If Irvin can retain his first half command and develop a third pitch that compliments his fastball-curveball combination, he can see similar success that he saw early last season. Parker was a workhorse for the Nats in his first season last year, starting 29 games and throwing 151 innings. Parker does not have Gore’s velocity or ability to generate swing and misses, so his value to the Nats will be volume and limiting hard contact, a skill he flashed at times last season but will hopefully develop this year.
Veterans Trevor Williams and Michael Soroka round out the Nationals’ starting rotation. Both pitchers have had success in the past, and the Nats will lean on them to eat innings and provide depth to their otherwise young starting rotation. The Nats’ major weakness lies in their bullpen’s hodgepodge of arms, many of whom were cut by their former teams or are rookies.
The Nats are not expected to contend for a playoff spot, but the emerging young talent in their lineup playing their first full season — combined with the young, exciting arms in their starting rotation — has fans eager for the season. The success of the 2025 Nationals won’t necessarily be defined by wins and losses (unless the losses start really adding up) but rather by the development of players such as Crews, Abrams, Wood and Gore.
If they display consistency, the Nats’ future will look bright. If they are inconsistent and fall back on issues from previous seasons or minor league troubles, fans will revert to worrying about when their team will be competitive again.