Fastball

Washington Nationals Youngster Joins Exclusive Group Among Shortstops in History

C.J. Abrams is turning into everything the Washington Nationals could have wanted when they acquired him from the San Diego Padres.

Brady Farkas

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) kneels by second base after being thrown out during a stolen base attempt against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Nationals Park on Aug 31.
Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) kneels by second base after being thrown out during a stolen base attempt against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Nationals Park on Aug 31. / Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
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Washington Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams is turning into everything the organization could have wanted when they acquired him from the San Diego Padres in 2022.

He's become a team leader on a young team and has made an incredible impact at the plate this year.

After going 2-for-4 with a home run in a Wednesday win against the Atlanta Braves, Abrams is now in an exclusive group among shortstops in baseball history.

Per @JayHayKid of the "Baseball is Dead" podcast on social media:

CJ Abrams is the 11th shortstop in MLB history to have a season with at least 20 HR, 25 2B, 5 3B and 25 SB. Only Jimmy Rollins (4) and Bobby Witt Jr. (3) have had multiple such seasons as a SS.

The 23-year-old former first-round pick is hitting .239 this year with the 20 homers, 65 RBI and 28 steals. He's posted a .732 OPS and now pairs with James Wood and Dylan Crews to make up the nucleus of a young and exciting Nationals core.

In his third major-league season, Abrams is a .243 lifetime hitter.

The Nationals are now 65-80 on the season but the hope is that this young nucleus can help get them back to the playoffs soon. They haven't been since 2019, which is the same year that they won the World Series.

The Nationals will begin a new series on Thursday night against the Miami Marlins. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. ET as Mitchell Parker pitches against Darren McCaughan.

Parker is 7-9 with a 4.43 ERA.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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