Washington Nationals Season Preview: Defending Champs Will Struggle to Repeat

They might not win back-to-back titles, but the Nationals did enough to upgrade their roster to return to October.

Editor's note: Welcome to SI's MLB preview. Click here to view every team's outlook in 2020, including predictions, projections and, yes, a preview of the 2030 preview. Click here to read the Nationals fantasy preview.

A World Series title has a way of conjuring up only happy images, so let’s remember that the Nationals were 19–31 in late May, and that after the All-Star break they were never within four games of the Braves in the NL East. They trailed late in the wild-card game, then were down 2–1 in the Division Series and 3–2 to the Astros before stringing together comebacks that D.C. denizens will be talking about for decades. Flags fly forever.

They just don’t count for much six months later. The Nats enter this season without one of baseball’s best players, third baseman Anthony Rendon, who signed with the Angels as a free agent for seven years and $245 million. Playing alongside 26-year-old shortstop Trea Turner will be a flotilla of veterans that includes holdovers Asdrúbal Cabrera (age 34), Howie Kendrick (36) and Ryan Zimmerman (35), and newcomers Starlin Castro (30) and Eric Thames (33). Washington will have one of the creakiest rosters in baseball surrounding one of the sport’s youngest superstars.

Yes, Juan Soto is back, and you can finally buy him a beer. The leftfielder with the glorious lefty swing and preternatural plate discipline belted 34 homers with a .401 OBP in 2019—yet he and 22-year-old centerfielder Víctor Robles (.255/.326/.419) are the only Nats likely to have better stats in ’20. The club will be hard-pressed to match last year’s 873 runs scored, which ranked sixth in MLB.

Fortunately, the rotation still breathes fire. By re-signing righty Stephen Strasburg to a seven-year, $245 million deal after the reigning World Series MVP opted out, the Nats return four pitchers who made 123 starts, racked up 749 innings and struck out 866 with a 3.33 ERA. Washington needs a comparable performance from that group to make more postseason magic. — Joe Sheehan

Projected Record: 92-70, 2nd in NL East

They might not win back-to-back titles after losing Anthony Rendon to the Angels, but the Nationals did enough to upgrade their roster to make a return trip to the playoffs.

Key Question: How Much Will Nationals Miss Anthony Rendon?

The World Series champs re-signed Stephen Stasburg but couldn’t afford to bring back their All-Star third baseman. Instead of trying to replace Rendon with, say, Josh Donaldson, they re-signed Asdrubal Cabrera and Howie Kendrick and brought in Starlin Castro. Prospect Carter Kieboom is also expected to join this third-base-by-committee approach. — Matt Martell

Player Spotlight

Moving Up: Carter Kieboom, 3B

Shaky during his 10-game debut, the first-round pick who will take over third has shown power and discipline at the plate (.902 OPS in Triple A).

Moving Down: Ryan Zimmerman, 1B

Of the many Nats veteran infielders, Zimmerman, with one good, healthy season since 2013, is most likely to end up on the bench.

Watchability Ranking: Worth It

Juan Soto has a solid case to make for the most watchable player in baseball. There are few others who exude so much fun on the field, no matter the game or situation or task at hand. Add in Trea Turner, Victor Robles, this rotation (Max Scherzer’s intensity is a form of watchability unto itself), and you can’t look away. — Emma Baccellieri

Preview of the 2030 Preview

Juan Soto, OF: The question persisted: Would he remain Childish Bambino into adulthood? Turns out the answer was never in doubt. Soto continues to hack at 31 with the same vigor he did at 21. Yet his on-field play has been the least interesting thing about him in the last few years: He became mayor of Washington in 2026 for three days after a write-in campaign organized by fans. Soto ultimately decided he didn’t want the second gig, but remains a fan favorite in the nation’s capital. — Craig Goldstein