Nationals All-Star Infielder Has 30/30 Potential Going Forward After Adding Muscle
With the regular season nearly here, the Washington Nationals will be excited to see what their talented young core can accomplish.
Even though it has been a tough number of years for the Nationals, there is finally reason to be optimistic about the franchise.
In the second half of last year, it finally felt like the rebuilding plan for Washington was coming together. Even though there were a lot of growing pains, seeing the young core getting better for the Nationals was great to see.
Washington has done a nice job of stockpiling and developing young players in their lineup. If things go right, the Nationals could have one of the best young lineups in baseball this year.
Furthermore, the front office has done a nice job of helping surround the core with some proven veterans that should result in some more wins.
While competing for a playoff spot might be unlikely this campaign, the goal should be to take a step forward and get closer to the .500 mark.
With the top prospects being in the outfield, the Nationals have also already seen one of their young players start to show some elite upside. Now, what he can accomplish in 2025 will be fun to watch.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic (paid subscription required) recently spoke about All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams getting ready to take his game to the next level.
“Joining the 30-home run, 40-stolen base club this year is realistic for him. What a breakout that would be.”
It was an impressive campaign from Abrams in 2024. The 24-year-old was awesome in the first half of the season, and made his first All-Star team.
Overall, the shortstop slashed .246/.314/.433 with 20 home runs, 65 RBI and 31 stolen bases. While the overall numbers were good for Abrams, it was a tale of two years for him. The 24-year-old was great in the first half, but struggled in the second half both on and off the field.
As a young player, the issues off the field should result in a learning opportunity, and something he will be able to get better from.
It seems like Abrams has learned from the mistakes, and he put in a lot of work this winter to get stronger.
With some added muscle and still the ability to run like the wind, the talented slugger could be poised for some special numbers this coming year.
If Abrams pushes toward 30 home runs and 40 stolen bases, he will be a lock for an All-Star appearance and could be a MVP candidate.
