Top 3 Positions Washington Nationals Need to Upgrade This Offseason
The Washington Nationals were able to show improvement in 2024, as the franchise saw a 16-win increase from 2023.
While the increase in wins was good to see, it is far from where the Nationals want to be. However, the direction the franchise is going in seems to be a good one, as a lot of the young players for Washington are performing in the big leagues.
Up the middle, the Nationals have a somewhat established young core of Keibert Ruiz, CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. These three have been on the team for a few years now and are performing as big leaguers.
In the outfield, Washington is a bit less experienced, but the core of Jacob Young, James Wood, and Dylan Crews is a very good one with a lot of upside.
As the team looks to improve this winter, there aren’t a ton of needs, because the ones they have are pretty clear. Here are the top three positions the Nationals need to upgrade heading into the winter.
Starting Pitcher
Like the lineup for Washington, they also have a lot of young starting pitchers that are trying to prove themselves. While it is the position players that get more of the attention for their play, the Nationals also have some young arms that are pretty good.
Even though they have some talent in the starting rotation, adding a top-end veteran would be a big help to guide and stabilize the rotation.
With Patrick Corbin coming off the books, it would be good to see Washington reinvest some of that money back into the rotation. Hopefully, it pans out better this time around compared to the Corbin contract.
Third Base
One of the positional needs for the Nationals is at the hot corner, as they didn’t get a ton of production from the position this season. In free agency, the Nationals could certainly spend here if they choose, as Alex Bregman would be the biggest fish.
However, they have a solid prospect in Brady House who could be coming up in 2025, and they might want to give him an extended look at the position. Washington has been very patient in their rebuild and with House nearing a chance to come to the Majors, they might try to fill the void at the position from within rather than making a big splash.
Furthermore, even if the plan is to use House at some point in 2025, adding a veteran to the position would be a good move if their prospect isn’t ready or doesn’t perform.
First Base
Easily the biggest priority for Washington will be trying to figure out the first base position and ideally bringing in a player that can also bat in the middle of the order. The Nationals used a revolving door at the position in 2024, and for a position that is generally used in the middle of the lineup, they lacked power from the players they used.
If Washington is going to spend big this offseason, this might be the position to do it for. A player like Pete Alonso would not only fit in well with the Nationals with his power and ability to play first base, but it would weaken a divisional foe.
