Two Washington Nationals Players Make All-MLB Team Ballot for 2024 Season
The Washington Nationals are a team that many people will be keeping an eye on heading into the offseason.
An emerging squad in the National League East, the win-loss total doesn’t paint the entire picture for them. Despite having the same number of wins in 2024 as in 2023, 71, this is a team on the rise.
A very talented young core has emerged for general manager Mike Rizzo to build around. One of those players is second baseman Luis Garcia Jr., who was nominated for the All-MLB Team in 2024.
He is one of seven players at his position to be up for the voting. Joining him on the ballot are Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros, Andres Gimenez of the Cleveland Guardians, Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers, Jonathan India of the Cincinnati Reds and Marcus Semien of the Texas Rangers.
It is quite an honor for Garcia, who was arguably the most consistent performer for the Nationals this season. He recorded a slash line of .282/.318/.444, finishing with career highs in doubles (25), home runs (18), RBI (70) and stolen bases (22).
The other Washington player who made the ballot at their position was closer Kyle Finnegan. At 32 years old, he is one of the oldest players on the roster under contract for the 2025 season.
He has emerged as a reliable option for manager Dave Martinez at the end of games, recording 38 this season with a 3.68 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 63.2 innings.
Last week, he was also named the team’s pitcher of the year by local media for the second straight year and third time in the last four.
Only two players will be selected among the 20 relievers on the ballot. Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals and Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians are the only players who were nominated that had more saves than Finnegan this year, with 49 and 47, respectively.
Not all the nominees are full-time closers, either. Alex Vesia of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cade Smith of Cleveland, Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman of the Philadelphia Phillies, Edwin Uceta of the Tampa Bay Rays, David Robertson of the Rangers, Ryan Walker of the San Francisco Giants and Jason Adam of the San Diego Padres all had 10 or fewer saves.
Fans can vote for their favorite players here, once a day through October 11. The winners will be announced on Thursday, November 14th.
