Washington Nationals Emerging Starter Had Franchise’s Best Pitching Season Since 2019
The Washington Nationals may have missed the postseason for the fifth consecutive year in 2024, but there is a lot to be excited about for this team moving forward.
They were one of the biggest overachievers, winning double-digit games over their preseason projections. The roster is full of talented, young players who should make up their next winning core.
A lot of attention has been given to the position players on the team, and rightfully so. Shortstop CJ Abrams was the team’s lone All-Star representative. Luis Garcia Jr. had a breakout campaign at second base.
In the outfield, the Nationals are set for years to come with James Wood, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews playing left, center and right field.
The only thing that looked to be missing from this young movement was a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. But, that void could very well be filled by MacKenzie Gore.
His brutal summer was bookended by a very strong start and downright dominant finish. Over five starts in September, he had a 1.26 ERA, blowing away the competition. His swan song for 2024 was six shutout innings over the Philadelphia Phillies with nine strikeouts.
On the season, he made 32 starts, going 10-12 with a 3.90 ERA across 166.1 innings, recording 181 strikeouts. His 3.53 FIP indicates that he performed even better than his raw numbers would suggest.
"I thought it was solid," Gore said via Mark Zuckerman of Masn. "A career-high in innings. A career-high in strikeouts. I still think there's some room for improvement. We went through a tough stretch, and we were able to get through it."
Just how impressive of a season was this for the young lefty? It was the best performance by a starting pitcher since the 2019 season, the last time Washington made the postseason and when they took home the World Series.
As shared by Zuckerman, “On this day, (Saturday, September 28th) Gore nearly became the Nats’ first 11-game winner since 2019. He did become their first pitcher to finish with a 3.90 ERA in 20 or more starts since 2019. And he did become their first pitcher with 181 strikeouts in a season since 2019. (Sense a recurring theme here?)”
Gore very clearly has the talent to be the ace of a staff. He showcased it early on and rebounded late to finish with a very solid 2024 campaign overall.
If he can carry this momentum into 2025, the Nationals are going to be an even more dangerous team to keep an eye on.
