Washington Nationals Have Found Unexpected Building Block For Outfield
The 2024 season was a tale of two halves for the Washington Nationals.
There were several veterans who began the season on the Opening Day roster but didn’t make it through the entire campaign in the nation’s capital. There was a ton of overhauling done during the season, leading to young players getting playing time and emerging as building blocks.
Some of the most promising foundational pieces are in the outfield.
The Nationals had star prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews both make their MLB debuts this year. Wood immediately took over as the everyday left fielder with Crews in right.
They flanked one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season; center fielder Jacob Young.
Not much was expected from the Florida product entering the year. A seventh-round pick in the 2021 MLB Amateur draft, he was certainly under the radar. His debut was made in late August 2023 without much fanfare.
He wasn’t as highly regarded of a prospect as his teammates, but he ended up making an immediate impact for the team in his first Major League campaign.
Young did just enough with his bat at the bottom of the order to warrant the starting job. His work in the field was exceptional, playing a part in him being named the No. 23 ranked rookie for this season.
“The No. 18 prospect in the Nationals system at the start of the year, Young ended up starting 149 games in center field on the strength of his elite defense. He hit .256/.316/.331 for an 86 OPS+ with 28 extra-base hits and 33 steals in 521 plate appearances, which accompanied by his terrific defensive work (11 DRS, 4.0 UZR/150) made him one of the best under-the-radar rookies of 2024,” wrote Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report.
That kind of production in center field should result in Gold Glove opportunities down the road. His speed is a weapon not only defensively, but on the base paths as he puts pressure on opponents any time he gets on.
The Washington outfield should be set for years to come with this impressive young trio. If Young continues improving with the bat and can get near triple-digits in OPS+, he will become even more valuable to the team.
With Wood struggling defensively in left field, Young’s performance next to him in center becomes that much more important to help compensate for his teammate.
