Washington Nationals Have Glaring Need That Has Emerged Down the Stretch
The Washington Nationals didn’t have anything to play for down the stretch after being eliminated from the postseason for the fifth consecutive year. But, the last few weeks of the season still had some importance.
Manager Dave Martinez spoke about how much playing in games that mattered could help the team in the long run. While their postseason hopes were dashed, they were scheduled to play several teams who still had aspirations to play in October.
The spoiler role is as important as any in September. It was one the Nationals were set to play, but have done nothing with.
Since finishing their season domination of the Miami Marlins on September 15th, Washington has played only teams above .500 and were in the playoff race. The results have been disastrous.
The Nationals were swept in a three-game series by the New York Mets before losing three out of four to the Chicago Cubs. They have been defeated in the first two games of their series against the Kansas City Royals as well.
Heading into that stretch, Washington was viewed as one of the biggest winners of the 2024 season. They were projected to finish with 73 victories despite having a preseason projection of 58.
Unless they finish the campaign on a four-game winning streak, which feels unlikely with their recent form, they aren’t going to reach the new projection.
What has been the reason for this regression?
The caliber of the opponent has certainly not helped, as they finish the season against the Philadelphia Phillies. But, the major culprit has been their offense going ice cold.
During this recent nine-game stretch, they have scored a grand total of 14 runs. Five of them came in the win last weekend over the Cubs when MacKenzie Gore carried a perfect game into the seventh inning.
That was the only victory the team has recorded. They have been shut out four times, including three in a row as they haven’t scored a run since that win over the Cubs on September 21st.
The demotion of one of their best players, All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, certainly hasn’t helped. He was disciplined for breaking curfew ahead of an afternoon game; oddly enough, it was their one win over this brutal stretch.
The pitching staff has certainly done their job keeping the team in the game. Two of these losses have come in extra innings and four times their opponents scored three or fewer runs.
No one was expecting the Nationals to run through this part of their schedule as easily as they did the Marlins. But more fight was certainly expected, as they are not putting up much of a battle during their at-bats.
This recent stretch only solidifies the fact that Mike Rizzo needs to find some upgrades for the lineup this offseason. Washington’s lineup has some really good foundational pieces and a few players who could develop into stars.
But, an established middle-of-the-order bat, someone capable of hitting 30+ home runs in their sleep, is needed. Luckily for them, a few of those players will be available this offseason and should be atop their list of targets.
