Washington Nationals Projected Rotation Mixes Promise With Veteran Arm
The Washington Nationals are still very much in the throes of a rebuild, having finished dead last in the division in four of the five seasons since winning their first World Series in franchise history.
Coming off back-to-back 71-win seasons, the youth movement is going to continue to be real as one of the youngest rosters in the sport tries to figure out how to start winning games. But in many cases, the Nationals being no exception, a winning team begins in the starting rotation.
Having five guys that can be relied upon to take care of business each and every day they get handed the ball is the absolutely critical difference between teams who make deep playoff runs and teams who struggle to keep their heads above water in the regular season. For Washington, winning games in 2024 as the young hitters come along will revolve heavily around run limitation. Here is the projected five-man rotation for the Nationals headed into next season:
Opening Day Starter: LHP MacKenzie Gore
Gore was not only the team's best starter in 2024, but he was the healthiest. Acquired initially in the Juan Soto trade from the San Diego Padres, Gore is still ascending towards what he was billed up to be as a prospect. But 2024 was his best season to date with a 3.90 ERA over a full 32 starts, striking out 181 over 166.1 innings pitched. He ended the season on a supremely high note with six scoreless innings in his last start of the year, and hopefully that momentum rolls into 2025. Washington will need it to.
No. 2: RHP Jake Irvin
Another youngster, 2024 was Irvin's second full year in the league. Like Gore, he was able to handle a full workload and made 33 starts. With a 4.41 ERA and a WHIP of 1.199, both marks that were better than his rookie season in 2023, Irvin is trending in the right direction. If both he and Gore can continue to develop, you can pencil the two of them in at the top of the rotation for years to come.
No. 3: RHP Michael Soroka
Soroka was the team's most significant acquisition of the offseason thus far, with the 27-year-old being handed a one-year contract worth $9 million. Soroka's career got off to a hot start with a stellar 2019 rookie season for the Atlanta Braves, but since then he has struggled with injury luck. His 9 starts in 2024 for the Chicago White Sox were the most since 2019 and he also worked out of the bullpen, but the Nationals are bringing him in on a low-risk deal with the hope that he can be a key cog in the rotation.
No. 4: LHP Mitchell Parker
Parker came out of nowhere in 2024, ranked as the teams 29th best prospect entering the season and making his debut in April on his way to making 29 starts on the season and performing extremely admirably. With a 4.29 ERA over 151 innings, Parker showed firsthand after being given a shot that he can be one of the key pieces to the team's rotation for years to come.
No. 5: LHP DJ Herz
Another rookie in 2024 - a common theme here - Herz was a steadying force for the team while the whole rotation struggled after the All-Star break. His 4.16 ERA over 19 starts didn't blow anyone away, but the soon-to-be 25-year-old posted a 3.61 ERA after the break and was extremely solid down the stretch, showing encouraging signs that he can be a factor over a full season in 2025. Depth beyond these five is a concern, but Washington actually has a fairly solid rotation if they can both stay healthy and reach their potential.
