Washington Nationals Shockingly Low in Way-Too-Early Next Season MLB Power Rankings
The lens that you look through will determine how well you think the Washington Nationals did during the 2024 season.
Having the same number of wins as they did in 2023, 71, would be seen as a disappointment by many. But, when taking a look at how the roster transformed throughout the season, and how much they exceeded preseason expectations, the campaign was a good one.
We got a glimpse of what the future will hold as several young players made their MLB debuts and hit the ground running. A talented core is emerging, one that the front office will look to augment with established veteran additions this offseason.
General manager Mike Rizzo knows there are clear needs on the roster. The lineup needs a bopper in the middle. Preferably, that will come at first base or third base, but they will cast a big net to find what they need.
The pitching staff looks solid, as MacKenzie Gore showed ace potential to start the season and close it. An established veteran to anchor a young group that included two rookies, DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker, along with Jake Irving would make a lot of sense.
Despite the foundation being in place and having money to spend, the Nationals are ranked rather low in the way-too-early MLB power rankings done by David Schoenfield of ESPN.
He placed them at No. 25, which is only a one-spot improvement from their ranking in the final 2024 edition. The only teams ranked lower are The Athletics, Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox.
“The Nationals won 71 games, just as they did in 2023, but this team was more pointed to the future with the debuts of James Wood and Dylan Crews in the outfield plus starters Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz on the mound. The Nationals might view themselves as ready to make a playoff push and dip into free agency, but it's unclear how close they are. Wood has power potential but not yet a swing geared for big home run numbers. Crews struggled in the majors (.218/.288/.353) and his minor league numbers aren't overly impressive. They'll also have to decide whether to keep CJ Abrams at shortstop (where he had the worst range in the majors via Statcast) or move him to third base,” the MLB expert wrote.
Not mentioned but also a locked-in part of the core is second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. and center fielder Jacob Young. Both have earned their starting spots with a career year at the plate (Garcia) and Gold Glove-caliber defense (Young).
Moving Abrams would fill one void in the lineup, but create another at shortstop. But, that would create questions about what to do with Brady House and Cayden Wallace, both of whom play the hot corner and are knocking on the door of the Major Leagues.
