Washington Nationals Star Honored with Power Ranking After Breakout Year
With the team-wide improvements that were seen in 2024, the Washington Nationals are one step closer to contending for a spot in the playoffs, though it will still be tough as they reside in the National League East, the best division in Major League Baseball.
The team saw steps taken in the development of James Wood, who did not miss a beat upon debuting in the Majors, as well as Dylan Crews, who struggled at first upon debuting, but was starting to find his footing over the last week of the year.
While those two outfielders will prove to be big pieces of the Nationals' success moving forward, a player that can only be considered a veteran on this roster had a breakout campaign that was an even more promising sign for the future in CJ Abrams.
Abrams had his best year at the plate so far, hitting .246/.314/.433 with 20 home runs, 65 RBI, and a 110 OPS+ across 602 plate appearances in 138 games, good enough to earn his first career All-Star nod.
The breakout campaign was good enough for the shortstop to land inside the top 15 in Joel Reuter's positional power rankings for Bleacher Report, ranking as the 15th-best shortstop in the sport.
"The 2024 season ended on a sour note for Abrams when he was optioned to the minors due to an 'internal issue' after he was spotted at a Chicago casino at 8 a.m. on the same day he had an afternoon game at Wrigley Field," writes Reuter, "prior to that, he had enjoyed a breakout season, earning his first All-Star selection while hitting .246/.314/.433 with 29 doubles, 20 home runs, 65 RBI and 31 steals in a 3.4-WAR season."
The casino debacle is definitely a hiccup for the young player, though it should serve as a learning experience for a player who has yet to celebrate their 24th birthday and debuted in the Majors at 21.
Defensively, Abrams grades out as the worst shortstop in baseball per Baseball Savant, totaling -17 Outs Above Average, the lowest mark of any player at any position.
The inability to play shortstop almost completely erases the positive impact that he has at the plate, and Washington will be much better served finding a new home for Abrams in the field.
Despite the struggles defensively, the breakout season that Abrams had at the plate was a promising development for the Nationals as they continue to climb out of their rebuild.
