Washington Nationals Young Core Poised for Substantial Improvements
The Washington Nationals will finish the 2024 season with a record below .500 and in fourth place in the National League East.
While it may seem like a lost season on the surface, the Nationals have seen their future core gain valuable Major League experience.
With a total number of plate appearances rapidly approaching 3,000, Washington's 25-year-old or younger contingent looks poised to make a massive stride in their development in the 2025 season.
Leading the charge for that contingent is 23-year-old shortstop CJ Abrams.
The Nationals acquired Abrams as part of the return package from the San Diego Padres in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade on August 2nd, 2022.
After struggling to find his footing in 2023, his first full Major League season, Abrams has turned it around at the plate this year.
Abrams currently holds a .240/.309/.426 batting line with career-highs in home runs with 20, RBI with 65, and OPS+ with 108.
Abrams is not the only member of Washington's 25 or younger club, either.
It is a list that includes second baseman Luis Garcia, outfielders James Wood, Dylan Crews, and Jacob Young, catcher Keibert Ruiz, and trade pickups Andres Chaparro and Jose Tena.
"No team this season has had more plate appearances by players who are 25 years old or younger than Washington," writes Matt Eddy in a recent article for Baseball America.
"Better still, the Nationals' 25U cohort has been the most productive," continues Eddy. "Their approximate total of 11 bWAR from 25U hitters trails only the Yankees, Brewers, and Orioles."
For reference, the New York Yankees' 25 or younger contingent includes upcoming free agent phenom Juan Soto, who is still just 25 and accounts for 7.6 points of the Yankees' 14.5 total bWAR from players 25 or younger.
While Abrams leads the contingent in bWAR with 3.2, Young is not far behind at 2.9.
Young, 25, was a seventh round draft pick for the Nationals in the 2021 MLB Draft.
With a .256/.317/.333 line on the season, the majority of Young's value comes from the elite defense he provides in center field.
Young currently carries 20 Outs Above Average per Baseball Savant, a total that places him first in Major League Baseball among all qualifying fielders.
Wood, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on September 17th, was another part of the blockbuster Soto trade along with Abrams.
Wood debuted for Washington this season on July 1st, and has been with the club ever since.
Playing in 68 games thus far, Wood has batted .269/.358/.419 with seven home runs, 37 RBI, and a 122 OPS+ across 288 plate appearances.
Wood entered the season as the Nationals' number one prospect, per MLB Pipeline, but has since graduated from being a prospect and handed the reigns over to Crews.
Crews, 22, was Washington's first round draft pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Quickly making his way to the Majors, Crews debuted on August 26th of this season.
In just 20 games so far, Crews has batted .244/.294/.410 with three home runs, eight RBI, and a 99 OPS+ across 85 plate appearances.
Still listed as the Nationals' number one prospect, it is highly likely that he will be graduating from the list soon and may permanently be in the Majors.
2024 has been a season of growth in Washington.
While most expected the club to finish the season with over 100 losses and in last in the National League East, they have overcome the odds and made it highly likely that they will not even reach 95 losses.
The future is bright for the Nationals, and 2025 may be the inflection point for the young club.
TROY BROCK