Washington Nationals Youngster Recognized as One of Best Players in His Age Group

One of the Washington Nationals young stars is among the best players born in 2000.

Aug 31, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) kneels by second base after being thrown out during a stolen base attempt against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

There is a lot of young talent on the Washington Nationals roster that has fans excited about the team’s future.

A lot of attention has been given to their star-studded outfield duo of James Wood and Dylan Crews. Two of the top prospects in baseball entering the season, both have made their debuts in 2024, providing a glimpse of the future.

Selecting either one of them to become the face of the franchise down the line would be a smart bet to make. But, they are far from the only youngsters worth getting excited about on the roster.

Another player who has emerged as a legitimate MLB contributor is CJ Abrams. The Nationals’ lone representative in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game has broken out as the team had hoped he would.

Abrams was one of the multiple stars that Washington brought back from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto blockbuster deal. Wood and starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore were also part of the package.

His impressive performance this season has caught the eyes of plenty of people in the baseball world. One of those people is Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.

In a recent piece, the MLB insider ranked players by the years they were born, starting in 1999 all the way up until 2008. Abrams, who was born in 2004, made his debut on the list after not being ranked previously.

He came in at No. 8 on the list. The only other shortstop ahead of him is Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, who is No. 1 and has turned himself into one of the best players in the game.

If Abrams is going to hold onto his spot or move up the list, he is going to have to continue playing at a high level. There are a lot of top prospects and emerging players, such as his teammate Luis Garcia Jr., who will be pushing for a spot as early as next season.

This season, the 2019 first-rounder out of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia has already set multiple career highs. Despite there being a month left in the season, he has six more walks than he did in 2023.

He has matched his triples and home run totals, and has a great chance of breaking his high in hits, doubles, runs and RBI. Abrams is striking out more, but the Nationals will take that as long as his other peripheral stats and percentages continue rising as they have been.