Watch: Top Five Washington Nationals Outfield Assists From Last Season
The Washington Nationals are preparing to head for spring training in about six weeks with an outfield that should feature three terrific young players in James Wood, Dylan Crews and Jacob Young.
Well, one of them was responsible for the best outfield assists the team had in 2024.
Statcast recently compiled the five best outfield assists from the 2024 season and put together a short video as part of MLB.com’s year-in-review package.
The assists included former Nats star Jesse Winker cutting down a baserunner at home plate from left field, while Victor Robles did the same from right field during a game at Fenway Park.
Winker was responsible for another outstanding outfield assist during a game in March at Nationals Park, followed by another former National, Lane Thomas, who threw out a runner at third base from center field.
But Crews had the best one of the season, based on arm strength. He threw out a baserunner from right field on a throw that went 96.5 mph.
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The Nationals won 71 games in 2024, marking the second straight season they finished with 71 victories. It also marked Washington's fifth straight losing season since it won the 2019 World Series, which was the first championship in franchise history.
Since that victory, the Nationals have built from within while attempting to shed large pitching contracts with Max Scherzer (trade), Stephen Strasburg (retired) and Patrick Corbin (now a free agent).
Washington now has one of the best young rosters in baseball, one it hopes gets the team over .500 in 2025.
Several of the players that the Nationals received in the Juan Soto trade in 2022 are in the Majors, including Wood. Washington's 2023 first-round pick, Crews, is expected to be the opening-day right fielder after making his debut last year.
The Nationals also have budding young stars in Young, shortstop C.J. Abrams and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr., along with catcher Keibert Ruiz. The expected starting rotation is led by young pitchers like MacKenzie Gore and D.J. Herz.
Washington’s most notable move this offseason so far was trading reliever Robert Garcia to the Texas Rangers to acquire first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, a move that addressed one of the team's main concerns in free agency — signing a power-hitting corner infielder.
The Nationals also signed pitcher Michael Soroka to a one-year deal, hoping that the former All-MLB starter in in 2019 can reclaim his former form after a lost season with the Chicago White Sox, preceded by missing two seasons due to an Achilles injury.
Since the New Year, the Nationals have agreed to a contract with former fan favorite Josh Bell, who is coming back on a one-year deal to presumably be the team’s designated hitter. Washington is also bringing back veteran starter Trevor Williams on a two-year, $14 million deal that will add more of a veteran presence to an othewise young rotation.
