40 in 40: Jordan Weems
Editors Note: This is the latest in our player profile in our 40-man breakdown series that we have started here at the Nats Report. Check our other player profiles.
- Position: Right-Handed Relief Pitcher
- Current status: Arbitration-eligible in 2025, Free Agent in 2028
- 2023 Grade: C+
- 2024 Opening Day Projection: Middle Relief Pitcher
- 2023 stats: 51 G | 54.2IP | 3.62 ERA | 1.207 WHIP | 0 SV | 60 SO | 28BB | 22 ER | 0.0 fWAR | 0.7 bWAR
2023 Analysis: Nationals reliever Jordan Weems carved out a vital role in the team's bullpen in 2023, exceeding expectations with his consistent performance. The 31-year-old right-hander looks to continue his success as the Nationals build a strong pitching core in 2024. Jordan Weems appears to be a solid middle relief option. During the 2023 season, Weems faced a formidable opponent during June, the Houston Astros. Despite only pitching for one inning, Weems managed to maintain a solid in-game ERA of 3.18, which was not far from his overall 2023 season ERA of 3.62. It is worth noting that he was able to deliver 60 strikeouts in 2023 while only giving up 22 earned runs.
Additionally, during his time at Triple-A Rochester, Weems gave up 12 earned runs, which resulted in an ERA of 3.75. the biggest highlight for Weems would have to be that he finally was able to stay on the Washington Nationals roster on June 6th and has not returned to Triple-A since June 6th. A strong 2023 season, highlighted by a powerful fastball (averaging 96 mph) and a dependable slider, likely solidified Jordan Weems' role in the Washington Nationals' bullpen.
At 31, he appears to have found his niche after bouncing around teams like the Oakland A's and Arizona Diamondbacks. His successful 2023 campaign suggests he's earned the Nationals' trust, keeping him in the mix for the 2024 season.
2024 outlook: Jordan Weems has the potential to be at the top of his game when the team is in the lead. However, he may struggle against one division team while performing better against other division teams. The Nationals and new pitching strategist Sean Doolittle can work with Weems to optimize his performance as a middle reliever, with a focus on building his confidence in division play. As he continues to develop and refine his skills, Weems has the potential to impact the team significantly in 2024. My prediction is that Jordan Weems makes the Nationals roster for Opening Day but has a slow start to the season. As he improves on his role as the middle reliever in the bullpen I predict that he will have some important moments this season that show how hard he has worked coming out of spring training camp. The major highlight of 2024 should be if he can improve upon more strikeouts and see if he can reach 70 before the end of the 2024 season.
