Washington Nationals 2025 Season

THE LEAD

How sweep it is! In grinding out three wins against their former MASN overlords the Oreos, the Nationals swept an opponent for the first time in 2025 and got a manager fired in the process (and not their own!). While the Nats’ propensity for blowing late leads and allowing opposing starters to post quality start after quality start against them has been frustrating, at 21-27 they looked better than Baltimore (now 15-30) even before the series started. The O’s expected to contend again this year, but their organization’s refusal to fix the holes in their pitching staff with any kind of long-term solution seems to be having an avalanche effect so far this year on the team in its entirety. That pitching staff - and a team meeting in Atlanta - helped the Nats get their bats right over the weekend, as they put up consecutive 10-spots on Saturday and Sunday to cap off a 24-run series. The wind at OPACY did the Nats a solid on Sunday, helping push five home runs over the fence.

The offensive outburst and the sweep both help turn down the temperature on manager Davey Martinez’s and hitting coach Darnell Coles’s keisters. The seven-game losing streak that preceded the team meeting in Atlanta had the team as a whole looking lost in the batter’s box, while the pitching staff (minus the cashiered Colin Poche and Lucas Sims) had held up its end of the bargain. Now they have to keep it up at home this week against a team that they just saw - and they may have to do it against the returning Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr.

 Washington Nationals 2025 Season

Game Recap

For the second time last week, CJ Abrams opened the game’s proceedings by blasting the first pitch he saw over a high right field wall, and then homered a second time in his next at-bat, all after two other Nats (Luis García Jr. and Dylan Crews, the latter of the three-run variety that was sorely needed for both batter and team) had also gone yard. The only National who didn’t get into the hit column was first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, as the Nats scored their ten runs on thirteen hits (Josh Bell, probably the weakest hitter on the team right now, also left the building in this one).

On the pitching side, Michael Soroka could not complete the sixth inning but was good enough to register his first win in two years, which has to be a monkey off of his bat (pitcher wins don’t really matter in a statistical context, but the pitchers themselves absolutely care about them). He was followed by Brad Lord, Andrew Chafin, Jorge López, and Cole Henry, with the Nats slamming the door on the O’s with a brilliantly turned 6-4-3 double play that involved a glove scoop of the grounder from Abrams to García and a missile of a back-foot pivot throw from Garçía to Lowe.

 STORY TYPE

Changes Still Wanted

Despite the recent change in fortunes for the Nats, there are still some moves that could be coming in the near future. Orlando Ribalta, who had looked solid before being asked to throw 54 pitches in an outing (he had largely been a one-inning guy throughout his time in AA and AAA last year), threw a simulated game this weekend and could go out on a rehab assignment this week assuming he woke up feeling okay today. He would likely take the place of Zach Brzykcy, who let the Oreos back into Saturday’s game and forced Davey to get Kyle Finnegan up. Andrés Chaparro has started rehabbing in the FCL, and once he goes to an affiliate team the clock will start on whether to put him on the big league roster or option him - Josh Bell and his .156/.242/.305 line will be feeling some heat. And Jacob Young has seen his role decrease of late, plus he slammed into the Camden Yards outfield wall on Saturday and did not play Sunday as a result; he could either be optioned or put on the injured list in favor of either Robert Hassell III (currently enjoying a .317/.381/.508 May in AAA Rochester, already on the 40-man) or Daylen Lile (.369/.425/.538 since his promotion to the same level, not yet on the 40-man).

But the biggest question has now become when we will see Brady House, since the black hole at that position has continued apace much as it has since Anthony Rendon left for Orange County. Paul DeJong had to have surgery on his face and is unlikely to be back for awhile (and was not hitting at all when he was here). Amed Rosario has been good at the plate (.296/.329/.432) but awful in the field. And José Tena has had some moments but overall is not hitting particularly well (.244/.305/.349) and periodically loses focus in the field. For the Red Wings, House - who doesn’t turn 22 until next month - is hitting .282/.344/.497 with eight home runs and playing impressive defense. The Nationals are still light on right-handed thump in their lineup, and at some point (perhaps as early as today, but perhaps not), House will be getting a phone call to fly to DC.

On the other end of the spectrum, 2022 first-round pick Elijah Green might be running out of options, as he was reassigned last night to West Palm Beach in the midst of a .171/.271/.260 season (with 64 K in 140 PA) at high-A Wilmington. Very few of the members of that draft class have done well for themselves, but this is looking more and more like a total bust situation.

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 WHAT WE THINK THE NATIONALS FRONT OFFICE IS READING

Speed Reads

📌 Alvarado Suspended 80 Games (The Athletic)

📌 Five Things To Know About the HOF Committee Process (The Athletic)

📌 Chris Taylor Released (Yahoo!)