Good morning, Washington Nationals fans.

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, June 3.

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Welcome to the Morning Briefing! The Nationals lost the series but snuck away with a Sunday win.

Leading this Morning Briefing: Nats June catch-up

And just like that, it is June already. Crazy how time flies. So let’s catch up on how the players have been so far this season.

Starting Pitching

After Josiah Gray went down after just two starts, the Nats’ rotation has been dominant. Trevor Williams obviously stands out, with a 2.22 ERA and 2.79 FIP. Williams has managed to avoid home runs at a seemingly impossible rate, which has many skeptical that his level of performance is sustainable. Regardless, he has been the best player on the Nationals for the first two months, leading the way with 1.7 fWAR.

Young arms MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin are having breakout seasons of their own. Gore owns a 2.91 ERA and an even more stellar 2.82 FIP. Gore’s 29.1 percent strikeout rate ranks 11th among 77 qualified starters. Gore isn’t just striking out the world either. His 6.9 percent walk rate is below the league average. His 1.5 fWAR leaves him at eighth among fellow southpaws. Jake Irvin has been solid, posting a 3.43 ERA and a 3.34 FIP. While those aren’t dominant, his 1.3 fWAR is within the top 30 according to FanGraphs.

Nationals' Early-Morning Arrival Leads to Sleepy 7-1 Loss to Guardians

Kelsey Tucker • Jun 1, 2024

CLEVELAND — The Washington Nationals, hampered by an exhausting travel schedule, fell 7-1 to the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night. The game was marked by a sluggish start and a powerful performance from the Guardians, putting the Nationals on an unfortunate back foot from the beginning.

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After Gray went down with an injury, the team called upon 2020 fifth-round pick Mitchell Parker. In the minors, the biggest concern for Parker was walks, as he walked 13.2 percent of the batters he faced in Triple-A last season. He has almost cut that number in half, walking 6.7 percent of the batters he has faced in the majors. So far in his MLB career, Parker owns a 3.60 ERA, 3.44 FIP, and 1.0 fWAR over 50 innings.

Patrick Corbin has managed to stay afloat and not be a negative asset for the Nationals in 2024. He has a 5.85 ERA and 4.84 FIP, so there could be some positive regression to come. But with Cade Cavalli already on his rehab assignment, don’t be shocked if Corbin’s time in the rotation is nearing an end.

Relief Pitching

Hunter Harvey has been the obvious highlight so far this season in the bullpen. He struck out nearly 30 percent of the batters he faced while walking just over five percent. Combined with a 53.3 percent groundball rate, and you have an elite bullpen arm. He has a 2.08 ERA and 2.12 FIP, making him one of the best relievers in the National League.

Dylan Floro has arguably been the second-best reliever for the Nationals. He had a 21.2 scoreless inning streak, powered by called strikes and weak ground balls. In his 28 appearances, Floro is yet to allow a home run. His 0.94 ERA is fifth in the National League.

Washington Nationals are defeated by the Cleveland Guardians.

Richard • Jun 2, 2024

Cleveland, OH - This afternoon, the Washington Nationals lost against the Cleveland Guardians, 3-2. The Nationals cou…

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Kyle Finnegan, Robert Garcia, and Derek Law have all been in the same bucket from a value standpoint. All of their seasons have been marred by the odd meltdown here and there, but otherwise have been excellent when put in situations to succeed. Finnegan has a 1.57 ERA, but that seems unsustainable because of an incredibly low .164 batting average on balls in play and a high 11.1 percent walk rate. Garcia’s 4.82 ERA also seems unsustainable, as he has a .367 BABIP against him, striking out 29.3 percent of the batters he has faced and walking 8.5 percent. Law has been solid when put in the right situations. He has a 2.76 ERA and a 3.45 FIP. For a multi-inning reliever, that is excellent.

Bats

Where to begin? For those looking for a TLDR, Jacob Young has been the Nationals’ most valuable position player. CJ Abrams started hot, cooled off, got blazing hot for a week, and then went ice cold before getting hurt. Nick Senzel has been way better than you think and the Luis García Jr. breakout is here.

Young has managed to scrap his way into the everyday center field job after Victor Robles got hurt and then later DFA’d. Young leads the team with 17 stolen bases (t-4th in MLB) and is tied for second on the team in overall base-running runs above average (again t-4th in MLB). While his base-running is his only elite offensive trait, Young hits well enough to maintain a slightly below-average triple slash. When paired with borderline elite center field defense, a solid ML regular is born. How long he can maintain that defense in the long run will determine his career trajectory, but as of now, Young is forcing himself into the Nats’ contention plans.

CJ Abrams is having a strange 2024. He has already been caught on the basepaths four times, tying his 2023 total. He has 23 extra-base hits, setting him up to outdo his 52 in 2023. Overall, his OPS has improved thanks to the newfound power. He has missed the past two games, but if Abrams can tone down the over-aggression that has seemingly caused this slump, then he will likely overtake Young and Williams in the Most Valuable National race.

Nick Senzel is hitting .246/.353/.429 giving him a .782 OPS. Offensively, Senzel has been the Nationals’ best player. While his defense and baserunning aren’t as strong as Trey Lipscomb’s, Senzel is playing better and contributing more to the Nats.

Washington Nationals Get Back in the Win Column with Victory Over Cleveland Guardians

Richard • Jun 2, 2024

Cleveland, OH - Today, the Washington Nationals avoided the sweep against the Cleveland Guardians with a 5-2 win, ending the latest road trip for the Nationals. The Nationals secured a winning road trip against two good teams: the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Guardians. The Nationals record is 27-31 as they return to W…

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Jesse Winker has been another solid veteran, hitting .230/.342/.380. The OBP machine helps extend the lineup, and if the team can figure out a platoon situation for him, Winker should become an even more valuable trade chip. Winker is hitting a much better .250/.362/.414 against right-handed pitching. A platoon with Ildemaro Vargas, who is hitting well thanks to hitting .341/.396/.477 against southpaws, would make sense.

The Luis García Jr. breakout has arrived. The 24-year-old is hitting .273/.312/.415 and playing plus defense at second base. García’s breakout has come from a change in mentality at the plate. In the past, he has sacrificed power for contact. In 2024, he has swapped the focus, allowing him to blossom into a solid major league regular. The team continues to bench him against lefties, and rightfully so, as García has a .476 in 35 plate appearances against them so far this season.

Joey Meneses, Joey Gallo, Keibert Ruiz, Lane Thomas, and Eddie Rosario have collectively disappointed. While some have excuses like injury or a late arrival to spring training, each needs to turn the corner as it gets warmer.

Adams out, Millas In

The team has struggled defensively behind the dish, so they made a swap, sending Riley Adams to Triple-A while recalling Drew Millas. Davey Martinez said they will also have Adams work on his first base defense while in Triple-A. This move would theoretically allow Adams to rejoin the team as a Meneses-type, spelling Gallo at first when he needs a day off or when a lefty is on the mound for the opposing team.

Featured Story of the Day

Tigers option former first overall pick Torkelson via MLB Trade Rumors

O’s call up infielder Norby via MLB Trade Rumors

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