Good Morning, Washington Nationals Fans,

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, April 8.

Welcome to the Morning Briefing! Haden here. Let’s talk about yesterday’s game!

Leading this Morning’s Briefing: Nats two of three in the weekend series

After dropping a game to the Phillies on Thursday, the Nationals lost on the next two days, ending their weekend with a win over their division rivals. The losses weren’t pretty, but hey, the Nats squeaked out a win on the day Stephen Strasburg officially retired.

On that note, I am glad this saga with the best player in franchise history is over. I hope there is no long-term damage to the relationship between Stras and the franchise. If the Lerners did create hatred, they should never be forgiven for that. I hope dragging out the process was worth it. Now give Strasburg all the flowers.

Perspectives

A Letter to Stephen Strasburg: Thank You

Richard • Apr 7, 2024

Dear Stephen Strasburg, Congratulations on your retirement, and most importantly, thank you for being a Washington National throughout your career. Frankly, I wasn't too surprised to hear that you were hanging up your cleats for good. You gave your all to the Washington Nationals, no questions asked.

Read full story →

Back to the games. On Friday, the Nationals’ offense mustered just two hits and the pitchers walked nine batters. The offense got just four hits, and none after the third inning on Saturday. This is not good baseball we are seeing from the club.

The starting pitching has been among the worst in the league so far. Part of that has been bad luck and part has been poor defense.

While I expect Trevor Williams to regress, both Jake Irvin and MacKenzie Gore have made great strides so far this season, both looking like long-term pieces to the World Series champions puzzle. Patrick Corbin and Josiah Gray have to improve upon their early season results.

Offensively, the Nationals have so many glaring issues. The team is tied for 21st in OPS+, which adjusts OPS to the ballpark. Now for those of you keeping score at home, a bottom third offense and a bottom of the league rotation is not a recipe for success.

So where can the Nationals improve? Well, Trey Lipscomb has done about what you would expect if you ignored his hot Spring Training. He has not drawn a lot of walks, he strikes out at an about league average rate, and does not hit the ball particularly hard. He has not had the best of luck on his batted balls, but he has managed to not hurt the team thanks to his strong defense at third base and above-average baserunning.

CJ Abrams, Jesse Winker, Joey Gallo, and Luis García Jr. have been the bright spots of the offense so far. If you did not notice, all of those players are left-handed. The Nationals have gotten the worst production out of right-handed hitters so far this seaosn. Their .520 OPS is 59 points lower than the next team. Considering the Nationals have faced a left-handed starting pitcher in four of their nine games, I expected that to be a little higher. But when a Nationals’ hitter steps into the right-handed batters box against a left-handed pitcher, they have a .483 OPS according to FanGraphs. This includes switch-hitters like Keibert Ruiz and Ildemaro Vargas.

And sure, it’s a sample size of 58 plate appearances, but it is a red flag of a larger issue, particulary Joey Meneses and Lane Thomas’s production. Neither has had a successful season (though Thomas looked good in the leadoff spot in Abrams’s absence). Joey Meneses is likely in line for a demotion once Stone Garrett returns to the squad.

Until then the Nationals will have to rely on those four lefties to power their offense to a few wins over the Giants this week. The Nats begin their west coast trip with a 9:35 ET start time in San Francisco tonight. Trevor Williams takes on the Giants’ splashy free agent signing Blake Snell in his 2024 debut. The game will be televised on MASN.

Down in the Minors

Triple A: The Rochester Red Wings

The Rochester Red Wings finally got to play a home baseball game. They lost both games this weekend, but James Wood doubled and walked. Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz each had decent starts.

Double A: Harrisburg Senators

The Harrisburg Senators' season got off to a shaky start, losing two of three games this weekend. Andrew Alvarez excelled in five innings, striking out seven. Brady House got a hit in every game, including a three hit game yesterday. It was a rough weekend for Dylan Crews and Robert Hassell III, who each only got one hit.

High A: Wilmington Blue Rocks

The Wilmington Blue Rocks swept the Brookyln Cyclones. Luke Young and Andry Lara both had great 2024 debuts. Daylen Lile, Kevin Made, and Maxwell Romero Jr. all did well offensively, with Romero hitting the first bomb of the Blue Rocks season.

Single A: Fredericksburg Nationals

The Fredericksburg Nationals swept the Delmarva Shorebirds. Cristhian Vaquero got a hit in every game, including a double. Elijah Green hit two doubles. 23-year-old Brandom Pimental started the year off hot with five hits in 13 plate appearances, including two doubles and a home run.

Featured Stories of the Day

Strider goes to the IL with UCL damage via MLB Trade Rumors

Guardians’ Bieber needs TJ surgery via MLB Trade Rumors

Yankees reliever Loaisiga needs TJ surgery via MLB Trade Rumors

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