The Nationals Will Be Back Before You Know It
Something special may be brewing in the Nation's Capital...again
It’s been roughly 1,900 days since Howie Kendrick smacked his infamous two-run home run in game seven of the 2019 World Series. That’s a long time. It’s so far in the rear-view mirror, that no player apart of the Nationals historic run is still on the club (assuming Patrick Corbin does not resign).
Before we get into the meat and potatoes, let’s take a peek at how the 2019 World Series Champs have performed since they hoisted MLB’s crown:
Yikes.
Many, including me, have barely even pondered over the fact that this club defeated the trashcan-banging Astros in the Fall Classic immediately after losing one of the most talented players in the history of their franchise, Bryce Harper. This is because they just straight-up haven’t been a good baseball team.
If it feels like the Nationals have been in a rebuild since Daniel Hudson struck out Michael Brantley, don’t fret — it’s reality. They haven’t tasted even an ounce of success.
However, I have a few reasons to believe this club could be contending for another World Series within the next three to five years. Here’s why:
The Juan Soto trade
Lots of heat circulated Mike Rizzo and the Nationals front office during the summer of 2022. The team had made virtually no noise since 2019. Stephen Strasburg was under the worst contract in baseball, superstar Trea Turner was traded the previous summer, Mr. National (Ryan Zimmerman) had retired, and generational talent Juan Soto was unhappy.
The club was in an obvious rebuilding direction, and the only question around the trade deadline was whether or not Rizzo was going to have the stones to flip the game’s best young player in Soto.
He did.
We all know the deal. Soto was traded to the Padres in a blockbuster that included top prospects OF James Wood, SS CJ Abrams, LHP MacKenzie Gore, OF Robert Hassell III, and RHP Jarlin Susana, along with 1B Luke Voit for fun.
What many don’t know, is how lethal this trade has turned into for Washington. At age 23, Abrams represented the National League in the All-Star game at shortstop, and Gore, 25, has already contributed 302.2 solid innings of ball. The kicker? Neither player is the best player Rizzo got back from San Diego.
Wood made his MLB debut this past summer and is poised to be one of the game’s premier players for years to come. Read more about Wood in this piece by Running from the OPS as to why.
Wait. There’s more: Hassell III, 23, is set to see Big League action in 2025, and Susana, 20, is baseball’s 90th-best prospect on MLB.com, hurling some nasty stuff.
Rizzo nailed this deal for Washington, totally jumpstarting the rebuild for his club, and proving that sometimes the reward can be worth the risk.
Youth, and some luck
Since it became a thing, possibly no team has benefitted more from the MLB Draft Lottery than the Washington Nationals. While they didn’t land the No. 1 pick in 2023 to net Paul Skenes, the club picked second and landed another generational outfield talent in Dylan Crews from LSU.
If he hadn’t fallen in the same draft as Skenes, there’s little doubt Crews would have gone 1.01 that July.
National Champion, the most polished hit tool in the draft, swagger, tools aplenty, and a killer mustache… these are the things Crews brought to the table come Draft Night. Like Wood, the 22-year-old made his MLB debut this past season, and while he didn’t attain as much success from his cup of coffee, he still showed flashes, hitting three HR, grabbing 3 OAA, and stealing 12 bases across 31 games.
Crews and Wood are as safe as any prospects I’ve ever seen, and Washington will have two All-Stars patrolling the Nationals Park greenery for years to come.
Did I mention that the Nationals have had good luck with the Draft Lottery? Just a few weeks ago, they nabbed the No. 1 overall pick for the 2025 MLB Draft despite just a 10.2% chance of that coming to fruition.
They’ll have their pick at studs such as Ethan Holliday, Jace LaViolette, and Jamie Arnold.
Other young pieces in Washington include:
OF Jacob Young, 25, who stole 33 bases in 2024 and led baseball with 20 OAA. Under team control beyond 2029.
INF Luis Garcia Jr, 24, posted a 115 OPS+ with 18 HR, 22 SB, and 5 OAA in 2024. Under team control until 2028.
LHP DJ Herz, 24, was top 20 in 2024 2nd half K/9 (27.7%). Under team control beyond 2029.
RHP Evan Reifert, 25, has a funky 36-degree arm angle with high whiff rates, under team control beyond 2029.
RHP Travis Syroka, 20, is not close to being MLB-ready but is 6’6” and boasts a 70-grade fastball.
3B Brady House, 21, is the current No. 84 prospect in all of baseball. Plenty of power potential, and can make an MLB impact in 2025 if given the opportunity.
SS/3B/OF Seaver King, 21, the Nationals 2024 1st round pick. Compact right-handed swing with elite defense potential. Speedy.
Look, I’m banking on a bunch of young players to stay healthy, develop the way they are supposed to, and gel together. But this isn’t crazy, not even close. The Nationals have loads of young talent, possibly the most in the National League at the moment, and it’s going to be a blast to see how these kids develop.
Hats off, Rizzo.
They need CJ back in a big way