2024 Recap
Record: 71-91, 4th in NL East, Missed Playoffs
The Nationals finished 2024 with the exact same record as 2023, a rare feat. However, the way this season ended, National fans have hope for the first time since the franchise started their rebuild in 2022 with the trade of Juan Soto to the Padres (as well as the previous years deadline deal of Trea Turner and Max Scherzer to the Dodgers).
This 71 win season included positive development for some of the key returns in those trades, with CJ Abrams making the all star team and Mackenzie Gore posting the best ERA and FIP of his career. Additionally, star prospects James Woods (also acquired in the Juan Soto trade), and 2023 2nd overall pick Dylan Crews provided some electric moments in their limited action this season.
24 year-olds Jacob Young (CF) and Luis Garcia Jr. (2B) produced over 2.0 bWAR each, and appear to be nice supplementary pieces around the Nationals young core.
2025 Outlook
Key Additions:
- Jorge Lopez, RP
- Josh Bell, 1B
- Michael Soroka, SP
- Trevor Williams, SP
- Nathaniel Lowe, 1B
Key Departures:
- Kyle Finnegan, RP
- Tanner Rainey, RP
- Joey Meneses, 1B
- Patrick Corbin, SP
- Joey Gallo, 1B/OF
The two main departures from the Nationals this offseason are closer Kyle Finnegan and reliever Tanner Rainey, who combined to finish 88 games for the Nationals in 2024. Finnegan had a strong season, finishing with 38 saves while pitching in 65 games for the Nats. Resigning free agent Trevor Williams was a shrewd move for the team, as he was brilliant in his 13 starts this season (2.03 ERA, 13 starts).
The depatures of Joey Meneses and Joey Gallo open up spots at 1B/DH for the newly acquired Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell, while the hope of Michael Soroka is to replace some of the 174 innings pitched by Patrick Corbin in 2024. The Nationals also signed Jorge Lopez to hopefully replace the departed Kyle Finnegan's production.
in 2025, the Nationals are looking for answers on their young core. Offensively, this team is looking for reassurance that they have a solid core in James Woods, CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews and will look to see if either Jacob Young, Luis Garcia Jr., Kiebert Ruiz, and/or Nathaniel Lowe can join them as building blocks. On the pitching front, the Nationals would love to see a bounceback year from Josiah Gray (injured for most of 2024) and another positive step forward from Mackenzie Gore. They'll also look for Trevor Williams to pick up where he left off and see if any of Mitchell Parker, DJ Herz, Jackson Rutledge, or Jake Irvin can be future pieces in their rotation.
X-Factor: Development
The Nationals traded three all world players at the 2021 and 2022 trade deadlines and the majority of their return have made the big leagues in 2024. Of those returns, nobody has lived up to their hype yet. Mackenzie Gore has shown flashes of dominance, Josiah Gray was a solid pitcher in 2023, but that season appears more like an outlier than the expectation, especially coming off Tommy John surgery in 2024.
CJ Abrams has posted back to back 3.4 bWAR seasons, but is this his ceiling or is their another step he can take? Dylan Crews and James Woods looked like superstars at times, but will they encounter a sophomore slump in 2025 or will they look like future MVP candidates that they're hyped up to be.
If their young players continue to develop, the Nationals could be a dark horse wild card team in the tough National League.
Offseason Grade and Prediction
The Nationals handled this offseason like a rebuilding team should. They got some band-aids to fill the holes left from their departures and are going to give every their younger players every chance to prove they're building blocks.
If James Woods and Dylan Crews continue their development at the Major League level, this could be one of the more fun teams to watch in 2025 as they get closer to competing in 2026 and beyond.
Offseason Grade: B/B-
2025 Prediction: 4th in the NL East, Miss Playoffs
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