Adding power to the lineup was a top priority for the Nationals, but did they accomplish their goal?
After the 2024 season, everyone knew that Nationals needed to add more power to the lineup. In fact, it was the subject of one of the first articles I wrote on the site. GM Mike Rizzo harped on the issue repeatedly, after failing to solve what was already a problem in 2023. The Nats finished 29th in home runs, only besting the historically bad Chicago White Sox.
In the time since that first article, the Nats have added some power, but has it been enough? There is still reason to believe the Nationals will have trouble with the long ball. Neither Josh Bell nor Nathaniel Lowe hit 20 home runs last season, and they are going to be the guys relied upon to add power.
Lowe is a very good player, with a consistently above average bat and gold glove defense at first base. However, he is not really the slugger Nats fans were expecting. Outside of a career year in 2022 where he hit 27 homers, Lowe has never hit more than 18 home runs in a season. Projections see Lowe as a guy who hits around 18 homers this season as well. In his press conference, Lowe said he is looking to add more power to his game, which would go a long way.
Josh Bell has the look of a power hitting. The 6’4 261 pound slugger has a commanding presence in the batters box. He has also hit over 20 home runs four times in his career. However, 2024 was not one of those years, falling just short at 19. Like Lowe, Bell mentioned that he was looking to add power this offseason. As an everyday DH, Bell is going to have to slug to be a worthwhile investment.
The Nationals bringing in two guys that say they need to add power rather than more proven commodities is a frustrating approach. There were plenty of names on the market that are proven 25 plus home run bats. However, the Nationals didn’t get any of those guys. Pete Alonso seemed like a great fit on paper, but for whatever reason the Nats didn’t seem very interested.
Bell and Lowe becoming 20-25 home run bats would be a good start to solving the power outage, but they still need more. Mike Rizzo seems to be betting on internal improvement from the young guys. In my conversation with Andrew Golden, his bold prediction was that James Wood would hit 35 home runs this season. Wood making a leap in his power production would be massively helpful.
Wood hit nine homers in 295 at bats last season, but the raw power is there. Few players hit the ball as hard on such a consistent basis. To fully unlock his power, he will have to get the ball off the ground more. Wood posted a 55.6% ground ball rate in his first taste of big league action. As he gets more comfortable with big league pitching, he should be able to lift the ball more often.
While Wood is the big name, guys like Dylan Crews, CJ Abrams, and maybe even Luis Garcia Jr. have potential to add to their power output. The Nationals still have lingering concerns about the power in the lineup. However, for the first time in years, there is at least a path to improving the problem.