From brutal lows to flashes of promise, here’s what the first half of the Nationals’ season has revealed and what it means for the road ahead.
2025 has been a disappointing season for the Washington Nationals. The rebuild is still going through trials and errors as the Washington Nationals try to determine the future of the team. Fans and media are losing faith in manager Dave Martinez and Mike Rizzo in creating a competitive team. However, Washington has shown flashes of becoming a special team in the future, with players turning into stars right before our eyes.
In this article, I want to dive into statements that we have learned about the Washington Nationals this year and what they could do to turn these things around.
WHEN IT’S BAD, IT’S BRUTAL
After a decent start to the season and sitting around .500, an eleven-game losing streak has derailed any momentum Washington had. The lineup and the rotation have shown through stretches, the talent they truly have, but for most of the season, both have shown how far away Washington is from being competitive for 162. Outside of CJ Abrams and James Wood, the offense has been disappointing, below average in almost every offensive category.
Luis Garcia Jr. has been solid as of late, making up for his horrendous start to the season and defensive regression. Nathaniel Lowe, Keibert Ruiz, and Josh Bell were expected to make big contributions, and they all have sub-.700 OPS.
The pitching staff has been brutal this season. From horrendous starts to the bullpen-blowing close games, fans should be concerned about how far away this rotation is from being great. Washington has yet to spend money on the rotation, and 2026 could be the time to do it.
MacKenzie Gore has dominated this season with a career-high 3.09 ERA; however, the next-best starters in the rotation are Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker, who have ERAs higher than 4.50. Brad Lord, Cole Henry, and Kyle Finnegan have been solid out of the bullpen this season, and the rest of the bullpen has been pitiful. With higher expectations than past seasons, the lows have felt like an all-time low.
THE YOUTH MOVEMENT HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN
Abrams and Gore have been on the big league squad since being traded to Washington in 2022. James Wood and Dylan Crews made their big league debuts last season. James Wood has taken a leap into one of the best players in baseball, and with Dylan Crews sidelined with injury, Washington has been forced to let the young guns play.
Daylen Lile is currently up with the big league team and has shown flashes of being a solid outfielder. Robert Hassell was given twenty-one games but was sent back down because of his offensive struggles.
Brady House made his debut this season, and it was a long-awaited debut. With the third base position wide open in Washington, fans were begging for the call-up of Brady House. While only playing eleven games, it is too early to give an opinion on House’s play thus far, but Washington is hoping for long-term success from House at third base.
With all of these young, athletic rookies showing flashes of their potential, Washington is still not winning games. This could be a long second half for Washington, but if these young players keep showing their worth, Nationals baseball could be exciting.
WASHINGTON NEEDS TO SPEND IN 2026
A significant concern for Washington has been the hesitance to spend money during the free agent period. With a struggling rotation, bullpen, and lineup, Washington had an opportunity to fix these issues and hesitated during the off-season. The acquisitions of Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell were “fine” additions and filled a position of need, but they have not turned out well in 2025. Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin were given an opportunity this season to prove their long-term ability, and they have made Washington question the future of their rotation.
Prospects Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora have shown great promise, but it is too early to tell when they will be in the majors and when they can truly contribute.
The clock is ticking for Mike Rizzo to make moves and create a competitive team. With questions all around the roster, next season could be make or break for a majority of the team.
There are many different reasons why Washington is in the spot they are right now. I enjoy getting to see the growth of the young stars and seeing prospects contribute in different ways, but there comes a time when you need to improve the roster through different avenues to become great. Just six years removed from winning the World Series, it feels like Washington’s path is a long one back to the glory days.