Exploring the Nationals rebuild, and looking at the results so far.
Watching the Washington Commanders win their first playoff game in 19 years in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year made me think about the progress of the Nationals rebuild. 2019 is beginning to feel like a long time ago, and the Nats have not had a winning season since.
It is a lot easier to have a quick turnaround in the NFL than the MLB for a variety of reasons, but watching the Commanders made me yearn for a return of playoff baseball at Nationals Park. Hopefully the Lerner family had similar thoughts if they watched the game last night.
While the Nats rebuild has yielded some quality talent, it would be tough to say the process is ahead of schedule. The rebuild started in mid-2021 when the team blew it up at the trade deadline. While Mike Rizzo called the process a retool at the time, he had to know deep down that it was a full fledged rebuild. You do not lose 90 plus games four straight seasons in a retool.
Fans had hoped this would be the offseason where the Nats spent money, and made a statement to the league that they are done rebuilding. However, the Nationals have not really done that. Yes, they have made some quality additions, particularly the trade for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. They still have not decided to put their chips in the middle of the table, and decided to go all in on a top caliber free agent.
There are legitimate reasons to take the process slowly. Most of the Nationals young core is still in their early 20’s, and have a lot to prove. However, it is frustrating to see a seeming lack of ambition. It is particular tough to stomach when you juxtapose the Nats lack of urgency with the ambition and spirit shown by the new Commanders ownership group.
There was a time when the Nationals were the talk of the town and had ultra-ambitious leadership. However, since 2019, the Nationals sat on their laurels a bit. Ownership does not seem to have the same desperation to win they showed in the past.
Of course, the book still has plenty of time to be rewritten. 2025 could be a step forward season for the Nationals, like 2024 was for the Commanders. It could start a chain reaction that leads the Lerner family back into their more free spending ways of the past. However, that is a hope rather than an expectation right now.
This time a year ago, there was some hope that the Nats could be the first DC team to emerge from their rebuild, but that has not come to fruition with the rise of the Commanders and reemergence of the Capitals. Both the Caps and Commanders had very ambitious off seasons that put them on the right track moving forward. This is something the Nationals will have to do at some point. If it is not this off season, it is going to have to be next one because the excuses are running out.
The fanbase has been remarkably patient throughout this process, but the time to see improvements to the win-loss record is now. Nobody is expecting a world series in 2025, but fans want to see a step in the right direction. There are only so many sub .500 season a fanbase can take before they question what is going on at the top.
The same owner, GM, manager trio has been around since the start of the rebuild. If we see further stagnation this season, the temperature should heat up on all three of those figures. Between James Wood, Dylan Crews, Mackenzie Gore, and all the other young talent, a lot of the pieces are in place. However, we need to start to see all that young talent translate into more wins.
The expectation this season is not a world series, or even a playoff appearance, but rather a step towards a .500 record. If the young pieces start to become big league stars, the pressure should be on ownership to give Mike Rizzo the tools he needs to finish off the rebuild. However, if we see stagnation, the jobs of Rizzo and Martinez should be in jeopardy.
When I watched the Commanders, I saw a team full of excitement, and a leadership group that is willing to do whatever it takes to win. It reminded me of the Nationals back in 2012. I just want to see the Nationals leadership show that same spirit and urgency. It is time to restore the feeling of Nationals baseball.
2025 will be a massive year in determining whether the Nationals rebuild is on schedule. It will answer a lot of questions about the future of the franchise. By this time next year, we will have a much better grasp on if the Nationals are an up and coming team on the rise, or an organization stuck in neutral.