The Nationals have set their official 26 man roster for the 2025 campaign
At long last, the Opening Day roster is here! After plenty of spring shakeups, we have the 26 that will take the field today at 4:05 PM. We will break down all the position groups and discuss any surprises.
Pitchers:
The starting pitchers on the roster are Mackenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Michael Soroka, Trevor Williams, and Mitchell Parker. After Shinnosuke Ogasawara’s rough spring and DJ Herz’s injury, these five picked themselves. On that DJ Herz injury, he was placed on the 60 day IL, an ominous sign.
In the bullpen, the Nats are going with Jose A Ferrer, Kyle Finnegan, Jorge Lopez, Orlando Ribalta, Lucas Sims, Colin Poche, Brad Lord, and Eduardo Salazar. The only real surprise here is Lord, who completed his rise from Home Depot employee to MLB player. With Herz going to the 60 day IL, the team did not have to DFA anyone to clear up a 40 man spot. Jackson Rutledge did not make the cut despite a strong spring. The Nats will have a decision to make once Derek Law returns from the IL.
Catchers:
On the catching side, the backup spot was a battle till the end, but Riley Adams ended up prevailing over Andrew Knizner. Obviously Keibert Ruiz is the other catcher on the roster. The Nats need more from the backup catcher spot. I felt Ruiz was overplayed at times last season.
Infielders:
The infielders on the roster are Josh Bell, CJ Abrams, Nathaniel Lowe, Luis Garcia Jr., Paul DeJong, Amed Rosario, and Jose Tena. Most of these were expected, but Jose Tena making the team despite a cold spring is slightly surprising. I guess the Nats wanted a left handed bat and some versatility on the bench.
Juan Yepez did not make the cut, much to the dismay of his father, who was not happy online. Yepez was excellent in 2024, but with the additions of Lowe and Bell, it was hard to find him a spot after a slow spring. However, Yepez should get his shot at some point this season.
Outfielders:
The outfield brings no surprises. James Wood, Dylan Crews, Alex Call, and Jacob Young was always gonna be the outfield. Robert Hassell III had a strong spring, but so did Call. With Call’s big league experience and Hassell’s lack of production in AAA, the choice was easy in the end. If anyone goes down, Hassell should be the next man up, but he still needs some seasoning in Rochester.
Overall, this is the Nats best Opening Day roster on paper since at least 2021. The hope is that translates to more winning and the return of good baseball to the Nations Capital.