Despite getting swept by a red-hot Dodgers team at home this week, the Washington Nationals have looked somewhat better than expected four weeks into the season, as they currently sit at 10-14 in fourth place in the NL East, ahead of the Miami Marlins in the division.
Some of the bright spots for the Nats so far include some clutch hitting and solid pitching from some old and new faces, while there could still be some improvements in those areas as well. Washington has also won three series, which all came in a four-series span.
By far, the best player for Washington four weeks into the season is shortstop C.J. Abrams, who is on an MVP path and currently leads the team with six home runs (three of them leadoff), 12 RBIs, and 26 hits. He is also batting .302, with a .362 OBP, and a .990 OPS.
Two of Abrams’ best performances have come against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on April 15th, and vs. the Astros at home on April 20th. In both of those contests, Abrams went 2-for-5 at the plate with a homer and two runs.
Another Nationals batter who has looked stellar is second baseman Luis Garcia Jr., who currently has the highest batting average on the team with .311. In Washington’s 5-3 win over the Pirates on April 3rd, Garcia finished 3-for-4 with three doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored. He also had three hits in the team’s 6-0 shutout victory over Houston on April 21st.
Coming off an impressive 2023 season, outfielder Lane Thomas hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations in March/April, but has shown some strides with a couple of home runs. In two games against San Francisco and Oakland, he went 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Unfortunately, Thomas was just placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained MCL.
However, the biggest surprise so far this season has come in pitching in the form of rookie Mitchell Parker, who has made two unforgettable starts. Parker was the team’s No. 21 prospect who was called up to replace an injured Josiah Gray.
Parker made his major league debut on April 15th on the road against the Dodgers, where he went five innings and struck out four batters on 81 pitches, becoming the first Nationals starter to win his MLB debut since Stephen Strasburg. He then pitched his first shutout victory on April 21st at home against the Astros, going seven full innings with eight strikeouts and becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to throw seven or more scoreless innings in less than 75 pitches.
Another Nationals pitcher who has stepped up in 2024 is starter MacKenzie Gore, who currently leads the club with two wins, 31 strikeouts, and a 3.12 ERA.
In terms of the future, it’s only a matter of time before James Wood gets called up from the minors, and with the wave of injuries and on-field struggles that have plagued the Nats so far, his 2024 major league debut seems inevitable at this point.
Next up, the Nationals will head down south to Miami to face the division rival Marlins for a three-game road series this weekend.
