And then there was one. Our final preview in the series brings us to the nation’s capital, to breakdown the Washington Nationals. The Nats are coming off of a season that turned out to be much more positive than expected, as they finished at 71-91 with young players emerging to lead this team. This led to some additions to back this group and provide them with some solid veteran leadership. New arrivals Joey Gallo, Eddie Rosario and Nick Senzel arrive to round out a lineup that features some interesting bats. With skipper Dave Martinez back at the helm this year, there is hope in DC that the Nationals can start take steps back towards competing again soon. Let’s break them down!

Keys to Success

1. Veteran Bats Make an Impact: As mentioned above, the Nationals added two veteran bats to the mix to help this young group take a step forward. While Gallo leaves a lot to be desired at the plate, Rosario is a professional hitter that can help lengthen the lineup. If both run into some home runs and get a couple of big hits this lineup may actually be dangerous.

2. Abrams Continues His Rise: One of the key pieces for the Nationals bright future is shortstop CJ Abrams. His 2023 was very impressive as he started to show that he could put it all together as he hit for power, batting average at times, and in the field. 2024 will be a critical year with him as he looks to mature into a true star, if he does the Nats are primed for success for years to come.

3. Gore Becomes the Ace: The biggest weakness on this team is the pitching staff as it is mostly on the younger side or on the “not so good side.” For the team to start to take the next step lefty MacKenzie Gore will need to take the next step on the mound. He needs to deliver to help make the Soto trade from a few years ago worth it.

The Lineup

1. CJ Abrams SS

2. Lane Thomas RF

3. Eddie Rosario LF

4. Joey Meneses DH

5. Joey Gallo 1B

6. Keibert Ruiz C

7. Nick Senzel 3B

8. Luis Garcia 2B

9. Victor Robles CF

The Staff

1. Josiah Gray

2. MacKenzie Gore

3. Patrick Corbin

4. Jake Irvin

5. Trevor Williams

Closers: Hunter Harvey

The Prediction

72 Wins

I think the Nationals will compete pretty well within games this year, even if it doesn’t show in their overall record. The most important thing for them this year is they continue to bring along their young talent and build towards 2025 and beyond. They should be a pain to play against though as I expect them to battle to the end in games.

That does it for our 30 Clubs in 30 Days Preview series! While this was a lot of work, it was also a ton of fun to put together and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did working on it. This will definitely be recurring feature as we continue here on the Breakdown. With the season upon us, all I can say is, play ball!

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