Nationals Rebuild Showing Promise, Dylan Crews Nearing MLB Debut.
The Washington Nationals are working to rebuild their franchise after winning the World Series in 2019. Following that championship, the team decided to undergo a rebuild by trading away multiple star players to acquire younger talent in return. This strategy has allowed them to develop one of the strongest farm systems in baseball, with many of those top prospects now contributing at the major league level.
While there are still holes to fill on the current roster, the Nationals are hopeful that their minor league talent will develop into impact players capable of returning the team to championship contention in the near future. One player generating significant buzz is Dylan Crews, the team’s 2nd overall pick in the 2023 draft and their top-ranked prospect.
Crews, 22, has already reached the Triple-A level in his first full professional season, slashing .257/.333/.450 with 7 home runs, 20 extra-base hits, and 24 RBIs in 45 games at that affiliate[1]. Some believe Crews could make his MLB debut before the end of the 2024 season, potentially in September when rosters expand[1]. Calling him up at that point would allow Crews to retain his rookie status for 2025, giving him a chance to compete for Rookie of the Year and earn the team an extra draft pick.
Crews would likely join an outfield of the future alongside fellow prospect James Wood, who has emerged as a star in his own right[1]. However, the Nationals may opt to let Crews continue developing at Triple-A if they feel he would benefit more from finishing the season there rather than being rushed to the majors.
Overall, the Nationals’ rebuild appears to be heading in a positive direction, with their strong farm system and promising young talent like Crews and Wood. While the team still has work to do to return to contention, the future looks bright for the franchise as they aim to build another championship-caliber team.
Is This the Worst Tweet in MLB History from the Washington Nationals.
Many social media posts haven’t aged well, but one from the Washington Nationals stands out in particular.
In August 2020, the Nationals were still basking in the glory of their World Series victory the previous fall, while the Philadelphia Phillies were struggling, heading toward a losing record and their ninth consecutive season without a playoff appearance. Before a two-game series between the rivals, the Phillies were sitting at 10-14 in last place in the NL East, while Washington was slightly better at 11-15 and in fourth place.
Despite their similar standings, the Nationals took to X (formerly Twitter) to boast about their recent dominance over Philadelphia. Unfortunately for Washington, that post has aged poorly over the past four years, as the rivalry quickly shifted in favor of the Phillies.
Since that ill-fated tweet, the Phillies have dominated the matchup, going 51-20 against the Nationals and outscoring them significantly. What was once a moment of pride for Washington has turned into a reminder of their struggles as they rebuild, while Philadelphia has emerged as one of the best teams in baseball.
The Phillies are now 51-19 since this.
It could truly be the worst tweet of all time. https://t.co/snmZ97XPPe
— Life of a Philly Fan (@PhillyFanLife) August 18, 2024
The Phillies’ Dominance Over the Nationals Since 2020.
In 2020, the Philadelphia Phillies swept the Washington Nationals in a two-game series in D.C., then swept them again in a four-game series the following week. Despite both teams missing the playoffs that year, the Phillies went 7-3 against the Nationals with a plus-18 run differential[1].
The tide turned for Philadelphia in December 2020 when they hired Dave Dombrowski as their first-ever president of baseball operations. Under his leadership, the Phillies had a winning record in 2021 and finished second in the NL East behind the Atlanta Braves.
Meanwhile, the Nationals made drastic changes, trading away stars Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber in the summer of 2021. This sent them plummeting to last place in the division as they struggled against the Phillies, going 6-13 with a minus-27 run differential.
The diverging fortunes continued in 2022. The Nationals bottomed out at 55-107 after dealing Juan Soto to the Padres[1]. The Phillies, on the other hand, got hot in October and won their first NL pennant since 2009, once again dominating the Nationals 16-3 with a plus-58 run differential.
In 2023, the Nationals improved to 71-91 but still finished last in the division for the third straight year. The Phillies made another deep playoff run before losing Game 7 of the NLCS to Arizona. They won the season series 7-6, outscoring the Nats 93-50.
The story remains the same in 2024. Philadelphia has baseball’s best record and is on track to win the NL East for the first time since 2011. The Nationals have climbed to fourth place but will likely miss the playoffs again. After taking 3 of 4 from Washington last weekend, the Phillies are 8-2 with a plus-28 run differential in the season series[.
In total, Philadelphia is 51-20 against the Nationals since the infamous 2020 tweet, outscoring them by 174 runs (2.5 per game).
The Phillies have emerged as an elite team while the Nationals rebuild, and the rivalry remains one-sided.
Prospects for the Washington Nationals Create an Unusual Spring Break Schedule.
## Washington Nationals to Play Multiple Spring Breakout Games in 2025
When Major League Baseball released the schedule for next year’s Spring Breakout games, the Washington Nationals were selected to play two games, making them the only Grapefruit League team to do so. The Chicago Cubs, who play in Arizona’s Cactus League, will also participate in two games.
The Nationals will host both of their games at their shared ballpark with the Houston Astros in West Palm Beach, Florida. They will face the Astros as the road team on March 14 and then host the New York Mets on March 16. Game times will be announced at a later date.
The first game is a rematch of the 2019 World Series, where the Nationals defeated the Astros in seven games to win their first championship. However, Washington has not had a winning season since then.
The second game is a National League East rivalry matchup against the Mets.
While the rosters have not been finalized, it is likely that many of the Nationals’ Top 30 prospects will participate in these games. Last year’s Spring Breakout featured 95 prospects who have since reached the Majors, including 35 from MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list. Additionally, 48 of the 54 players in the recent MLB Futures Game were Spring Breakout alumni.
The Nationals had three prospects selected for the Futures Game: outfielder James Wood, outfielder Dylan Crews, and third baseman Brady House. Wood has already graduated from prospect rankings, while Crews is now the No. 2 prospect in baseball and could be in line for an MLB call-up soon, as he is currently at Triple-A. The same may be true for House, who is the Nationals’ No. 2 prospect after Crews.
Both Crews and House are likely to receive invitations to MLB spring training camp, and their availability for the Breakout Games may depend on whether they are in contention for an Opening Day roster spot.
The Nationals have several other top prospects who could feature in these games, including right-handed pitcher Travis Sykora, who has been impressive at Class-A Fredericksburg, and infielder Seaver King, the team’s first-round pick from last month who is already making an impact in the minors.
Other notable prospects in the Nationals’ system include pitcher Jarlin Susana (No. 4), pitcher Alex Clemmey (No. 6), shortstop Luke Dickerson (No. 7), pitcher Cade Cavalli (No. 8), corner infielder Yohandy Morales (No. 9), and catcher Caleb Lomavita (No. 10).
The Washington Nationals’ Pitching Outlook Is Concerning.
The Washington Nationals and their fans are beginning to see a glimmer of hope after a lengthy rebuild following their World Series win in 2019. Since that championship, the team has not made the postseason, and this season marks a five-year playoff drought. However, there are signs of progress that offer some optimism.
The Nationals’ winning percentage is set to improve for the second consecutive season, suggesting they are moving in the right direction. A key factor in this optimism is the young core they are building for their lineup. C.J. Abrams made his first All-Star team this season, while Luis Garcia Jr. has excelled at second base with a .290/.325/.455 slash line over 108 games and 415 plate appearances.
Fans have also enjoyed watching star prospect James Wood make his major league debut this season. Since his promotion in July, Wood has performed well, posting a .283/.366/.441 slash line in his first 41 games and 172 plate appearances.
More reinforcements are on the way, with star outfielder Dylan Crews nearing his call-up and promising early results from Andres Chaparro, who was acquired just before the trade deadline.
While the offense appears to be in good shape, the same cannot be said for the pitching rotation. In the trade that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres, the Nationals acquired starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore along with Abrams. Gore started the 2024 season strong, but his recent drop in performance raises concerns for the franchise’s future.
As noted by Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report, Gore’s struggles, evidenced by a 6.98 ERA in his last nine starts, are troubling, especially with injuries affecting other pitchers like Josiah Gray and top prospect Cade Cavalli. This uncertainty casts a shadow over the pitching staff’s potential for 2025 and beyond.
This season, Jake Irvin has emerged as the ace of the Nationals’ staff, showing improvement in his second year, while Mitchell Parker has had some strong moments during his rookie campaign. However, Gore was expected to be the cornerstone of the rotation for years to come. If he doesn’t show signs of improvement in the coming weeks, Washington may need to rethink its long-term pitching strategy.
The manager of the Washington Nationals talks about why they traded outfield star.
Nationals Prioritize Future in Lane Thomas Trade with Guardians.
When the Washington Nationals traded outfielder Lane Thomas to the Cleveland Guardians, the return was a key factor in making the deal. The Nationals received three players in the trade: left-handed pitcher Alex Clemmey, infielder Rafael Ramirez Jr., and infielder José Tena.
General Manager Mike Rizzo felt comfortable making the trade, despite Thomas being a respected leader in the clubhouse and a mentor to the Nationals’ young outfielders. Rizzo acknowledged that Thomas meant more to the Nationals than he would to any acquiring team, but the return package met their threshold for moving him.
Before the trade, Thomas was batting .253/.331/.407/.738 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs. In his first 16 games with the Guardians, he has struggled at the plate, hitting only .113.
Clemmey and Ramirez, both 19 years old, were assigned to Class-A Fredericksburg, while Tena, 23, made his MLB debut with the Guardians last year. Tena has been impressive since joining the Nationals, batting .438 with three RBIs while starting at third base.
Rizzo was intrigued by all three prospects, although it may take some time before Clemmey and Ramirez can contribute at the Major League level. Tena, however, provides the Nationals with a potential starting option at third base, a position they addressed by trading Jeimer Candelario to the Chicago Cubs last year.
The trade also opened up more playing time for the Nationals’ young outfielders, such as James Wood, who has hit five home runs this season while batting .284.
Despite the trade, the Nationals remain focused on their long-term development. Rizzo believes that if the team takes the next step in their progression and some of their position players continue to improve, along with a few shrewd offseason acquisitions, they could be in the mix for contention in the near future.
The Nationals currently sit at 56-69, 17.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East, and are on track for another losing season. Washington has not had a winning record since their World Series championship in 2019.
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