WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals’ third game of the Grapefruit League season today will feature a new wrinkle that wasn’t a part of their first two games: The ABS challenge system.

ABS, which stands for “Automated Balls and Strikes,” is the so-called “robot ump” that calls pitches based on a group of camera angles and predetermined measurements for each batter. It’s been in use in the minor leagues for a few years now, and Major League Baseball is testing it out in some spring training games this year to see how it works at the highest level of the sport.

This isn’t the full-fledged robot ump, though. The plate umpire still makes every call on every pitch taken by the batter. But if a particular call looks to be wrong, either the batter, the catcher or the pitcher is allowed to challenge it by tapping his head.

The ABS system then kicks in, and on the stadium scoreboard for all to see, a digital strike zone is shown with the location of the pitch in question, followed by the correct call. It’s all done in a matter of seconds.

Here’s the catch: Each team is only allowed to get two challenges wrong per game. Nobody wants to run out of them, so the decision when and how often to use them becomes paramount.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It wasn’t the kind of hit most will remember. Dylan Crews has and will hit plenty more pitches a lot harder and create a lot more damage than he did with the slider he got from Astros reliever Miguel Castro in the Nationals’ exhibition opener Saturday afternoon.

But ask Crews about that bloop RBI single over a drawn-in infield and his eyes immediately light up. He knows how important that seemingly nondescript moment on Feb. 22 was in the broader scale of his development as a major leaguer.

“For sure,” he said. “I think you learn something new every day. I’m trying to get better every day, and this is why we’re doing this right now in spring training. Trying to really just look at the details of what the game’s providing you, and then trying to succeed as much as you can. So then when you get to the season, they just almost happen naturally.”

Why was that bloop base hit so significant? Because of the situation it came in (runner on third, less than two outs) and because of the type of pitch it came on (an 0-2 slider off the plate).

Crews did a lot of things well in his first five weeks in the big leagues last fall. He smoked fastballs with authority. He excelled in right field. He ran the bases well.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – There were nerves, plenty of them, Shinnosuke Ogasawara admitted. And when the first major league batter he’d ever faced, Tyrone Taylor, ripped a ball to deep left-center, the Japanese left-hander held his breath for a moment as he waited to see where it would land.

Once Jacob Young tracked it down at the base of the wall, Ogasawara could breathe easy again. This was just another baseball game, ultimately an 11-6 drubbing of a split-squad Mets team, albeit one a continent away from every other baseball game he’d ever pitched.

And though his one-inning Nationals spring training debut included a healthy amount of loud contact, it nevertheless ended with a zero on the scoreboard and a wide smile on Ogasawara’s face.

“Of course the first hitter, he got good contact,” he said, via interpreter Jumpei Ohashi. “I was kind of nervous and upset, but after that it’s fine.”

Ogasawara’s first Grapefruit League outing lasted only eight pitches. The notorious strike-thrower lived up to that reputation, never reaching the fourth pitch to any of the four Mets batters he faced. He threw mostly fastballs, amped up a bit and reaching 92 mph, and never got to his slider before the inning was over.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals’ second game of the exhibition season provides a first opportunity for the team’s new infield to work as one unit.

Today’s lineup against the Mets features returning shortstop CJ Abrams and second baseman Luis García Jr., plus new first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and third baseman Paul DeJong. It’s a quartet club officials believe could work extremely well together.

“We should be able to catch the ball,” manager Davey Martinez said. “And I’m looking forward to our pitchers getting on the mound and watching those guys work.”

The Nats knew they were getting a premier defensive first baseman when they traded reliever Robert Garcia for Lowe (who won the Gold Glove Award in 2023 with the Rangers). They believe his presence will especially aid García and Abrams, who now have a security blanket to their left.

“He catches the ball. He makes all the plays,” Martinez said. “It’s a good target for our infielders to throw over there as well. It makes things a lot easier.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – One of the most intriguing stories of the spring is the quest to find out if Shinnosuke Ogasawara is good enough to be successful against major league hitters. The Nationals have scouted the Japanese left-hander plenty, and they’ve seen him throw plenty during the first week-plus of spring training. But now they’re finally going to start to find out how he fares against a real opponent.

There’s only so much they can learn from the one inning Ogasawara is scheduled to pitch this afternoon against a split-squad Mets lineup. But it’s still going to be more tangible evidence than anything else they’ve gotten to date.

The Nats pulled off a 6-3 win over the Astros in Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener, despite a number of regulars sitting out. Those guys will be in the lineup today, so get ready to see CJ Abrams, Luis García Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe, in particular against Mets reliever Ty Adcock, who gets the start.

And, yes, you can indeed see this game in its entirety on MASN, the network’s 2025 spring debut telecast. Tune in at 1 p.m. for all the action live from West Palm Beach.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS (ss)
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 1:05 p.m.
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 980 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 74 degrees, wind 9 mph in from right field

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Robert Hassell III has been here before. One year ago, in his spring training debut, the Nationals prospect went 2-for-3 with a triple. Three days later, he homered. By the end of March, he sported a .357 batting average and 1.198 OPS.

So there was a comfort level for Hassell when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a tie game this afternoon. Sure, he was annoyed at striking out in his first at-bat back in the fifth and lining out his next time up in the eighth. Here, though, was another opportunity to make a statement.

And that’s just what Hassell did, driving a two-out, two-strike pitch from Astros reliever Joey Mancini off the left field wall for a three-run double, the decisive blow in the Nats’ 6-3 victory to open the Grapefruit League season.

“I think I’m more prepared, for sure,” he said when asked to compare this spring to the previous one. “I think last year, they were coming right at me, the pitchers were. It wasn’t too fast for me, but just like today, I was getting down in counts a little bit. But I’m definitely more comfortable just from being here, for sure.”

A year ago, Hassell wasn’t able to parlay a strong spring into a strong regular season. Hampered yet again by a persistent hand injury, he was limited to 85 games between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester. He batted just .241, slugged just .328, totaled just 16 extra-base hits in 362 plate appearances.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A bunch of guys are going to play for the Nationals today in their Grapefruit League opener against the Astros. But not everyone.

Some prominent regulars are being held back and are expected to debut Sunday against the Mets, including CJ Abrams, Luis García Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe. That’s the routine in late February, when hardly anyone plays in back-to-back games.

Then there are those players who aren’t ready to take the field for game action quite yet. And there are some significant names on that list.

Most notable is James Wood, who has been dealing with right quad tendinitis. The 22-year-old outfielder continues to take batting practice, and on Friday he was cleared to begin light running. But there doesn’t appear to be a rush to get him into games just yet.

“He’s been hitting. He’s starting to a run a little bit,” manager Davey Martinez said. “But we’re kind of going to slow play this a little bit and try to nip this in the bud.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Who’s ready for some baseball? I can assure everyone here is, having made it through 10 days of pitchers and catchers and eventually full-squad workouts. Those days get tedious toward the end, and everyone is itching to get the Grapefruit League started this afternoon.

The Nationals are on the road for their opener, but that doesn’t mean they have to pack their bags and board a bus to go anywhere. Because they’re facing their co-residents of CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, all they have to do is make sure they’re wearing gray pants and prepare to bat in the top of the first. It’s not a bad situation at all.

Jake Irvin gets the ball for the opener, and the right-hander is thinking big things for his 2025 season. Irvin knows consistency is the name of the game, and while there’s only so much he can during his one scheduled inning this afternoon, he can get things off on a right foot with a quick, easy frame against Houston.

The Astros have split-squad games today, so half of the team is headed up to Port St. Lucie to face the Mets while the other half stays here for this game. Their starter this afternoon is Ryan Gusto, a 25-year-old right-hander who had a 3.70 ERA and 141 strikeouts last season at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Facing Gusto is a Nats lineup featuring some, but not all, of the regulars. With CJ Abrams sitting until Sunday, it'll be Dylan Crews in the leadoff spot and Amed Rosario at shortstop. We'll also see Keibert Ruiz behind the plate and Josh Bell serving as designated hitter.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – If there was any reason to debate who will hold the top spot in the Nationals’ batting order to begin the season, Davey Martinez put it to rest today with a fairly definitive revelation.

“CJ is going to lead off,” the eighth-year manager said. “The 3-4-5 will be kind of different. The 2-spot might be a little different at times. But we do know CJ’s going to lead off for us, and we’ll go with that for now.”

So there you have it: CJ Abrams will reclaim the leadoff spot he held for the majority of the 2024 season but did lose at one point when he was struggling at the plate.

The Nats have long believed in Abrams as their long-term answer at the top of the lineup. And over a 13-month stretch from July 2023 into August 2024, he held that job nearly every day, batting .252 with a .318 on-base percentage, .441 slugging percentage, 111 runs scored, 35 doubles, nine triples, 28 homers, 89 RBIs and 56 stolen bases.

But Abrams’ second half slump last summer prompted Martinez to move him out of the leadoff spot for a while, giving him a chance to clear his mind and hopefully get himself back on track. During that stretch – and during the final week of September after Abrams was demoted to the minors for disciplinary reasons – rookie Dylan Crews took over the No. 1 position in the order.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – After 10 days of official workouts, not to mention plenty more unofficial workouts that took place before camp actually opened, the Nationals are undoubtedly ready for something different. Like exhibition games, which fortunately start showing up on the schedule Saturday.

“Yeah, we’re ready,” manager Davey Martinez said. “As I’ve said before, these guys have been here for a while now. They’re itching to get out there and compete.”

The Nationals wrapped up the first portion of spring training today with one final full-squad workout on the back fields behind CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. They’ll finally set foot inside the main stadium Saturday to face the Astros in both teams’ Grapefruit League opener.

Don’t expect the entire projected Opening Day lineup to be out there right off the bat. We already know James Wood (who is dealing with left quad tendinitis) is being held back for the moment. It also sounds like CJ Abrams will sit Saturday, with veteran utilityman Amed Rosario getting the nod at shortstop.

“We’re still in February,” Martinez said. “I’m going to give everybody a chance to get out there and play and get going. We’ve just got to be careful. The ultimate goal is to keep everyone healthy and get them ready for Opening Day at the end of March.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It was posted on the Nationals’ official “X” account one week ago, Feb. 14. The caption read: “Jacob but he goes by Jacked ??” The accompanying photo showed Jacob Young in a batting cage, holding his bat behind his head as he looked at someone (A teammate? A coach?) behind and to the right of the camera, which was positioned at a low angle looking up at him in a way that highlighted his surprisingly large biceps.

At last check, the post had generated more than 203,000 views. Which is only slightly more than the number of texts Young received about the photo.

“More than anything else that’s ever been put out there of me,” he said with a laugh.

Was that an accurate depiction, Young was asked, of the size of his arms?

“No,” he said, laughing again. “I think, honestly, good angle. Whoever was on the camera deserves a raise from me.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – As Saturday’s exhibition opener creeps closer, the Nationals are trying to make sure they cover all their bases during these final days of full-squad workouts. Literally.

This morning’s session included the entire defense on the field as one, specifically working on proper relay technique. Outfielders tracked down balls hit to the gaps or corners. Infielders positioned themselves to either receive the relay throw, back up the relay throw or cover an open base. Pitchers ran to their correct backup position in foul territory.

It can all sound mundane, especially for players at the major league level. But manager Davey Martinez pointed out the importance of everyone involved getting it right.

“It is repetitive, but what we’re trying to teach them is: These things do matter,” Martinez said. “The dropping of the ball, the making of a good throw to the bases, to understand that you don’t leave your feet if the guy throws the ball, we’ve got a trail guy behind, all that stuff. Believe it or not, when you see them do it, sometimes they forget. As I always say … we treat these guys like they’re from Mars, they don’t know anything from the game.”

Martinez believes the Nationals cost themselves runs during the course of the 2024 season with seemingly little mistakes that allowed runners to take extra bases (especially trailing runners). That’s why he wants all cut-offs to be caught cleanly, and why he wants the other infielders and pitchers in correct position to cover bases or back up the play in case someone does try to steal an extra 90 feet.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – MASN will televise eight Nationals Grapefruit League games this spring, the team announced today, including one of this year’s two Spring Breakout Games featuring top prospects.

The first televised game will be Sunday, when the Nats host the Mets at 1 p.m. at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, one day after their exhibition opener against the Astros.

After that comes a stretch of four televised games in six days: March 4, 6 and 8 against the Cardinals (the first two at 1 p.m., the last at 12 p.m.), then March 9 against the Mets in Port St. Lucie (1 p.m.).

The March 16 game against the Mets at 5 p.m. also will be televised, but this one features top prospects from both clubs as part of Major League Baseball’s Spring Breakout series. Last year’s game saw the likes of Dylan Crews, James Wood, Brady House, Jarlin Susana, Travis Sykora, Trey Lipscomb and Mitchell Parker take the field to face New York’s best young talent.

The Nationals play another Spring Breakout Game on March 14 against the Astros.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Two weeks into the new year, the Nationals had only one relief pitcher on their roster with any kind of substantial big league experience: Derek Law. Clearly, Mike Rizzo still had plenty of work to do before the start of spring training.

The process remains slow, but the Nats have managed to add three experienced relievers over the last month. They signed right-hander Jorge López to a $3 million deal on Jan. 11. They signed left-hander Colin Poche to a minor league deal on Feb. 7. And then on Wednesday they signed right-hander Lucas Sims to a $3 million deal.

At long last, a bullpen that was woefully short on proven arms now has four veterans to take some pressure off the organization’s young relievers.

“These guys have done it. They understand it. They’ve done it at the major league level,” manager Davey Martinez said. “They can teach our younger guys what it takes to go out there and compete, to be put in these high-leverage situations. Talk to them about controlling your heartbeat, always being ready, what their routine is like in every situation. I’m excited about the guys we brought in, the veteran guys, because they’re willing to do that.”

All three newly signed veterans have said the right things about their individual responsibilities and their desire to mentor younger teammates who haven’t been through the meat grinder before.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Two days into full-squad workouts, more than a few observers have noticed a crispness to the Nationals’ infield defense that wasn’t always there last year.

With middle infielders CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr. returning, now joined on the corners by Nathaniel Lowe and Paul DeJong, the unit as a whole looks sharper than it did last season.

“We’ve got to catch the baseball. We talk about it all the time,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We were really good in the beginning, and toward the second half we were not good at all. We’ve got to be consistent, and I think with the guys we brought in … they’re going to help our young guys.”

Lowe takes over at first base, already the proud owner of a Gold Glove Award from 2023 when he was with the Rangers. DeJong, just signed this week, doesn’t look inexperienced at third base, even though he only moved there from shortstop in the middle of the 2024 season.

Abrams is still working on his fielding mechanics and can look a bit stiff at times, but the organization believes the All-Star shortstop is primed to make significant strides after his second half struggles last season.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals have added a much-needed experienced arm to their bullpen, albeit one trying to bounce back from a rough year.

Veteran Lucas Sims formally signed a one-year deal with the Nats this morning, the 30-year-old right-hander getting a major league contract and thus a near-guaranteed spot on the Opening Day staff.

Needing to clear space on the 40-man roster, the club placed Mason Thompson (who had Tommy John surgery last spring) on the 60-day injured list.

Sims, who was in uniform and ready to participate in today’s workout, is behind his new teammates by a week but believes his late signing won’t impact his ability to be ready for the regular season.

“I was patient. I had a good situation in the offseason out in Arizona. I was content,” he said. “I was able to get my work in. I knew whenever a deal came together that I was going to be ready to go. I’m glad it worked out.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Josiah Gray knows exactly where he currently stands in his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

“I’m about six months and three weeks in,” he said. “It’ll be seven months on the 24th.”

Forgive the Nationals right-hander for being able to recite such specific mileposts off the top of his head. It’s just the way it is for any rehabbing pitcher. It’s about the only way to stay sane throughout this long, arduous process.

Since he went under the knife July 24 to have his torn elbow ligament replaced and have an internal brace implanted in the elbow to further stabilize everything, Gray has known when he’ll be allowed to do what.

For six months, all he could do was exercise and physical therapy. Nothing with a baseball allowed. Then on Jan. 27, he finally got to cross a major item off the rehab list when he played catch for the first time since surgery.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Before his team took the field for the first official full-squad workout of the spring, Davey Martinez gathered everyone together this morning for his first “Circle of Trust” meeting of the spring.

No, there weren’t any camels. Nor any other live animals. Yet. (There’s still five weeks of camp to go, of course.)

There was, however, a message from the manager that didn’t resemble any of the previous seven camp-opening messages he has delivered during his time here. Martinez’s first four teams were veteran-laden squads that expected to win big. His last three teams were firmly in the rebuilding category, with long-term development taking precedence over short-term success.

The tone this year, Martinez believes, should be different.

“I hear a lot about how our core guys are going to be really good, and they’re coming. I don’t really want to hear that anymore,” he said. “I told them today: ‘We’re here. This is the core. These are the guys we anticipated would be here. You guys are here. You got your feet wet. It’s time to go out there and perform every day, go 1-0 every day.’

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – James Wood sat out defensive drills on the first day of full-squad workouts, the Nationals left fielder hampered by left quadriceps tendinitis.

Wood insisted it’s nothing serious, and he was able to take batting practice today with no apparent issues. The ailment has been bothering him since the offseason, though, enough to warrant an MRI. That test, Wood said, showed no structural damage.

“It’s just inflammation,” he said. “The muscle’s just a little (ticked) off. I trust the training staff. I feel good about everything I’m doing, so I have no doubt I’ll be just fine.”

Asked what his level of concern is, Wood replied: “Zero.”

Wood has been a regular presence on the practice fields for the last week as one of many early-arriving position players who took batting practice and faced live pitching. But when the entire squad officially assembled today and everyone took his place in the field, Wood stayed back and watched from foul territory as Alex Call and Juan Yepez alternated drills in left field.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – There’s no ill will. Josh Bell wished he could’ve been a National this entire time, but he has always understood why Mike Rizzo included him in the Juan Soto trade package that brought five prospects to D.C. in August 2022 and remade the franchise for the long term.

“That’s just baseball,” he said. “I would have made the same move.”

Bell felt that way at the time, he felt that way in the 2 1/2 years since as he bounced from San Diego to Cleveland to Miami to Arizona. And he still feels that way now, thrilled to be back where this little odyssey began, reunited with the Nationals after signing a $6 million deal with them this winter.

It’s a Nationals team that looks very different from the one he parted.

“You see what we got in return,” he said.