WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – In a sport full of perfectionists, MacKenzie Gore rises above the fray. The Nationals left-hander expects the absolute best from himself, beats himself up when he doesn’t live up to that standard and always seeks improvement no matter how well his last start went.

This isn’t a recently learned trait for Gore. He didn’t just become this way as he rose up the baseball ladder. It predates everything.

“I think I’ve kind of always had that since I was 12, 14 years old,” he said. “That’s just the way I was raised. It’s just the way it should be. I think everyone should have super-high expectations. That’s just trying to get the most out of what you’re capable of.”

This mindset has worked both to and against Gore’s benefit since he joined the Nationals as part of the Juan Soto blockbuster trade in August 2022. It helps that he demands excellence from himself, and he’s got a half-dozen or so starts over the last two years that stack up with any in recent club history. It also hurts when he’s not going well, something that was all too evident last summer when he slogged his way through a lengthy pitching slump that threatened to ruin a strong season.

That slump took place over a stretch of eight starts from July 6 through Aug. 17. During that span, Gore went 1-4 with a 7.71 ERA, allowing a whopping 50 hits and 25 walks in only 35 innings. His season ERA skyrocketed from 3.47 to 4.66.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The early days of spring training are defined by two time-honored morning drills: Bullpen sessions and pitchers’ fielding practice. The former draws most of the attention, because it’s an opportunity to see pitchers work on their primary craft. But the latter, while mundane, matters quite a bit.

And that’s especially true for the Nationals this spring. After seeing several of their pitchers struggle in the field last season, there is a renewed emphasis on PFPs in this camp.

“Get off the mound, get to the ball and get an out,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We don’t want to see a spectacular play. We just want to see you make the routine play and just get an out.”

Nationals pitchers combined for minus-7 Defensive Runs Saved last season. Only two members of the staff rated higher than 1 DRS: Jake Irvin (6) and Trevor Williams (2). MacKenzie Gore (minus-3), Hunter Harvey (minus-3) and Mitchell Parker (minus-4) all rated near the bottom of the league.

Every team runs through the standard PFP drills every spring. Fielding bunts. Covering first base. Pickoff plays. So the Nats aren’t doing anything revolutionary in that regard.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals learned today they won their arbitration case against first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, a source familiar with the decision confirmed.

Lowe will make $10.3 million this season, the highest salary on the team’s current 2025 roster. He was seeking $11.1 million.

Acquired from the Rangers for reliever Robert Garcia in December, Lowe had two years of arbitration eligibility remaining. When he and the club were unable to agree to terms on their own before the leaguewide Jan. 9 deadline, they were required to submit competing arbitration figures. They wound up $800,000 apart.

A hearing was scheduled for Feb. 14, the last of nine arbitration hearings across Major League Baseball this winter, but the two sides were free to continue negotiating and could have settled on a number somewhere between the two competing offers and avoided the hearing altogether.

The Nationals actually had some recent history of settling, avoiding hearings with former outfielder Victor Robles in both 2022 and 2023 after initially filing for arbitration. In this case, they weren’t able to settle with Lowe and went to the hearing.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Ask Keibert Ruiz what he thought of his 2024 season, and the Nationals catcher doesn’t mince words.

“I was really disappointed with my season last year,” he said. “It wasn’t good, you know? I wasn’t happy.”

Ruiz then immediately flips the switch and turns his attention toward the upcoming season, one he can’t wait to get started.

“This is a new year. This is 2025, and I’m not going to think about the past. Just put my focus on this year.”

Before he could flip that switch, though, Ruiz had to take a hard look at last season. He had to be willing to accept his faults, not try to sugarcoat anything that went wrong and figure out how to improve in every possible way.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The 30 pitchers in big league camp for the Nationals bounce around from practice field to practice field, working on various fundamental drills, all of them participating, all of them encouraging each other.

But when it comes time to throw off the bullpen mounds, two of those 30 pitchers are forced to stand off to the side and watch.

Josiah Gray and Mason Thompson are the only two pitchers in camp not yet cleared to throw off the mound. Each is recovering from Tommy John surgery, the latter much closer to returning than the former.

Gray, who had his elbow ligament replaced in July, only began playing catch four weeks ago. He’s restricted to simple throws on flat ground every other day for now. He won’t be allowed to throw off a mound for some time. But the 27-year-old right-hander, an All-Star in 2023 and the Nats’ Opening Day starter in 2024, is upbeat and excited to be able to participate in any way after six months of no baseball activities at all.

“The thing about it, he gets it,” manager Davey Martinez said. “And what I love about JoJo is that he’s not just here for him. He’s here for everybody else. So he’s engaged (with) his teammates. He’s watching bullpens. And I love that about him. He wants to see his teammates do well. He knows what’s ahead of him. And he wants to get ready to help us down the road. And that’s what he’s shooting for.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – He arrived from Japan late Thursday night, exhausted from the long flight and time change, but determined nonetheless to be in the Nationals clubhouse by 8 a.m., then on the practice fields a couple hours later for his first bullpen session as a major leaguer.

And with a bank of cameras, reporters, fans and even one Japanese pitching legend (Daisuke Matsuzaka) watching his every move from a few feet away, Shinnosuke Ogasawara took the mound and threw 40 pitches (at least 10 more than anyone else on hand today) before exiting to cool down and ultimately speak with those reporters and cameras.

What was Ogasawara’s first day at Nationals camp like?

“Nervous,” the left-hander said, according to interpreter Jumpei Ohashi.

Maybe there were nerves – and who could blame the 27-year-old for that – but there was still a positive takeaway from everyone who watched and interacted with the perpetually smiling Ogasawara.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – By any reasonable measure, DJ Herz’s 2024 season was a success. The young left-hander pitched well enough in 10 starts at Triple-A Rochester to earn a promotion. And then he pitched well enough in 19 starts with the Nationals (4.16 ERA, 1.263 WHIP, 106 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings) to feel like he had established his big league credentials.

That should guarantee Herz a spot in the Nats’ Opening Day rotation this season, right? Not at all.

When the team signed two major league veteran free agents (Michael Soroka, Trevor Williams) as well as an established Japanese pitcher (Shinnosuke Ogasawara), the 2025 rotation suddenly looked overcrowded. At least two, maybe all three, of those guys are going to make the rotation. And MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin are locks, given their performances the last two seasons and high ceilings for success.

That could leave both Herz and fellow young lefty Mitchell Parker on the outside looking in. Not that they’re bothered by it.

“I feel like we only got stronger,” Herz said of the Nationals’ offseason additions. “For me, I love the competition. I don’t like feeling comfortable or complacent. I like the feeling of: I’ve got to compete and go win a spot. I think it makes me a better player. I’m excited to be with them.”

JUPITER, Fla. – Despite what looked like a modest offseason, in terms of spending on free agents, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo believes the moves he did make will help boost a talented young roster into a more successful record this year.

“The (salaries) of the players on the field is about the same, if not a little less, than it was last year,” Rizzo said. “But I think that we have a better team than we had last year.”

Speaking at Major League Baseball’s Spring Training Media Day for the five clubs that train on Florida’s East Coast, Rizzo acknowledged the Nationals did not increase payroll from 2024 but stressed the importance of the additions he did make to address some obvious roster needs.

The Nats acquired seven major league players this offseason, six via free agency (Michael Soroka, Trevor Williams, Josh Bell, Jorge López, Amed Rosario, Shinnosuke Ogasawara) and one via trade (Nathaniel Lowe). Those seven players are set to make slightly less than $40 million this season, with Lowe, Williams and Ogasawara all under club control for another season and likely to make a combined $24 million or so in 2026.

Those additions, plus the salary increases of returning players, put the Nationals’ projected Opening Day payroll at $94 million, according to Spotrac. (More than $25 million of that is going to Stephen Strasburg, who has retired, and Joey Gallo, who received a $2.5 million buyout.) Last year’s total payroll, per Spotrac, was nearly $104 million.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The first official workout of the spring saw 10 members of the Nationals pitching staff take the mound for their first bullpen sessions in front of the full coaching staff and assembled media and fans.

There were familiar faces (MacKenzie Gore, Trevor Williams, Jose A. Ferrer, Eduardo Salazar). There were semi-forgotten faces (Cade Cavalli, Joan Adon). And there were several new faces (Jarlin Susana, Evan Reifert, Tyler Stuart, Clay Helvey) were drew plenty of attention from observers getting their first look at that group.

Was there a common theme among all the throwers?

“What I liked today was that everyone looked like they were under control, throwing strikes,” manager Davey Martinez said. “Today, my message was very simple. Stay engaged. Keep where your feet are. And focus on throwing strikes. We’ve been very effective when we get ahead, and we’re going to continue to preach that.”

Perhaps the best sign of the progress the Nationals believe they’ve made in that regard: The famed “I don’t care how hard you throw ball four” signs that caused a minor stir last spring are nowhere to be found this time around.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – If you can’t be optimistic on the first day of spring training, what’s even the point?

So obviously the Nationals were optimistic Wednesday as pitchers and catchers officially reported, with a plethora of position players also already on hand at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches several days before they are required to be here.

But they also have legitimate reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season. Three years into the franchise’s rebuild, they look around the clubhouse and see a room full of promising players who could come together to produce the team’s next contender.

“Absolutely. We’ve got incredible, young, talented players here now,” right-hander Jake Irvin said. “There’s no reason we can’t win right away.”

The Nationals haven’t had a winning record since they won the World Series in 2019. They bottomed out in 2022 at an abysmal 55-107, then rebounded to go 71-91 the following season. An identical record in 2024 wasn’t what anyone had in mind, but it can be reasonably argued it still represented progress because of the arrival of several top prospects, headlined by James Wood and Dylan Crews.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – If the season began today, and the Nationals held a slim lead entering the ninth inning, who would emerge from the bullpen to close the game?

“Right now, I don’t try to think about it,” manager Davey Martinez said with a smile. “I think it’ll all shape up.”

The season doesn’t begin today, of course, and that’s probably a good thing because the Nats don’t have a complete handle on the eventual makeup of their Opening Day bullpen yet.

After non-tendering All-Star Kyle Finnegan following the season, the team has signed a couple of experienced free agents to modest contracts in right-hander Jorge López ($3 million) and left-hander Colin Poche (minor league deal). Those two join returning setup man Derek Law, promising young lefty Jose A. Ferrer, returning-from-injury Mason Thompson and inexperienced righties Eduardo Salazar, Zach Brzykcy, Orlando Ribalta and Evan Reifert in a relief corps that looks quite diminished on paper.

López is the only one in the group with anything resembling big-league closing experience, with 23 of his 31 career saves coming in 2022 with the Orioles and Twins. He is best suited in a setup role, perhaps sharing that job with always-available workhorse Law.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The face looks a little more weathered, the kind of thing that comes naturally with age. The body looks a little more bulked up, the product of an offseason spent adding 10 pounds of muscle. The smile, though, that hasn’t changed at all.

And CJ Abrams flashed that smile all morning as he walked through the Nationals’ clubhouse, chatting up teammates, coaches and reporters, then when he took the field for an informal workout. The 24-year-old shortstop was back in his element after a roller coaster of a 2024 season, determined to enjoy the 2025 campaign in every possible way.

“I’m back with the boys,” he said. “I get to play baseball with them, get better with them and just enjoy ourselves out here.”

Abrams reported to camp early, arriving Monday, more than a full week before position players are required to show up. He’s hardly the only one; more than a dozen position players are already here. But his arrival carries more significance than most.

The last time Abrams was in the Nationals’ major league clubhouse, he was informed by manager Davey Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo he was being optioned to the minors for the season’s final week after getting caught in the wee hours of the morning at a Chicago casino in advance of an afternoon game at Wrigley Field.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – When 30 pitchers and six catchers officially report for spring training this morning, and when 22 more position players officially report next week, the Nationals will begin preparing for a 2025 season that will differ from the previous three in one especially important manner.

For the first time since they tore down the last remnants of their championship roster and embarked on a franchise rebuild, they will be facing increased pressure to win.

That doesn’t necessarily mean a winning record is mandatory this year, though it would certainly be preferable after five straight losing seasons. But legitimate progress is required in 2025, from top young players realizing their full potential, to the front office making the right additions to supplement that core, to the coaching staff getting more out of these players, to ownership doing its part to provide the resources necessary to make it all happen.

The Nats won 71 games last season, same as the previous season. There’s a strong case to be made the most recent 71-win season still represented progress, given the bevy of young building blocks who joined the roster in 2024 for the first time. But everyone agreed back in late September that won’t be enough in 2025. It’s time to win more games.

“I think we should have better results next year, yes,” manager Davey Martinez said during his team’s final series. “One hundred percent.”

There are 57 players set to report to Nationals spring training in the next week-plus, 28 of them position players, 29 of them pitchers. That number is a little smaller than in some previous years, but it probably underscores the likelihood of several more free agent signings during these final days of the offseason, or even during the first few weeks of camp.

For now, though, this is your team. Only 26 of them will head north at the end of March and make the Opening Day roster. Obviously, some of them are in far better position to make the club than others, but everyone will get a chance to play in front of the big league coaching staff and front office in West Palm Beach, Fla., and make a case for himself.

You know most of these guys, but you probably don’t know all of them. So with that in mind, let’s run through the entire camp roster, with some quick thoughts on each entering the spring. We did position players yesterday, so today’s let’s run through the pitchers …

DAISON ACOSTA, RHP
The 26-year-old reliever joined the Nats organization last season and put up some impressive numbers at Double-A Harrisburg (2.89 ERA, 1.189 WHIP, 73 strikeouts in 53 innings). He got a non-roster invitation to camp this spring, where he’ll have a chance to prove if his stuff works against big league hitters.

JOAN ADON, RHP
Despite being designated for assignment this winter, the righty is still here, having cleared waivers and been outrighted off the 40-man roster. It would take a lot for him to earn his way back to the majors at this point, though.

There are 57 players set to report to Nationals spring training in the next week-plus, 28 of them position players, 29 of them pitchers. That number is a little smaller than in some previous years, but it probably underscores the likelihood of several more free agent signings during these final days of the offseason, or even during the first few weeks of camp.

For now, though, this is your team. Only 26 of them will head north at the end of March and make the Opening Day roster. Obviously, some of them are in far better position to make the club than others, but everyone will get a chance to play in front of the big league coaching staff and front office in West Palm Beach, Fla., and make a case for himself.

You know most of these guys, but you probably don’t know all of them. So with that in mind, let’s run through the entire camp roster, with some quick thoughts on each entering the spring. We’ll do position players today, then pitchers tomorrow …

CJ ABRAMS, SS
The 2024 All-Star may have biggest spotlight on him of anyone in camp after his surprise, disciplinary demotion in late September. First, he needs to satisfactorily address the situation for the first time, then he needs to prove he can play at an All-Star level the entire season.

RILEY ADAMS, C
The Nationals tendered him a guaranteed contract for $850,000 after a rough 2024 season, but he still needs to earn the No. 2 catching job over Drew Millas and Andrew Knizner. He’s out of options, so the team would have to DFA him and eat his salary if he doesn’t make the roster.

OK, you’ve made the decision to go see the Nationals this spring. And if you read yesterday’s article, you know everything you need to know about the complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., and what you can see on any particular day. But you also need to know how to get to West Palm Beach. And where to stay once you’re there. And what to eat and what to do while you’re in town and not watching baseball.

Fortunately, we’re here to help. We’ve accrued plenty of travel advice over the last eight years, and we’re happy to share it with you right now.

Flights from the D.C. area seem to be more plentiful now than they used to be. Both American Airlines and JetBlue fly several nonstops every day from Reagan National to West Palm Beach. United now has two daily nonstops from Dulles. And Southwest has five daily nonstops from BWI. If somehow none of those options work for you, you can also look at flying into Fort Lauderdale, which is only about 45 minutes away to the south.

If you’re not in that much of a hurry and would like to have your own car with you, there’s always Amtrak’s AutoTrain, which leaves from Lorton, Va., in the evening and arrives in Samford, Fla., (near Orlando) the following morning. And if you really want an adventure, you can just make the 980-mile drive straight down Interstate-95. (Good luck with that.)

Where should you stay in the area? There are several hotels located in a cluster about 1 1/2 miles east of CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches off 45th Street, but beware some very elevated prices in late February and throughout March. They know this is the one time of year there’s going to be big-time demand. For slightly lower prices, you can look to the south near the airport, or a few places farther inland. And if you’d rather go the luxury route, there are some very fine hotels and resorts in actual Palm Beach and 15 minutes up the road in Jupiter.

Maybe this hasn’t been the most exciting offseason for Nationals fans who hoped their team would return to making the kind of free agent splashes they used to make when they were annual contenders. But here’s some news that should make even the most disgruntled of fans smile: Pitchers and catchers report in eight days.

Yes, we’ve reached the home stretch of the winter. Spring training officially begins Feb. 12, at which point whatever roster the Nats have assembled will begin to prepare for the 2025 season. (Don’t be surprised if that roster changes over the course of six weeks in Florida, given how many holes still remain and how many free agents are still unsigned.)

This will be the Nationals’ 21st spring training all-time, and wow how mindboggling is that sentence. And it will be their ninth spring training in West Palm Beach, their home away from home since 2017 after a long stay in lonely Viera.

There are things about West Palm Beach that are better than Viera: The facility, the proximity to other teams, an airport that’s only 15 minutes away, lots of stuff to do in your free time. And, frankly, there are a few things that are worse than old Space Coast Stadium: More that separates you from the players, higher prices. But overall, it’s still a great experience, as most anyone who has been there will tell you.

If you haven’t been before – or if you haven’t been in a while – consider this your official fan’s guide to Nats spring training. We’ll break it into two parts. Tomorrow, we’ll focus on West Palm Beach and the surrounding area. Today, we’ll talk about the complex and what you can expect from a baseball standpoint.

The primary focus during spring training, as it usually is, will be on the big names in Nationals camp. How do James Wood and Dylan Crews look as they prepare for the second go-around in the big leagues? How do newcomers Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell, Michael Soroka and Shinnosuke Ogasawara fit in and (ideally) make the team better? How will CJ Abrams address last September’s disciplinary demotion and how he intends to move forward?

But spring training is about everyone in camp, not just the big names. And sometimes, a lesser-known name makes himself known over the course of six weeks in West Palm Beach. There’s always someone who wasn’t expected to make the Opening Day roster stepping up to force the front office’s hand. And even if he doesn’t make the team right away, often an impressive spring lays the groundwork for a promotion sometime during the season.

So, while we wait to see if (hopefully when) the Nats make any more moves before camp opens next week, let’s take a look at some lesser-known names who could become more well-known this spring …

ANDREW KNIZNER
The catching position has loomed all winter as one of the more intriguing ones on the roster. Can Keibert Ruiz get himself back on track after a miserable 2024? And which of the two holdover backup candidates (Riley Adams, Drew Millas) will make the team? Then the Nationals quietly signed Knizner to a minor league deal, with an invitation to big league camp. The Glen Allen, Va., native has big league experience, 290 games with the Cardinals and Rangers. His numbers weren’t great, but he backed up the likes of Yadier Molina and Willson Contreras, so he has learned from some of the best. It would take some tough maneuvering by the Nats to put Knizner on the roster over both Adams and Millas. But they didn’t sign the 30-year-old for nothing. They must want to at least get a look at him, while simultaneously putting some pressure on Ruiz, Adams and Millas to show real improvement.

TYLER STUART
Acquired last summer from the Mets in the Jesse Winker trade, Stuart is an intriguing pitching prospect. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound right-hander is a physical presence on the mound. And he’s delivered good numbers in three minor league seasons (3.31 ERA, 1.200 WHIP, 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings). He struggled in four late-season starts at Triple-A Rochester, so he probably needs more time to develop. But Stuart is already 25 and could warrant a look in the major league rotation if he gets off to a good start in April. His situation is not all that unlike the ones DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker found themselves in last year, and Jake Irvin the year before that. That definitely makes him someone to watch.

The Nationals announced plans Friday for more than 50 special ticket events this season, a schedule that includes the return of annual favorites such as Pups in the Park, College Days, Ladies Night and Night Out, along with eight new events including Friends Day, Hello Kitty Day and Golf Day.

Friends Day, honoring the longtime NBC sitcom, will take place May 6 against the Guardians. Fans with special tickets will receive an exclusive Screech and Teddy “Pivot!” bobblehead.

Hello Kitty Day, honoring the beloved fictional character, will be held April 8 against the Dodgers, with fans holding a special ticket receiving an exclusive light-up figurine.

The team’s first Golf Day will be held May 21 against the Braves, offering fans with special tickets, a Nats head cover and divot tool. X-Golf simulators will be available for use at the ballpark, as well.

Among the returning special events are six Pups in the Park dates (April 6, April 25, May 20, June 14, Aug. 20, Sept. 28), in which fans can bring their dogs with a special ticket. The May 20 and Aug. 20 events include postgame pup parades.

There will be no Max Scherzer reunion in D.C. this season, an idea that sounded good in theory but probably never had much serious chance of coming to fruition.

Scherzer, after waiting out a prolonged Hot Stove League in search of a job, finally found a new home Thursday, reportedly agreeing to a one-year, $15.5 million deal with the Blue Jays. It’s the right-hander’s lowest annual salary since 2013, when he was a 28-year-old in Detroit still trying to prove himself one of the game’s best pitchers.

The market for Scherzer wasn’t nearly as robust as he and agent Scott Boras probably hoped, but they had several factors working against them. Scherzer turns 41 in July. And he’s coming off an injury plagued season with the Rangers that saw him make only nine starts while compiling an un-Scherzer-like 3.95 ERA.

If the hope was to create a bidding war among multiple contending clubs interested in a three-time Cy Young Award winner’s production and leadership, it never fully materialized. Scherzer remained unsigned deep into January and earlier this week needed to hold a personal showcase in front of scouts from several teams to drum up interest and prove he’s healthy again.

The Blue Jays, who spent much of the winter missing out on a number of top-tier free agents to big-market clubs, finally came through and inked Scherzer to a deal that’s relatively modest by his standards.