Young Nationals need more consistency, more accountability

Was 2025 the most disappointing season in Nationals history? There’s a compelling argument it was.

Though four previous versions of this club (2008, 2009, 2021, 2022) produced worse records, this current group’s final mark of 66-96 might have been tougher to accept because there was genuine optimism entering this season, both from inside and outside the organization.

To see it all come crashing down in such spectacular fashion, with the final three months serving as a prolonged lame duck stretch after the July 6 firings of longtime general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez, was a bitter pill to swallow.

“It’s always tough when you go through a lot of adversity. There was a lot this year,” said Miguel Cairo, who began the year as bench coach and ended it as interim manager. “But they fought through it, they played hard and they’re fighting to the end.”

The Nationals did play better in September than they did in any of the previous three months, going 13-13 down the stretch and playing a major role in keeping the star-studded Mets from reaching October. But their brand of baseball remained unappealing throughout the majority of the 162-game marathon.

The 2025 Nats did not excel in any particular aspect of the game. They ranked 20th in the majors in runs scored, 21st in batting average, 24th in home runs and 24th in OPS. They ranked 29th in runs allowed, 29th in WHIP, 28th in strikeouts, 27th in walks and 26th in home runs allowed. Their starters had the second-worst ERA in the majors. Their relievers had the worst ERA. They were 28th in stolen base percentage. They were 27th in Defensive Runs Saved, 28th in Outs Above Average and 29th in FanGraphs’ overall team defensive metric.

On an individual level, there were impressive performances. James Wood hit 31 home runs and drove in 94 runs. CJ Abrams was one homer shy of a 20-30 season. Daylen Lile was a revelation, tying Denard Span’s club record with 11 triples and thrusting himself into the conversation for National League Rookie of the Year. MacKenzie Gore enjoyed a dominant first half that led to an All-Star selection. Brad Lord was effective as both a starter and a reliever. Cade Cavalli finally made it all the way back from Tommy John surgery and over 10 big league starts showed off the kind of stuff not seen by a Nationals starting pitcher since Stephen Strasburg.

But it never all jelled into one cohesive product. The Nats lineup could look productive one night, then get shut out the next. Guys who had good first halves faltered in the second half, and vice versa. The bullpen could be effective for one week, then a trainwreck the next.

The Nationals experienced a four-game winning streak, a five-game winning streak and a seven-game losing streak during a single, three-week stretch in May. They endured a disastrous, 11-game losing streak in June, then won seven of their next 13 games. On three separate occasions, they followed up a winning streak of at least three games with a losing streak of at least six games.

They scored 10 or more runs 12 times. They were shut out 14 times. They were, surprisingly, 24-18 in one-run games. They also were 16-45 in games decided by five or more runs.

The Nats won their season series over three opponents who made the playoffs: the Reds, Tigers and Mariners. They lost their series to the only two teams in the majors who finished with a worse record: the White Sox and Rockies.

Because of all that, and because they mostly fielded a roster overflowing with rookies and other young players who remain years away from free agency, there was no shortage of optimism still emerging from the clubhouse as a miserable season wound down.

“I’m very excited,” Lile said. “We’re a very young group, and I felt like we had a lot of positives. We showed a lot of people, especially good teams, that we’re not just going to lay down for you. We can work on everything: the team camaraderie, holding each other accountable. That can get better. But I’m very proud of this team, especially with the last week we’ve been playing. It’s uphill from here.”

What was painfully clear throughout the last six months, though, was a lack of leadership inside that clubhouse. With only one player signed beyond 2026 (catcher Keibert Ruiz, who barely played after suffering a concussion in late-June) and only a handful of veterans on short-term deals, there weren’t any experienced and trusted voices for all those promising young players to turn to in times of need.

And with an interim manager and holdover coaching staff almost certainly being let go at season’s end, there was no authority figure holding players accountable when they repeatedly made the same fundamental mistakes throughout the year.

“It all starts with day one next year, coming out in spring training and setting the tone, setting the standard right away. And really holding each other accountable from the start,” outfielder Dylan Crews said. “I think a lot of times this year we were able to brush things under the rug, and we should’ve said something. I think from the start next year, we really need to hold each other accountable and set the tone, find the standard for next year.”

There will be a new person in charge of the entire production soon when Paul Toboni is officially named president of baseball operations after spending the last decade climbing the Red Sox organizational ladder to earn an opportunity to run another organization. Toboni then needs to hire a manager and spend however many dollars he’s allotted by ownership on players who can help the returning group of core young guys realize their full potential.

If and when that happens, those who had to endure through the misery of 2025 will appreciate the long road they had to take to reach the promised land.

“I think there’s a lot to look forward to,” Wood said. “I’m sure people are probably sick of hearing that, but I really feel good about the group we’ve got in here. I feel like we’ve got guys who are capable of playing at an elite level. I think next year if we can just bring it all together and find a groove and keep rolling with it, I feel like we could be a really good team.”