Senzel "super excited" about playing with Abrams

Much has already been made of Nick Senzel’s friendship with Lane Thomas (with more to come) and how that factored into his decision to sign a one-year, $2 million deal with the Nationals that includes an extra $1 million in incentives.

But there were other enticing aspects of joining the Nats that the 28-year-old considered when making his decision.

Of course, the opportunity to play third base, his natural position, every day after moving all over the field during his five-year career with the Reds was one.

Another factor was who he would be playing alongside on the left side of the infield.

CJ Abrams emerged as the Nats’ shortstop of the future this season after putting together a promising campaign. The 23-year-old slashed .245/.300/.412 with a .712 OPS, 28 doubles, six triples, 18 home runs, 64 RBIs and a new Nats single-season club record 47 stolen bases. Defensively, he posted a 4 Defensive Runs Saved at shortstop.

Abrams improved as the season progressed. He only hit .215 with a .624 OPS, eight walks and six stolen bases through his first 63 games. Over his last 88 outings, he hit .265 with a .767 OPS, 24 walks and 41 steals. At short, he was charged with only eight errors over his final 71 games while making highlight-reel plays almost every night along the way.

That flashy play caught the attention of everyone around baseball, including Senzel, who remembers playing against Abrams when he briefly started his major league career with the Padres.

“He's a super talented player,” Senzel said of Abrams during a Zoom call with local reporters on Tuesday. “Athletic, really good at shortstop. I'm just excited to be around him, learn from him, try to mentor him in any way I can, be there for him. Just watching from the other side, I saw him in his first year in San Diego and just even the way he's grown – he's just still so young – even the way he's grown in the last couple of years, I mean, it's almost exponential. Last year, you really started to see him come into his own with the more at-bats and the more games he's playing. Really excited to be on that left side with him.”

Although they are five years apart in age, Senzel and Abrams do share some similarities in their respective careers. Both were born in the Atlanta area. Both were first-round picks: Senzel second overall by the Reds in 2016 and Abrams sixth overall by the Padres in 2019. Both were top prospects with high expectations in their respective organizations. And now both are playing with the Nationals as their second major league team, though they took different paths to arrive in Washington.

Abrams, of course, was included in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade last year and is now a part of a young core looking to bring the Nationals back to contention. Senzel, on the other hand, was non-tendered by the Reds in November and now will try to revitalize his career on a one-year deal with the Nats, while the club also holds his rights for 2025.

Regardless, the two could pair up nicely on the left side of the Nats infield, something that Senzel looks forward to heading into spring training.

“Super excited. Young, talented kid,” Senzel said in an exclusive interview during “The Hot Stove Show” on MASN. “Even seeing him in his first little taste with the Padres and then seeing him to now and just seeing how much he's grown and how much better he's gotten. The talent's off the charts. He has all five tools, really good defender. I'm just here to help in any way. Just to be able to play with him on the left side and compete with him, I'm super excited.”