Nationals Falling Short of Underwhelming Expectations Coming Into Season

The Washington Nationals have not taken the steps forward many predicted.

Jun 25, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Washington Nationals pinch hitter Josh Bell (19) reacts after striking out during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals were a team that everyone was keeping an eye on last winter as they looked to be on the cusp of taking that next step in their rebuild.

Despite winning 71 games for the second year in a row, there were some legitimate signs of improvement throughout the 2024 campaign, especially after the team made a concerted effort to get their young guys some consistent playing time.

Star prospects, such as left fielder James Wood and right fielder Dylan Crews, made their MLB debuts. Center fielder Jacob Young emerged as a perennial Gold Glove contender.

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The starting rotation consisted of four young, talented pitchers: MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, DJ Herz, and Mitchell Parker. Their bullpen featured what looked to be a future closer in Jose A. Ferrer.

Alas, ownership and the front office determined the team was not quite ready to make a postseason push.

Instead of spending lavishly in free agency, chasing the likes of Pete Alonso or Alex Bregman, the team took half-measures and targeted veterans on short-term deals as stop-gaps.

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First baseman Nathaniel Lowe, acquired in a trade from the Texas Rangers, and starting pitcher Trevor Williams, who re-signed with the Nationals on a two-year deal, were the only players who were under team control beyond the 2025 campaign.

It was a strategy that has not paid off, with the offseason additions providing very little positive impact on the team.

As a result, Washington, which entered the season with low expectations, has failed to meet them.

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In this week’s MLB power rankings over at The Athletic (subscription required), they took a look back at what each team’s preseason playoff odds were and what they are today.

The Nationals weren’t expected to make much noise with a 2.9% chance, but haven’t even been that competitive with their odds now sitting at 0.1%.

Entering play on July 8, their 37-53 record is a winning percentage of .411, which is lower than the .438 they recorded the last two seasons.

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Manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo were recently fired, a result of more underwhelming performance on the field.

Sitting in last place of the National League East, they are trending toward their fifth season of finishing in the cellar of the division since winning the World Series in 2019.

There is some talent to work with for whoever takes over as manager and general manager, but a large undertaking awaits to get the team back to being a contender.

For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.