Nationals Have Been Dominant When They Can Build an Early Lead On Opponent
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The Washington Nationals have been a pesky team this season, looking to make some strides after winning 71 games in back-to-back campaigns.
There have been a few players ascending with their production, led by left fielder James Wood, who is turning into a legitimate superstar and MVP with his bat.
He has quickly become one of the most feared left-handed hitters in the game, and at only 22 years old, is just scratching the surface of his potential.
Wood has a .287/.380/.569 slash line with 15 home runs, 14 doubles, 40 RBI and eight stolen bases through 242 plate appearances. He has already generated a 2.5 bWAR despite not making a positive impact with his glove.
Shortstop CJ Abrams is playing like an All-Star again, realizing his immense potential on a more regular basis as well.
After representing the Nationals on the National League Team in 2024, he is putting himself in a position to be in the Midsummer Classic again.
He has a .280/.341/.506 slash line with eight home runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 19 RBI and nine stolen bases through 186 plate appearances.
Those two are buoying the team’s offensive production virtually by themselves. The only other positional players on the active roster with OPS+ numbers at or above the league average of 100 are outfielder Alex Call and super utility man Amed Rosario.
Nationals Are Tough To Beat When Scoring First
That puts a lot of pressure on the young star duo near the top of the order, but if they can get the team off to a hot start, it normally translates to a victory.
As shared by Mark Zuckerman of Masn, entering play on May 28, Washington was 18-7 in games that they scored first. When their opponent is first to strike on the scoreboard, they are an abysmal 6-23.
Your stat of the day: Nats are 18-7 this season when they score first. They're 6-23 when the opponent scores first. That's a pretty extreme difference.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) May 28, 2025
That record when scoring first has improved to 19-7 after the Nationals shut out the Seattle Mariners 9-0 on Wednesday night.
Given their youthfulness, getting off to a strong start out of the gate is crucial, giving the team some positive energy to feed off of. Playing from ahead is always easier, and Washington is taking full advantage when they can score before the team they are facing off against.
