Washington Nationals Could Make Impact Call-Up To Solve Outfield Woes
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The Washington Nationals have been pretty competitive out of the gate in the 2025 MLB regular season, overcoming a few obstacles in the process.
Injuries have been frustrating with All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, veteran slugger Paul DeJong, starting pitcher Michael Soroka and workhorse relief pitcher Derek Law all being on the injured list.
That has led to players being pushed into larger-than-anticipated roles, some of whom aren’t stepping up as much as anticipated.
One of the areas of the team that has been a disappointment thus far is the outfield.
There was a lot of excitement surrounding this group entering the campaign with the high-upside players occupying the starting spots.
Left fielder James Wood is a star in the making with his combination of power, speed and athleticism. Jacob Young is a Gold Glove-caliber defender in center field. Dylan Crews is oozing with All-Star potential in right field.
Wood’s power has been impressive with seven home runs, three doubles and three stolen bases already. Young has bounced back a bit from a brutal start that led to him being benched for a period.
Crews has been the biggest disappointment of them all to start with a .186/.219/.286 slash line across 73 plate appearances. He isn’t having the impact the team knows he is capable of, but they are going to let him work through his struggles.
If he gets to a point that keeping him in the lineup seems to be a detriment to his confidence and development, the Nationals will look to make a change.
What direction could they look to in that scenario?
One player to keep an eye on is Robert Hassell III, their No. 11-ranked prospect, whom Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com named as a potential impact call-up this season.
“If Dylan Crews can turn around this really rough start as hoped by everyone in D.C., the Nats will remain well stocked in the outfield. But if they deem they need outfield help any time soon, Hassell is waiting at Triple-A after his offseason 40-man addition,” they wrote.
The highest-ranked prospect included in the blockbuster trade package from the San Diego Padres that was centered around Juan Soto, his star dimmed over the last few years upon landing with Washington.
Injuries derailed him, and he lost his confidence at the plate.
He started to regain that old form during the Arizona Fall League and carried that momentum into spring training, where he was highly productive as well.
His production has slipped to start the Triple-A season, playing in the cold weather of New York and Pennsylvania. But, even with the slow start with the bat, he would still offer two elite skills with his defense and speed to help the Nationals with the ability to play all three outfield spots.
