Don't Expect Nationals to Change Their Platoon Approach Next Season
In this story:
No matter what the final record says at the end of the year, there's no arguing that this season has been a successful one for the Washington Nationals under the leadership of new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and new manager Blake Butera.
Those two aren't the only ones who should get recognition for what has taken place in the nation's capital to date. But they are the faces of this operation. So no matter what happens, they are going to get the credit when things are good and the blame when things are bad.
With that in mind, it's clear the organization should start looking ahead to 2027. And after Year 1 on the job for both Toboni and Butera, there likely will be some changes heading into next season. However, one of the main things that isn't expected to altered is their platoon usage.
Nationals Likely To Be Heavy Platooning Team in 2027
Entering Friday's set of games, the Nationals lead Major League Baseball in runs scored (676), home runs hit (182) and slugging percentage (.434). They are also second in OPS (.765) and are top 10 in both batting average (.249) and on-base percentage (.325).
While there are still things this group can improve upon next year, what Washington has done so far this season has turned heads across the sport. This new regime turned a group that has been offensively challenged into one of the most feared runs producers in the majors.
A lot of that has to do with their belief in platooning. Simply put, the Nationals want to put their players in the best possible chance to succeed. So they play right-handed hitters against lefty pitchers and vice versa, which has allowed this lineup to explode throughout the entirety of the campaign.
Because of that, don't expect them to change their approach anytime soon, as team insider Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic (subscription required) stated, "I don't imagine they'll deviate from it next year."
Of course, at a certain point, Washington will want to have a group of everyday players who can produce regardless of what type of matchup they are in. But for now, as they try to maximize everything they can get out of a group that had been one of the worst teams in the majors for the past handful of years, they are going to stick with what they know has been successful.
So, as the page starts getting turned to 2027 and everyone tries to figure out how the Nationals can take that next step to get back into the playoffs, the one thing that isn't expected to change is their platooning strategy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai