Nationals Could Give Andres Chaparro Larger Role in High-Risk, High-Reward Move
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One of the most under-the-radar storylines of the second half of this season is the fact that Washington Nationals slugger Andres Chaparro has been one of the best hitters in the sport.
Since the All-Star break, he has slashed .304/.392/.710 with seven home runs, seven doubles and 25 RBIs across 27 games and 69 at-bats. His 1.102 OPS leads Major League Baseball. He also has a 196 wRC+ during this span, as he's turned himself into someone to fear at the plate.
The only problem for both Chaparro and the Nationals is that he's been used primarily against lefties in a platoon at first base with star rookie prospect Abimelec Ortiz. However, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic (subscription required) thinks that could change in the near future.
Nationals Could Try Andres Chaparro at Third Base
The insider wondered if Washington would be willing to utilize Chaparro at third base against right-handed pitchers in 2027 while playing Brady House -- who has thrived against lefties but has struggled against righties -- in the platoon matchup that benefits him.
That would be a high-risk, high-reward move. Chaparro has three innings at the hot corner across two major league appearances. Both came this season, however, so there at least is some trust between this coaching staff and Chaparro that he could log innings at that spot in the bigs.
Chaparro also came up the ranks as a third baseman. He played 445 games and 3,735 innings there in the minors compared to 195 games and 1,612 innings at first. But there were questions about his ability to play the hot corner in the majors, which is one of the reasons why he change positions in the first place.
Paying Chaparro at third base against righties would also deviate from what the Nationals have done under manager Blake Butera, as he and the organization have heavily leaned into platoon advantages. That's expected to remain the same next year, too, which means they would likely search for a left-handed-hitting third baseman to spell House when a righty is on the mound.
But if Washington is leaning towards giving Chaparro more at-bats -- something he has earned -- then they might has well try to see if he can play third base to close out this season and if his numbers against right-handers -- .364/.400/.727 slash line across 19 games and 33 at-bats -- will translate with the more plate appearances he gets in those matchups.
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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