Nationals Are Limping to Finish Line in Worst Way Imaginable

Just two weeks ago, on Aug. 9, the Washington Nationals won their third game in a row with an emphatic sweep over the Cincinnati Reds to stay within striking distance of a constantly fluctuating NL wild card picture with a record of 59-61.

That might as well have been years ago the way things feel at this point.

Now, the Nationals sit at 61-71. They have lost four in a row after getting swept by the Miami Marlins, and they've lost eight out of their last 10. Eight of those losses came on the road, as Washington now owns a losing road record for the first time all season after they had been one of the most lethal teams away from home throughout the year.

The Nationals have run out of steam this season, and they are limping to the finish line in the worst possible way.

Offense Has Gone Ice-Cold

Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nunez | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since Aug. 11, Washington has a wRC+ of 74 as a team. That puts them No. 25 in the majors, and it's a far cry from what they have done at the plate for the majority of the season as one of the best offenses in the sport. They have also scored just 37 total runs, which also ranks them No. 25 during this span.

Not even the incredible form of slugging first baseman Andres Chaparro can save this offense right now. He is one of five Nationals players who have a wRC+ above the league mark of 100 since Aug. 11 -- Jose Tena (173), Chaparro (167), Brady House (120), Jacob Young (116), Keibert Ruiz (106) -- but due to a lack of plate appearances for Chaparro and the rest of those hot hitters right now, House is Washington's only qualified batter who is above 100.

That does not bode well for success, especially because stars like CJ Abrams (70 wRC+), Dylan Crews (23 wRC+) and Daylen Lile (13 wRC+) have really struggled during this losing spell. Even star rookie Abimelec Ortiz, who added massive value to this lineup with his red-hot start, has performed below the league average mark with a wRC+ of 94.

The problem is that things could get worse, too. James Wood is still on the shelf because of his oblique strain. Abrams dinged up his ankle and didn't return this weekend like the Nationals were hoping for. And with Jorbit Vivas and Nasim Nunez getting everyday at-bats, there is no end in sight for these offensive struggles barring a massive turnaround or some callups taking place.

Pitching Staff Has Improved, But Still Is Struggling

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jackson Kent | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The good news is that Washington has started to see some improvements on the mound compared to how they stack up against other major league staffs. The bad news is that they are still towards the bottom when it comes to their team ERA.

Entering Sunday, they ranked No. 21 with a 4.39 ERA. Their starting rotation sat at No. 19 with a 4.59 ERA, and their bullpen was at No. 21 with a 4.14 ERA. Even more on the positive side of things, the expected ERA figures for the rotation and bullpen were 4.20 and 3.47, respectively, which shows they actually were a bit unlucky when it comes to the results that took place on the field.

Unfortunately, this improvement has come at a time when the offense has gone cold. One can only wonder what things would have looked like this season if the Nationals had a pitching staff that performed in this fashion throughout the year. But as it stands right now, it way too little, too late to impact anything from a 2026 perspective.

Hopefully, they can continue to pitch this way down the final stretch of the campaign. If that happens and the offense figures some things out, then it might not be such an agonizing crawl to the season's finish line and they would enter the winter with some momentum.

But after the way things have gone recently, it's hard to hold out hope for that to happen.

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