Nationals Monday Fastball: Handing Out Position Grades for Month of May

The month of May was a success for the Washington Nationals.

They survived a daunting span of 16 consecutive games by beating two first-place teams to close out the stretch. They then finished by winning two out of three against the San Diego Padres that secured them a winning record in May and the most victories in a single month since 2023. Now, entering Monday's action against the Miami Marlins, the Nationals have a 31-29 record and are only one game out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League.

Washington's success stemmed from a lot of different places, but how did each position group perform over the entirety of the month? Below are the grades that have been handed out.

Manager

Grade: A

Sure, there are some things that have come back to bite Blake Butera when he aggressively manages a game. But for the most part, he's been excellent in his first year as a major league manager, and that was on display throughout the month of May.

After coming into the season with expectations that the Nationals could be the worst team in baseball, Butera has pushed this young team to a winning record entering June and has overseen one of the best offenses in the sport. The 33-year-old has been a huge plus for Washington, and he gets and "A" for what he did in May.

Starting Rotation

Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Grade: B

Following a rough start to the season, the pitching staff has turned things around. And during May is when the starting rotation really began to find their groove.

Cade Cavalli, the ace of this staff, posted an ERA of 3.41 across five starts. He showed signs of being the No. 1 that this organization envisioned coming into the campaign, which is great going forward. But two of his rotation mates had better months, as Zack Littell was phenomenal with a 2.35 ERA across his six outings, and Miles Mikolas posted an ERA of 2.74 across his five. Washington had to be creative when it came to those two veterans by putting openers in front of them at times, but that got the most out of them in May, which was a huge plus.

Still, there was some meat left on the bone, which is why that unit received a "B." Foster Griffin came back down to earth with a 4.86 ERA following his sizzling start to the year, and Jake Irvin had an ERA of 5.73 in May before being placed on the injured list.

Bullpen

Washington Nationals pitcher Brad Lord | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Grade: B+

This looked like the worst unit in the majors at the start of the season. But they completely turned things around in May with a collective ERA of 4.09 that put them tied for No. 18 across Major League Baseball during the month.

It's been an impressive reversal for this bullpen, and some key contributors emerged for Butera in May that could bode well for the rest of the year. Clayton Beeter and Cole Henry have each posted ERAs of 0.00 since returning from the IL across their respective five and two appearances. Brad Lord had a 1.17 ERA and PJ Poulin's was 1.93 before he was optioned back to Triple-A. Orlando Ribalta has looked the part in his return to the majors, as he posted a 1.98 ERA across his 13 appearances.

There are still weak spots across this relief staff, and that will likely continue to be the case for the entirety of the season. But considering how this bullpen performed at the beginning of the year compared to how they look now, even a "B" grade might be too low for what they did in May with a 6-6 collective record and 12 saves.

Catcher

Grade: A

Perhaps this mark is a bit too inflated, but the performance of Keibert Ruiz throughout the month was spectacular. With a .379/.383/.724 slash line, four home runs, 16 RBIs and a wRC+ of 206, he was the team's most productive all-around hitter in May. And when adding in his improved defense, as well, the perception about the 27-year-old has changed a lot following two disappointing seasons.

But the reason why the catching duo gets an "A" is because Drew Millas was also solid in his backup role with two home runs and six RBIs across his 14 games. While his slash line of .200/.289/.375 and 89 wRC+ left something to be desired, he provided good defense when it was his turn to catch, which is all that can be asked out of the secondary backstop.

Overall, Ruiz's emergence was the biggest thing that came out of May for Washington. Now all eyes will be on him to see if he can sustain it.

Infield

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Grade: B-

This is where things get a bit trickier. Because when it comes to offense, most of the regular infield players were exceptional. But defensively, there was a lot to be desired when it comes to that part of the game, which is why their grade is a "B-" for May.

Starting with the offensive side of things, the infield had a good month. Curtis Mead, CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. all had wRC+ numbers over the league average mark of 100 with their figures coming in at 158, 153 and 126, respectively. That trio also combined for 12 home runs and 48 RBIs, which is monstrous production. Even Andres Chaparro and Brady House had wRC+ numbers over 100 during their limited time with the Nationals in May. However, there were some other regulars who struggled.

Jose Tena, Jorbit Vivas and Nasim Nunez all had wRC+ values below 100, as they finished the month with figures of 91, 62 and 34, respectively. And with Nunez starting at second base, his lack of offense has started to become a real issue. Then add in the fact that Tena and Vivas each appeared in 20-plus games in May, and there was some steep drop in production.

Defensively is where things get even more bleak. Nobody in May had an outs above average value above zero, as Garcia was the only one who didn't finish in negative numbers. Even Nunez, who has some highlight-worthy plays across the infield this season, struggled with a minus-two in OAA for the month.

So overall, there were a lot of bright spots when it came to the offensive side of things in May for the infield. But their poor defense and struggles across the secondary unit docked their grade.

Outfield

Washington Nationals otufielder James Wood | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Grade: B

The conversation about the outfield unit is a similar one to the infield. Offensively, James Wood was unbelievable with a .311/.425/.557 slash line, six homers, 15 RBIs and a wRC+ of 176. Jacob Young has also found his groove at the plate, as he posted a wRC+ of 103 and bashed five home runs that is already the most he's ever hit in a single season in the majors.

But Joey Wiemer was optioned to Triple-A Rochester after he cooled off. Dylan Crews has struggled during his return with a .220/.256/.317 slash line and a 61 wRC+. And Daylen Lile has been disappointing following his incredible rookie year where he was the story of the final months of the 2025 season.

The outfield was much more solid in May on the defensive end, though. Young is back in the mix for a Gold Glove after recording nine outs above average, and Lile was plus-two in OAA. Wood was the only outfielder who played in 10 or more games who finished with a negative number in OAA, as Crews posted a zero across his 10 contests.

All in all, it was a good month for the Nationals, as they finished May with a winning record and the most wins they've had in a single month in three years. There is still plenty they need to work on, but this stretch should have given them confidence that they can compete against some of the best teams in baseball despite the low expectations that were surrounding them coming into the year.

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