Nationals Are Back Into Their Scrappy Underdog Role, Which Could Help Them Shock MLB
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Now that the dust has settled on the Washington Nationals following a grueling stretch of 17 consecutive games that featured a little bit of everything, it's good to take a step back and assess where this team is situated in the landscape of Major League Baseball.
For starters, it's clear they are not going to win the NL East. They entered Monday in fourth place and 13 games back from the Atlanta Braves. So, barring something historical taking place, the Nationals need to have their sights set on the wild card if they are going to make the playoffs.
That is much more doable. They are 4.5 games out of the final spot, as the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies hold slots No. 2 and No. 3 with an identical record of 63-56. Catching those teams won't be easy, but Washington is now back in their underdog role, which could allow them to shock the baseball world.
Nationals Trying to Thread the Needle Following Deadline Selloff
It's hard to believe there were actual discussions about the Nationals not selling off pieces ahead of this year's trade deadline. That's how close they were in the wild card race, as they held shares of a playoff spot and even owned a place outright at different points during the season. However, right before Aug. 3, this group went into a slump at the worst possible time, and it caused president of baseball operations to sell off some of the team's best pieces.
The results that came after that made it seem like this year was going to be a grind to the finish line when they lost three out of four against the Phillies. But as this team has done throughout the season, they rose to the equation when their backs were against the wall by turning around and sweeping the Cincinnati Reds at home to get themselves back into the playoff mix.
While Washington is still a longshot to play October baseball -- 2.2%, per FanGraphs -- that might be the role they are comfortable operating in. Nobody expected them to do much of anything this year, but the players and coaching staff have done an excellent job of getting themselves to this point. And despite the fact that two of their best players -- Luis Garcia Jr. and Foster Griffin -- are no longer on the roster, the replacements have done an excellent job of making up for that lost production.
The end result when it's all said and done could still see the Nationals finishing well below .500. But they answered the bell against the Reds over the weekend. And these two factors might be able to help them walk the tightrope and continue to stay in the hunt for October.
Nationals Continue to Hit at High Level
After a brutal showing against the Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves and the Phillies, Washington got things going at the plate over the weekend against Cincinnati. Their offensive explosion -- 20 total runs at 6.67 scored per contest -- allowed the Nationals to pull off a sweep against a fellow National League playoff contender.
Without those three wins, the postseason chances for Washington would have been even more bleak than they already are, which is why it was good to see this new-look lineup come through in the way they did. Daylen Lile was potent. The platooning first base duo of Andres Chaparro and Abimelec Ortiz were lethal. CJ Abrams set the table as the leadoff man. And the rest of the order stepped up when they were needed.
The Nationals need to hold down the fort until whenever James Wood is healthy enough to return. They likely won't have enough firepower to stay in the chase without him. But this past weekend, they at least showed that the MLB leaders in runs scored have not cooled off completely.
Bullpen Starting to Become Serviceable
One of the things the front office focused on ahead of the trade deadline was improvement in their bullpen. The aim was for both the short and long term betterment of that unit. But with three new faces who were acquired ahead of the deadline now part of the relief staff, the upgrade has been immediately palpable.
Yovanny Cruz has been electric since his rough debut. In his last two outings, he's allowed no runs and just one hit across two innings with two strikeouts and two walks. He'll need to improve his control, but he looks like he can become a big-time arm for this franchise going forward.
The flamethrowing righty wasn't the only new reliever who impressed, either. Left-hander Will Dion, who was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians as part of the Foster Griffin deal, was incredible for Washington on Sunday. He threw three innings of one-hit ball, and he hasn't allowed a single run across his two appearances with the Nationals. And Jake Bird, who struggled with the New York Yankees after they secured him in a trade with the Colorado Rockies, flashed his electric stuff on Sunday with a hitless inning where he struck out two batters to end the game.
With an improved bullpen and a promising young starting pitcher Jackson Kent on the way, all of a sudden, Washington's pitching staff looks the most promising it's been throughout the 2026 season.
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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