Nationals Stars James Wood and CJ Abrams Are on Pace to Make Franchise History
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This season has been frustrating at times for the Washington Nationals and their fans. But it's also safe to say that their 11-13 record entering Wednesday's contest is much better than the majority of people expected from this team heading into the year.
That's because this offense has been dominant in the early going. Following Tuesday's impressive win over the Atlanta Braves, they have scored the most runs across Major League Baseball. And while multiple people throughout the lineup have contributed to that success, the clear standouts so far have been the star duo of James Wood and CJ Abrams.
In fact, what Wood and Abrams have done at the plate to start the 2026 campaign has them on pace to make some club history.
Wood, Abrams Can Have Best Offensive Season Ever by Nationals Duo
Right now, Abrams has an OPS+ of 177 and Wood has one of 168. That means they have been 77 and 68 percentage points better than the average player thus far, respectively. Per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, the best single-season performance from a Nationals duo when it comes to OPS+ happened in 2019 when Anthony Rendon had a figure of 157 and Juan Soto had one of 142.
Of course, that was the year when Washington won the World Series. While reaching those heights are not something that's expected out of this Nationals team, it also should be remembered that the 2019 squad was also not expected to be a championship contender that season and they had a record of 19-31 through 50 games.
Still, the likelihood of Washington going on a magical run like they did seven years ago is low. The roster isn't ready to compete at the highest level, as this is still a rebuilding season in the first year of this new regime. But the fact that Wood and Abrams are performing in this fashion at the plate is a great sign, and some club history could be made if they keep it up.
Trade Rumors Surrounding CJ Abrams Will Heat Up
A wild card in this entire thing will be if Abrams is even on the team after the trade deadline. The Nationals opted to hold onto him following an offseason of trade rumors, but with the way he's performed to start out this campaign, there could be multiple teams knocking on the door to acquire him later in the summer.
President of baseball operations Paul Toboni reportedly turned down a strong offer for the star shortstop from the San Francisco Giants, as he felt they should be getting more than what was presented. And his gamble seems to have paid off so far, because Abrams is going to be the hottest name on the market when it comes to a potential trade down the line.
Whether or not something gets done will be seen at a later date. But if he remains part of Washington's roster, then he and Wood are on pace to making some impressive club history.
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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