4 Biggest Surprises for Washington Nationals Through Disappointing First Month

Here are the four biggest surprises for the Washington Nationals through the first month of the season.

Apr 22, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Mitchell Parker (70) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Nationals Park. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

With the first month of the season over for the Washington Nationals, there were some both good and bad surprises for the franchise.

Coming into the year expectations were a touch higher than they have been in recent campaigns, but so far results have been underwhelming.

After the first month, the Nationals have a 13-18 record and are in fourth place once again in the National League East. With the division being one of the best in baseball, it’s unlikely at this point that there will be some sort of magical run for Washington.

However, even though contending for a playoff spot seems unlikely, there have been some surprises so far this season that have impacted the team.

Here are the four biggest surprises through the first month of the year for the Nationals.

Bell Underperforming

One of the top free-agent signings for Washington this offseason was the reunion with slugger Josh Bell. Since hitting for power had been an issue for many years, bringing Bell back made a lot of sense to help improve that.

However, despite a strong history of success, the switch hitter has struggled this campaign. So far, he has slashed .137/.228/.275 with four home runs and 13 RBI. These numbers are way below his normal production and quite a surprise.

Worst Bullpen

Coming into the season, the Nationals weren’t expected to have the best bullpen in baseball, but the unit has been shockingly bad to start the year. Currently, they have the worst ERA in the league at a staggering 7.41.

If the team is going to try and turn things around, they will need some help to support one of the worst units in the league.

Struggles of Crews

One of the most exciting players coming into the campaign for the Nationals was the former second-overall pick, Dylan Crews. As one of the best prospects in baseball, expectations were high for the outfielder.

After getting his feet wet at the end of 2024, Crews was poised for a strong rookie year. However, he has struggled quite a bit, slashing .212/.241/.356 with four home runs, six RBI, and six stolen bases. The numbers are trending up a bit of late, but overall it was a poor month.

Parker Becoming an Ace

While there have been some negative surprises, one of the positive ones has been the performance of Mitchell Parker. The young starter is looking like it could be him who emerges as the ace of the staff this year, and that is great news for Washington.

So far, he has totaled a 3-1 record and a 2.65 ERA. Even though he might not strike out opponents at the same clip as MacKenzie Gore, he has been equally as effective.