Four Massive Overreactions To Nationals' Disappointing Start

Here are four massive overreactions after one ugly week of baseball for the Washington Nationals.

Apr 2, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Washington Nationals center fielder Dylan Crews (3) attempts to catch a fly ball against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning at Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

It has been a slow start to the season for the Washington Nationals in 2025, resulting in a lot of overreactions. 

To begin the year, the Nationals are currently sitting at 1-5 after losing both their series against the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays. 

There haven’t been a ton of positives yet for the team, but the season is still very early. 

However, due to the organization's struggles over the last several years, it's easy to be pessimistic about the outlook going forward. 

Here are the four biggest overreactions to start the campaign for Washington. 

The Josh Bell Reunion Was a Mistake 

One of the most significant signings for the Nationals this winter was their reunion with first baseman and designated hitter, Josh Bell. The talented slugger has been a very good player in the Majors and figured to be a strong addition to help provide some pop for the batting order. 

However, while he does have one home run so far, he is slashing a meager .091/.200 /.227. Bell has been much better than that throughout his career and should turn it around eventually, though.

Multiple Members of Young Core Aren’t Cut Out for Majors 

There have been some slow starts among young players that Washington is counting on to be good in 2025, including Jacob Young and Luis Garcia Jr. 

Both had strong campaigns in 2024 but are off to slow starts. Garcia appeared like he was going to be an All-Star caliber player coming into the year, but the early slump hasn’t been ideal. 

While it’s easy to panic about slow starts, these are both young players who should be fixtures in Washington for the foreseeable future.

Team Hasn’t Improved

One of the main goals for the Nationals coming into the year was to see an improvement in the win column. While a 1-5 record to start the season is not what they were aiming for, they do appear to be a better team on paper. 

However, they have to perform on the field and win games. Slow starts have really held them back overall, but there are numerous bright spots, especially when it comes to their starting pitching. 

Dylan Crews Is a Bust  

Easily the biggest overreaction to begin the year has been the negative reaction to Dylan Crews. It’s no secret that he's off to a poor start, but this is a young player who's going to have ups and downs in his first full year in the league. 

The former No. 2 overall pick has all the tools to be a great player, and while he might not be realizing his capabilities just yet, he’s still hustling out on the field. 

As a prospect with five-tool potential, Crews should turn it around very soon.