How Nationals Plan to Use Luis Garcia Jr. Going Forward Remains a Mystery

What position will Luis Garcia Jr. be playing with the Washington Nationals?

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Someone on this Washington Nationals roster who will have a ton of eyeballs on him when it comes to making a statement to this new regime is Luis Garcia Jr.

Once viewed as a potential cornerstone at second base for this franchise, his rollercoaster tendencies with the bat in his hand -- which culminated in a disappointing 2025 campaign -- didn't pair well with a horrific season on the defensive end. And that has called into question whether or not he'll be part of this roster in the coming years.

Moving him out of the keystone and over to first base seemingly would solve two problems. The Nationals don't have a clear guy at that position and it would improve their poor infield defense with CJ Abrams also not being a strong defender up the middle.

But it doesn't seem like Washington is ready to move him over to the cold corner full-time just yet.

Nationals' Plan for Luis Garcia Jr. Under This New Regime Isn't Clear

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The Nationals started Garcia at first base during two out of their final five games this past season. That seemed to indicate there was at least some interest in making the switch permanent, even if it comes down the line when he learns the position in more detail.

New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni even went as far as saying he wants Garcia to continue getting reps at first base during the Dominican Winter League. But frustratingly, as pointed out by Sam Sallick of Federal Baseball, he has yet to play a single game there at the time of writing.

Perhaps that changes and perhaps that doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things when it comes to how Washington is going to use Garcia in 2026. But his long-term fit does remain a mystery regarding his usage.

LUIS GARCIA JR. 3-RUN BOMB TO TIE IT WITH THE NATS DOWN TO THEIR LAST STRIKE pic.twitter.com/R9z0Clue7Q

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 8, 2024

If he hits like he did in 2024, then there's no doubt he'll have a place somewhere. Garcia slashed .282/.318/.444 with 18 home runs, 44 extra-base hits, 70 RBIs and an OPS+ that was 14 points above the league average of 100.

Keeping that type of bat out of the lineup would be hard to do, which brings up the possibility that he might even be used as designated hitter, too. With Josh Bell no longer in the mix and James Wood still slotted in as the everyday left fielder, the Nationals' plan is to have a revolving door at that spot to keep guys fresh throughout the long season.

Garcia could benefit from that, as it would allow his best asset to be used more often instead of his poor defense consistently being on display at second base. But it's also clear Toboni wants to see what the 25-year-old can do at first base, which will be interesting to see how he handles that role.

All in all, 2026 sounds like it's going to be a season where Garcia is the primary second baseman but also gets reps at first base and designated hitter. Whether he can play his way into a full-time spot going forward and where that potentially will be remains a mystery.