Nationals Face Pivotal Moment for Franchise With Pressure on Young Core

Will the young core start to feel the pressure to succeed this year for the Washington Nationals?

Mar 29, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (29) hits a double during the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

With the 2025 campaign underway for the Washington Nationals, they face a pivotal year. 

Since winning the World Series in 2019, the Nationals have been one of the worst teams in baseball for the last several seasons.  

Washington has been below .500 every year since then and have frequently been in last place in the National League East. 

However, even though the team has struggled on the field, the front office has seemingly done well with drafting and developing some of their top prospects. 

Finally, this season feels like it could be the one where the franchise takes a significant step forward with many of key members of their young core starting in the Majors. 

After winning 71 games the last two campaigns, improving in the win column is something the team will need to accomplish. The front office didn't make any major splashes this winter, but it was a strong offseason with numerous veterans brought in to help.

Jessica Camerato of MLB.com stated this is the year the young outfielders for the franchise become stars if everything is going to go right.

“After making their debuts last year, outfielders Dylan Crews (MLB No. 4 prospect) and James Wood will be on the Nats' Opening Day roster. This is a key moment the Nationals have been building toward in their new chapter.”

In a season where the franchise has some expectations to improve, it is critical that James Wood and Dylan Crews perform well. 

These two have been regarded as the top prospects for Washington, and they both need to become stars. 

In 2024, both got the call-up, but it was Wood who saw a bit more action.

The 22-year-old slashed .264/.354/.427 with nine home runs, 41 RBI, and 14 stolen bases.

With the young outfielder having such a great half-season, there is optimism that he could push toward making the All-Star team in 2025. 

Furthermore, the other key piece for the Nationals is the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft. Crews has a ton of talent, and like Wood, and could become a five-tool player in the league. 

The young outfielder hasn’t had as much experience in the Majors as his counterpart, but he has showcased a ton of potential both in college and in the minor leagues. 

If both of these talented players can take off for the Nationals in 2025, the team should see some significant improvement. 

However, while both are extremely talented, every prospect is different and there is no perfect science to knowing how they will develop. 

Washington has done a good job of being patient with players, but the time to start competing is coming up quickly.

In order to do so, they will need both their young stars to be great.