Nationals' Offensive Struggles in Spring Training Could Carry Over Into Season
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When looking at this Washington Nationals roster on paper, the strength of the team lies within its position player group.
Not only is the outfield loaded with offensive weapons like James Wood and Daylen Lile, and former top prospects like Dylan Crews and Robert Hassell III, but the infield features 2024 All-Star CJ Abrams and sluggers like Luis Garcia Jr. and Brady House.
But outside of House, it has been a struggle for the Nationals at the plate throughout spring training. Entering Sunday's contest, their .606 OPS was the worst in the Grapefruit League. Multiple star players sat with a batting average below .200. They have had issues putting up runs on a consistent basis. And all of that could carry over into the early part of the 2026 season.
Nationals Hitters Could Have Extended Learning Curve With New Coach
While spring training games don't matter when it comes to overall results, the trend of the team's best hitters not getting better with more live reps under their belts is a bit concerning. That could have something to do with learning under new hitting coach Matt Borgschulte, as his philosophy is different from the previous regime's.
Back in early-January, Borgschulte explained how he wants the Nationals to operate at the plate by saying they are going to "own the zone." The premise behind that is to chase less so pitchers are forced to throw into the zone more often, which should result in better offensive numbers. That could happen down the line, but right now, there is a clear learning curve for Washington's hitters this spring that seems like it will carry over into the start of the season.
What to Expect From Nationals Offense This Year and Going Forward
Borgschulte has been a major league hitting coaching since the 2022 season with the Baltimore Orioles when he was hired as the co-hitting coach. He became the the primary hitting coach of the Minnesota Twins last year, and will serve in that same role with the Nationals this season.
When looking at the Orioles in 2021 -- before Borgschulte arrived -- they ranked 24th in wRC+ (91), tied for 19th in batting average (.239), 26th in runs scored (659), 17th in home runs hit (195) and 24th in strikeout rate (24.3%).
The following year, Baltimore was tied for 15th (100), 20th (.236), 20th (674), tied for 15th (171) and 18th (23.0%) in those categories, respectively. While he wasn't the lone reason for that season-over-season improvement, the Orioles continued to trend up in those offensive marks under Borgschulte's tutelage until they exploded at the plate in 2024 by finishing fourth in wRC+ (114), seventh in batting average (.250), fourth in runs scored (786), second in home runs hit (235) and 13th in strikeout rate (22.0%).
That bodes well for what Washington should expect in the long term, as there is a clear track record of success when it comes to Borgschulte's hitting philosophy. But it also won't happen overnight since it will take time for them to adjust their thinking at the plate so his teachings become natural.
Hopefully the Nationals can figure things out quickly and create a potent offense for themselves in the early going of the 2026 season. But based on how things have looked up until this point in the spring, it could be a while before that happens.
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