Nationals Are Officially Testing Out Their New First Base Strategy

The Washington Nationals finally got a look at an experiment they have been testing.

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It's clear this offseason is going to be one of change for the Washington Nationals.

After firing longtime executive Mike Rizzo and World Series-winning manager Dave Martinez in the middle of this season, the Nationals have started interviewing candidates to become their new general manager. With that, the expectation is that a new skipper will also be hired.

It's hard to predict what direction the franchise is going to go this winter. Owner Mark Lerner has stated he's willing to spend money, but only when the time is right. During this rebuilding phase, the Nationals have gone from being a top-five spender to being towards the bottom. That likely won't change even with a new front office.

But what could change is how Washington structures their roster going forward. With Josh Bell hitting free agency and them having already released Nathaniel Lowe, first base is going to be a clear need.

Luis Garcia Jr. Takes First Game Reps At First Base

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Quietly, the Nationals have been working out Luis Garcia Jr. at first base, having him take some reps during practice to get him acclimated to that position. This has come on the heels of the 25-year-old having a shockingly poor defensive season with minus-16 defensive runs saved and an outs above average value of minus-7.

That is one of the worst marks in baseball, and when combing that with his below average offensive numbers -- a wRC+ of 88 and an OPS+ of 94 -- that makes it hard to justify playing Garcia every day. So, Washington wants to see how he might look at first base, believing his defense will be improved over there so they can find a better option at the keystone.

Well, the Nationals got their first look at what Garcia could be at first base, with him starting there for the first time in his professional career on Tuesday. And if that was a test, it's fair to say Garcia passed with flying colors.

one hundred fifty eight. pic.twitter.com/yYkLwp1Ia6

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 23, 2025

"He looks good out there," James Wood said, per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. "His hands are great. I have no doubt that he could be great over there."

Garcia was a perfect 11-for-11 in putout opportunities. Washington believes \his natural athleticism will allow him to be a good defender at first base, which could become his long-term position if he's able to build upon this performance.

Camerato noted that interim manager Miguel Cairo -- who played first base during his extended MLB career -- highlighted the current weakness of Garcia fielding to his glove side. But Cairo also said that Garcia was "pretty good" fielding the ball and looked "natural" in his new position.

On Wednesday, the Nationals decided to go back to their standard infield alignment with Bell at first and Garcia at second, so it seems like they aren't ready to fully jump into the major cahnge right now. But now that the longtime second baseman is finally getting game reps at first base, it seems like this experiment could be turning into something more long-term heading into 2026.