Nationals Remain Solid at Second Base Despite Luis Garcia Jr. Taking Step Back
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The Washington Nationals didn't have a lot of reliability on the 2025 roster. They mixed and matched with the pitching staff and their plans at catcher and first base didn't work out. For a team rebuilding, that much turnover is not conducive to progress.
Luis Garcia Jr. continues to be one of the players that the Nationals can rely on most as he wraps up his third full big league season. Although he regressed some from last season, a lot of his season long numbers were similar and his job is secure.
Overall, second base was one of the bright spots for Washington in what turned out to be a lost season. He is a player they can set and forget going forward.
Washington Nationals 2025 Second Base in Review
Offense: Luis Garcia Jr. (.252/.289/.412, 139 G, 16 HR, 66 RBI, .701 OPS, 97 OPS+, 0.4 bWAR), Paul DeJong (.228/.269/.373, 57 G, 6 HR, 23 RBI, .642 OPS, 81 OPS+, -0.1 bWAR), Amed Rosario (.270/.310/.426, 46 G, 5 HR, 18 RBI, .736 OPS, 107 OPS+, 0.3 bWAR), Nassim Nuñez (.232/.297/.402, 39 G, 4 HR, 13 RBI, .699 OPS, 97 OPS+, 0.7 bWAR).
Defense (Baseball Savant): Garcia (-7 Outs Above Average, 78.7 mph Arm Strength), DeJong (-1 OAA, 80.7 mph), Rosario (-7 OAA, 84.4 mph), Nuñez ( 4 OAA, 88.3 mph).
Season Notes
Luis Garcia Jr. has been the starter for the past three seasons. After breaking out with a career high .762 OPS last season, Garcia regressed back down to a .701 OPS. He struggled to get on base at the same clip, but he was still third on the team in RBIs and doubles (28).
Paul DeJong signed a one year deal in February but only played 57 games across the infield. He suffered a fractured nose in April and didn't return until July. Although five of his home runs came against lefties, he played most of his games in a reverse platoon. He wasn't able to provide the power Washington was hoping for.
Amed Rosario was solid in Washington and arguably their best offensive option at second base. However, he was traded to the New York Yankees at the deadline.
Nasim Nuñez came back for his rookie season and improved quite a bit at the plate. He hit for much more power, hitting his first four home runs, and boosted his OPS+ from 82 to 97. It was a small sample size, but the improvement was impressive.
An Early 2026 Second Base Room
As of now, it seems pretty clear that Garcia will continue to be the second baseman. Although he got a couple games at first, there's been no indication of him moving off of the position. He took a step back in 2025, but last season he was the sixth best second baseman in baseball by fWAR. The upside is still there at just 25-years-old.
Garcia's batted ball numbers were essentially the same as last season, if not better. He hit the ball harder going from 89.1 mph in 2024 to 90.2 mph this season. His hard-hit rate also went up from 41.7 percent to 45.8 percent, so his skill set is still there.
Behind Garcia will likely be Nuñez. Rosario was traded and DeJong is a free agent, so it makes sense to give the youngster some more at-bats after he improved quite a bit from 2024. His ceiling is limited, but Nuñez provides depth at the position.
Of course, this could all change with the new president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni, now in place. He has yet to make any roster moves so there is not telling how he will handle the team and the players more towards the outside of the core players. Garcia could become an option to get traded and he might have some nice value.
For now, Washington can feel pretty good about going into the season with their current second basemen.
