One Area Is Holding Jose A. Ferrer From Becoming Nationals' Closer
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How the Washington Nationals set up their bullpen heading into 2026 and beyond will be notable.
After having the worst relief staff in Major League Baseball this past season based on ERA, it's clear that real changes need to made when it comes to personnel and how things operate. While massive amounts of resources likely won't be put into this bullpen during the winter, some outside help will probably be brought in.
But whether or not they try to add a closer all depends on how new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni views Jose A. Ferrer, the left-handed flamethrower who has flashed a ton of upside, but has also still proven to be a work in progress.
Jose A. Ferrer Profiles as Closer of Nationals Going Forward
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound lefty who throws 100 mph and is in the 97th percentile in average fastball velocity looks the part when it comes to coming on and closing out games for the Nationals. And that's the role he was given when Kyle Finnegan was dealt ahead of the trade deadline.
After going 0-for-2 in save opportunities before the All-Star break, he went 11-for-13 after it. That included a perfect 4-for-4 mark in August, a month where he also posted a 1.46 ERA across his 10 appearances. However, consistency has been an issue for Ferrer, and he followed up that showing in August by posting a 6.35 ERA across 11 appearances in September.
Still, at 25 years old, there is a ton to like about the left-hander, including his ability to get groundball outs, which is in the 99th percentile at 64.3%. That alone will help him close out games if he can also improve his command and increase his K and whiff rate to being above the league average.
Clear Thing Is Holding Ferrer Back
But for Ferrer to really take that next step and become the lockdown closer for Washington, he needs to work on his results against right-handed batters.
"At this point, Ferrer looks like a legit late-inning option when facing a string of left-handers, who batted just .186 with a .521 OPS against him this year. Righties, however, batted .323 with an .802 OPS, and that is going to have to be an area of real improvement if he's going to earn the right to be a trusted closer in the long term," Mark Zuckerman of MASN highlighted when it comes to the lefty.
That will be the most important thing for Ferrer to work on this offseason. Because if he can't improve in that regard, then he can't operate as the closer and will only be a lefty on lefty specialist. However, if he can become a weapon against hitters on both sides of the plate, then he could be this team's closer of the future.
