Prominent Insider Believes Nationals Could Be Worst Team in MLB This Season
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There is excitement surrounding this Washington Nationals franchise.
Not because they are expected to compete for an NL East title or a World Series championship. But because things are finally different with Paul Toboni taking over the baseball operations department after owner Mark Lerner decided to fire longtime executive Mike Rizzo.
With that has brought an embrace of modern baseball. From data and analytics to development and pipeline building, in the short time since Toboni has taken over, it seems clear that things will be done differently at this stage of the franchise's rebuild.
However, for as much excitement as there is for what the Nationals could become in the future, there is a good chance the present brings another agonizing season when it comes to the wins and losses column. And that's why Jeff Passan of ESPN believes Washington could have the worst record in the MLB this year.
Nationals Are Officially on Worst Record Watch
"It wouldn't surprise me if ... the Nationals are worse than the Rockies. And that's saying something," wrote Passan.
His reasoning for that thinking is Toboni will be meticulous with this rebuild, and that will cause him to flip veteran players ahead of the trade deadline for high-upside prospects. Toboni has already shown a willingness to be active when it comes to making deals, as he acquired star catching prospect Harry Ford in his first trade before landing high-ceiling pitcher Luis Perales in his second one and then finally moving MacKenzie Gore for a package of five top 30 prospects.
Because of that, it won't be surprising to see some established players get moved this summer. And that's a major reason why Passan believes the Nationals could finish with the worst record in the MLB this year.
"As bad as the Nationals could be over the first four months of the season, they'll be worse after they move expiring contracts to keep building a farm system that has drastically improved since he took over," he added.
2026 Is Clearly an Evaluation Period for Washington
It's been said multiple times before, but it's becoming obvious to everyone around the baseball world that Washington is going to use the 2026 campaign as an evaluation period for players on their big league roster and throughout their pipeline.
What that means for how they are going to operate isn't clear. It's unknown if they will be aggressive with their call-ups throughout the season or if they're going to provide a steady runway for those who were part of the equation on Opening Day. But what's evident is that the Nationals are continuing to plan for the future.
"For the Nationals, 2026 is much more about 2027 and 2028 and 2029 and beyond than it is this season," added Passan.
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