There Is One Obvious Internal Closer Candidate Nationals Should Roll With

Could this player be the Washington Nationals' closer in 2026?

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Despite the clear need for bullpen upgrades, everyone knew the Washington Nationals wouldn't be shopping at the top of the market when it came to the closing position.

Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez and Devin Williams weren't options. Even another reunion with Kyle Finnegan seemed unlikely. Much of that had to do with the fact Jose A. Ferrer was still on this roster to start the offseason. The big lefty got some closing experience during the latter part of the 2025 campaign, and he seemed like the clear shutdown ninth inning man.

However, the Nationals decided to trade him to the Seattle Mariners to get back star catching prospect Harry Ford. And that once again shook up this bullpen unit that already was thin based on how poorly they performed this year.

So who is going to be Washington's closer in 2026? That's what many in the fanbase are wondering. But in the mind of Paul Cubbage of Federal Baseball, the clear internal option is Clayton Beeter.

Clayton Beeter Is Nationals' Best Closer Option for 2026

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"Acquired for Amed Rosario at the trade deadline this season, Beeter made 24 appearances for the Nats in August and September, and was perhaps the Nationals' best reliever during that time. ... I believe with the right tweaks and additions to his repertoire, Beeter will be ready to take over the closer's role one day for the Nationals," he wrote.

That day might have to come sooner rather than later. There is no doubting the pure stuff the 27-year-old has. He induced a whiff rate of 32.9% and a K rate of 31.7%, which were well above the league average. Beeter's 2.49 ERA across 24 outings with the Nationals was also the best showing of his big league career, and it bodes well for what he can do going forward.

Clayton Beeter, White Castle Special. 🤮🍔🍔🍔 pic.twitter.com/GcuMHIGg4T

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 11, 2024

There are still issues Beeter has to iron out when it comes to his game. His 16.7% walk rate was over double the league average. And for a closer, that can be scary, even if he has the ability to get out of high-leverage situations with his strikeout stuff.

Beeter is a two-pitch pitcher at the moment. He throws a four-seam fastball that averages in the mid-90 mph range. He pairs that with a slider, which is his best pitch and devastates opposing hitters. But for some reason, he threw his fastball more often than his slider, which is something that should be tweaked before the upcoming season gets underway.

"The fastball is a sturdy pitch, often setting him up well for his breaking ball later, but the slider is his best offering, as it had devastating results in 2025, such as a .098 opponents' batting average, 49.1% whiff rate, and .216 opponents' slugging percentage. ... Like practically all Nationals pitchers under Jim Hickey, Beeter was throwing his fastball more than any other pitch, despite his slider being the substantially better offering," added Cubbage.

All-in-all, the Nationals don't have a ton of options when it comes to who they can turn to at closer. Because of that, they should be looking for upside options. Beeter fits that mold and could become a real weapon for this team when closing out games.