This Young Nationals Arm Could Make Push for Rotation Spot
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The Washington Nationals made a big free agency splash over the weekend when it was reported that they agreed to a one-year major league deal with right-handed pitcher Zack Littell on March 8.
This addition will bolster their starting rotation. Depending on if he can get ramped up quickly over the rest of the spring training calendar before Opening Day arrives, he'll likely slot into the No. 2 spot beyond new ace Cade Cavalli.
Things can change over the course of the spring calendar. But right now, it seems like the starting unit is set with Cavalli, Littell, Miles Mikolas, Brad Lord and Foster Griffin. However, injuries can still occur and there's a chance the Nationals view Lord as more of a relief-type of arm, which would open up a spot in the starting rotation once again.
Could Andrew Alvarez Earn Himself a Starting Role?
The left-hander was impressive last season. He was called up for his MLB debut on Sept. 1, and in five starts, he posted a 2.31 ERA and a 180 ERA+. Alvarez struck out just 20 batters and walked 10 across 23 1/3 innings pitched while also giving up 16 hits. But he was able to limit damage and finished the year as one of the bright spots for the team during the month of September.
Despite that run of success, he was seen as being on the outside looking in when it came to battling for a starting spot. Josiah Gray, Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin got much of the attention, but it could actually be Alvarez who makes a push for the final rotation role based on how he's done this spring.
So far, he's allowed two earned runs across nine innings pitched in his three games with 11 strikeouts and five walks. He's also coming off an outing against the Houston Astros on March 8 where he pitched four scoreless innings, allowed only one hit and struck out five with no walks. Four out of his five pitches were given a Stuff+ grade of 100 or higher by Pitcher List Stats, which is a good sign about the evolution of his arsenal at the age of 26.
Andrew Alvarez (WSH) struck out five over four scoreless innings against the Astros pic.twitter.com/8ujRYG7iwC
— Pitcher List Stats (@PitcherListPLV) March 8, 2026
One of the biggest concerns surrounding Alvarez was his lack of elite pitching stuff. He earned a Stuff+ grade of 86 last year from FanGraphs, which is well below the league average. It will be interesting to see how they grade his stuff this season when he's on the big league mound to compare things. But on some level, it's clear that he's improved the raw physical quality of his pitches over the winter.
Washington wants Lord to be a starting pitcher, but if they feel like he'll be more effective in the bullpen and that will help the team more in the long run, then that's a move they'll likely make. Because of that, Alvarez is someone to keep an eye on in the coming weeks to see if he can earn that final rotation spot, which would be a major win for him at this stage of his career.
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