Washington Nationals Infielder Ranked Higher Than Star Teammate on Coveted List

A Washington Nationals young infielder has been ranked highly among the best players under 25 years old, even higher than his star teammate.

Feb 23, 2025; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) catches a ground ball before throwing to first base to retire New York Mets second baseman Jett Williams (not pictured) during the second inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals have an abundance of youth on their Major League roster that is providing a lot of optimism heading into the 2025 campaign and the future.

A strong foundation is being built as prospects are being promoted and handling business at the highest level.

In 2024, the team promoted left fielder James Wood and he was followed by right fielder Dylan Crews a few weeks later. They are going to be holding down those spots on Opening Day, and the team hopes it will be that way for the next decade.

On the infield, Luis Garcia Jr. has earned the everyday job at second base.

There were some questions about if he would be a long-term piece for the franchise, but he put up career-high numbers at the plate last year and showed improvements with his defense at the keystone.

He isn’t resting on his laurels, as manager Davey Martinez lauded him for the maturity he has shown in spring training. Despite the starting job being locked down, he is continuing to work hard on improving his craft.

While all of those players have immense upside and are solid in their own right, there is one teammate who stands out amongst the youngsters; shortstop CJ Abrams.

He has been selected by Nick Selbe of Sports Illustrated as one of the top 25 players under the age of 25 in the MLB.

The Nationals’ emerging star came in at No. 11, beating out Wood, who was No. 14.

“... Abrams still has all the tools to be one of the best players in the league. Even if his subpar range eventually sees him change positions, he has enough offensive upside to remain an elite player,” Selbe wrote.

2024 was a breakout campaign for the young shortstop.

He got off to a scorching hot start, earning an All-Star nomination after producing a slash line of .268/.343/.489 with 15 home runs, 21 doubles, six triples and 15 stolen bases.

Abrams had 59 runs scored and 48 RBI, getting the job done in every facet offensively.

Unfortunately for him and the team, his production fell off a cliff.

In the second half, he managed to produce a measly .203/.260/.326 slash line with only five home runs and eight doubles in 204 plate appearances.

His campaign was also punctuated by an embarrassing situation, missing curfew and being demoted.

That situation is now behind everyone and the focus is on the future, of which Abrams has a very bright one.

Even with his lack of a defensive profile, his hit tool is good enough to provide a very high floor for him as he moves into the prime of his career.