Top 5 Nationals Performers From First Half of Season
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The Washington Nationals entered the All-Star break with a 48-49 record.
That puts them four games out of the final NL wild card spot, which was a disappointing result based on where they had been previously. However, that is a much better situation compared to what many people expected out this group coming into the season.
A lot of that has to do with the incredible offense the Nationals have had during this year, as they finished tied for the most runs scored across the majors with 516. But they have also been one of the worst pitching units, too, which is why this list of top five performers from the first half of the campaign heavily skews towards the offensive side of things.
5. Curtis Mead
When the season began, Curtis Mead wasn't even part of the roster. That changed when Washington acquired him from the Chicago White Sox on March 29 in exchange for minor league catcher Boston Smith. That move turned out to be a great one for the Nationals.
Mead, who started his tenure as a platooning first baseman, has now become the starting third baseman. He's paid off that decision with a career-year, as he's hit 17 home runs with 44 RBIs to go along with a .247/.341/.502 and a wRC+ of 131.
It will be interesting to see if Washington holds onto the former top prospect through the trade deadline or if they use him to bring in some more pieces of the future. Either way, his incredible first of this season was a huge boon for the Nationals.
4. Luis Garcia Jr.
Speaking of career years, Luis Garcia Jr. bounced back in a major way after a disappointing showing in 2025. He has hit 20 home runs across 90 games, which is already a career-high. He also sits with 68 RBIs, which is two shy from breaking his previous season-best mark of 70 that he reached back in 2024. And with a wRC+ of 135, he has been one of the best players across all of the MLB.
Like with Mead, what the Nationals decide to do when it comes to Garcia ahead of the deadline is fascinating. They could use his red-hot first half of the year to sell high, especially since top prospect Abimelec Ortiz is waiting in Triple-A Rochester to take over at first base for the long-term.
3. Foster Griffin
When Foster Griffin signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract this past offseason to return to the states after spending three years playing in Japan, nobody envisioned that the left-hander would turn into an All-Star and one of the best starting pitchers in baseball during the first half of the season with an eye-catching 2.77 ERA and 10-2 record across 19 starts.
But that's exactly what he did. And during the Midsummer Classic, he showcased why he deserved to be there and why Washington will have another tough decision to make when it comes to potential moves before Aug. 3, as Griffin almost assuredly would net a nice prospect or two.
2. CJ Abrams
CJ Abrams has been one of the best offensive shortstops in the league for a few years now, and that continued during the first half of this season with a .275/.352/.510 slash line and wRC+ of 134. Beyond that, he tied his career-high in home runs for a singular campaign with 20, and he's already set a new career-best mark with 67 RBIs.
Abrams will have to overcome his past history of cooling off after the All-Star break if he's going to do something truly special in the landscape of Major League Baseball. But what he did during the first half was spectacular.
1. James Wood
When it comes to James Wood, it's hard to come up with the words to describe how dominant he was during the first half of the season with a .279/.410/.575 slash line and wRC+ of 166, to go along with 28 home runs, 23 doubles, 67 RBIs and 79 walks drawn to 129 strikeouts across 97 games played.
He ranks first in the majors in runs scored (89) and walks drawn (79), second in home runs and OPS, tied for second in wRC+, tied for No. 11 in RBIs and third in fWAR (4.6).
That is impressive, and he is a huge reason why Washington was so good on offense during the first half. Now, just like with Abrams, it will be on Wood to avoid a second half slump like he had last year. But when just looking at what took place before the All-Star break, it's clear that he was the top performer for the Nationals.
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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