Two Young Nationals Players Expected to Have Larger Roles After Trade Deadline
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With the 2026 MLB trade deadline now done and gone, the Washington Nationals are trying to maintain what they did early on in the season when they hung around in the NL wild card race.
While they sustained losses before the deadline that caused the front office to ship out some of their best assets, finishing the year strong will be important for a franchise that is in the first season of a new leadership regime, led by first-time president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and first-year MLB manager Blake Butera.
The long game is in mind for the Nationals at this point, which is why some more young players should be featured on this already-youthful roster to close out the 2026 campaign. And following the deadline, Eno Sarris of The Athletic (subscription required) has his eyes on right-handed pitcher Yovanny Cruz and first baseman Abimelec Ortiz getting large roles with Washington.
Abimelec Ortiz Set To Be Major Contributor
Starting with Ortiz, that sentament shouldn't be a surprise.
The No. 23-ranked prospect in the Nationals' farm system was viewed as the first baseman of the future after Washington acquired him from the Texas Rangers as part of the return package for MacKenzie Gore this past offseason.
So far, the 24-year-old has impressed during his very limited time in the majors. He went 1-for-2 with a double during his MLB debut, and he hit a home run in his first at-bat following the trade deadline when he was recalled to the big league roster as Luis Garcia Jr.'s replacement. Ortiz has appeared in all three contests for the Nationals since Aug. 3. He started the game on deadline day and had a pinch-hit at-bat during the following contest before he started again on Wednesday.
The slugging lefty looks like a foundational piece for Washington going forward. And with Garcia now suiting up for the New York Yankees, there is a long runway for Ortiz to prove he can be that guy.
Yovanny Cruz Potential Future Closer
As for Cruz, Sarris is high on what the flamethrowing righty can bring to the equation for the Nationals. He highlighted Cruz's elite Stuff+ number -- tied for No. 3 among relievers under the age of 27 with at least five innings pitched this season -- and he believes Cruz could become their closer because of that.
"Washington is last in reliever Stuff+ this year and has cycled through a variety of uninspiring closers, so there's a chance Cruz steps right into the biggest role in the bullpen. He does have that sort of ability and the Nationals could want to see if he can handle the stress all that leverage will provide," he wrote.
Unfortunately, Cruz's team debut didn't go so hot. Inserted into Wednesday's game in the bottom of the seventh inning with Washington leading Philadelphia by a score of 3-2, Cruz struggled to get outs. He walked the first batter he faced then gave up a single. In the third at-bat of the frame, Cruz was bailed out by a horrible strike three call, which would have been a walk if the Phillies had challenges remaining. Then, he gave up a game-tying RBI single that caused Butera to pull him from the game.
His line for the night was 1/3 of an inning pitched, with one earned run allowed on two hits with a walk, a strikeout and a blown save opportunity.
That wasn't the start the Nationals were hoping for when it came to one of their headlining returns from the trade deadline. But Cruz is still young and raw. He only appeared in four major league games prior to his outing on Wednesday, so there is a lot of growth that needs to take place.
If that happens, Washington should have a premier bullpen arm on their hands that they didn't have before. And with only 46 games remaining in the 2026 campaign for the Nationals, the 26-year-old should be given plenty of opportunities to showcase what he can do.
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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