Washington Nationals 2024 season analysis: James Wood, CJ Abrams have the potential for fantasy stardom

Rebecca Rowe, Robbie Earl and Gary Neville preview Chelsea vs. Liverpool at Anfield in Round 8.

Originally from Washington DC

2024 record: 71 wins, 91 losses

4th in the NL East

Team ERA: 4. 30 (23rd in MLB)

Team OPS: . 684 (25th in MLB)

What went well

While their overall record is pretty bad, the Nationals were better than this record for most of the season. In fact, Washington was nowhere near the top of the wild card during the summer, and a lot of the credit for that goes to Davie Martinez, who should be back for his eighth season as governor. The team was led in BWAR by CJ Abrams, who had some mixed reviews late in the season but finished with 20 homers and 31 stolen bases as a 23-year-old. James Wood, promoted from Triple-A, hit . 265/. 354/. And with contributions from players 27 and under like Luis Garcia Jr. (. 282, 18 HR, 70 RBI), Jacob Young (33 stolen bases) and Juan Yepes (. 283/. 335/. 429), the team is one of the more intriguing new variations in baseball.

The pitching staff was also good. Mackenzie Gore struck out 181 batters in 166 1/3 innings and showed flashes of someone who could one day be at the top of the starting rotation. Trevor Williams pitched in just 13 games, but even with injuries he posted a 2. 03 ERA and 1. 03 innings pitched, which was fine. Mitchell Parker and DJ Hertz started the year with zero fanfare, but combined for 48 starts, 239 2/3 innings with 239 strikeouts. They were far behind the top three teams in the division, but the Nationals' emerging talent could make them dangerous in a year or two.

The Bad

But not now. The Nationals wisely did not retain any veterans at the deadline, trading for players like Lane Thomas, Jesse Winker, Hunter Harvey, and Dylan Floro, and are now 36-54 in their last 90 games. They got very little offensive production from several positions, especially at the corners of the infield, where Joey Gallo was injured and not doing well, and Trey Lipscomb was the last man standing. Kaivert Lewis took a big step back, dropping his OPS by about 100 points from . 717 to . 619. This was one of the worst offensive lineups in baseball, even with some impressive performances from some of their young (potential) stars.

The pitching staff was no good, either. Josiah Gray pitched just two games before hurting his elbow, and is likely to miss most of the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July. Patrick Corbin has allowed more hits and runs than any starting pitcher in baseball, and with a $35 million salary and 5. 62 ERA, he may have the least team-friendly contract in baseball for 2025. Jake Irvin has been inconsistent with a 4. 41 ERA in 187 2/3 innings over 33 appearances, and the bullpen is not enough to make up for mediocre starters. Still, the Minions have individual pieces to like. The overall production needs a lot of work.

Fantasy

- It's unlikely that Abrams will receive any more punishment for his late-season night at a Chicago casino. If he does, there's plenty for fantasy managers to think about before calling him the next shortstop superstar. The speed is obvious, and there are several categories where Abrams ranks above average, including hard-hit rate, projected slugging, projected average, and projected weight average. Above average is good, but outside of velocity he's not in the 70th percentile or higher according to Baseball Savant, and his approach at the plate leaves a lot to be desired. The ability to hit 25+ homers and steal 50+ bases is obviously appealing, but there are shortstops with similar ceilings and higher floors.

-Garcia Jr. is one of the most stable selections as a second baseman in 2024, and it is noteworthy that the lef t-hand infielder will not be 25 until mi d-May. He struck out only 16 or three percent of the a t-bat, with a predictive batting average of 41 and 7 %, and a predictive batting average . 460. Despite being young, Garcia Jr. seems to be this level of score, but in 2024 he was ranked 103th out of all batters on Yahoo. The draft next spring should be aimed at that.

-Exbrams and Garcia Jr., even if you recognize the value of the position, the most wonderful upside players are wood, and what he showed as a rookie was the first year of the National League Incredibles. There is a high possibility that you will talk more, even if you do not say. If he is certified, this is the batter who will be the highest rank in the ball world with the average outlet speed (92, 8 miles), hard ratio (52), tracking rate (21 %), and a fou r-ball rate (11, 6). Yes, the only concern, the only concern here is whether he can keep his strikeout rate with a low roar of 28, 9 % of his bat, which ends with punchouts in 2024. 。 There are many reasons for thinking that the batter will not be able to become an Everyday player in Washington next year, and may not be a fantasy superstar until 2025.

-The outfield players with a fantasy upside will probably not only wood. Dylan Cruise is one of the few players who have been in the second draft in the 2023 draft, just one season from that class. He was an elite wheel with a 9 3-percentile sprint speed, with a 30 or 5 % probability of finishing baseball. If you have a qualification, it is a figure that far exceeds the average. He has a clear risk for his experienced players like him, but he will be my fantasy top Prospect from 2025. < SPAN> -Garcia Jr. is one of the most stable selections as a second baseman in 2024, and it is noteworthy that the left infielder will not be 25 until mi d-May. He struck out only 16 or three percent of the a t-bat, with a predictive batting average of 41 and 7 %, and a predictive batting average . 460. Despite being young, Garcia Jr. seems to be this level of score, but in 2024 he was ranked 103th out of all batters on Yahoo. The draft next spring should be aimed at that.

-Exbrams and Garcia Jr., even if you recognize the value of the position, the most wonderful upside players are wood, and what he showed as a rookie was the first year of the National League Incredibles. There is a high possibility that you will talk more, even if you do not say. If he is certified, this is the batter who will be the highest rank in the ball world with the average outlet speed (92, 8 miles), hard ratio (52), tracking rate (21 %), and a fou r-ball rate (11, 6). Yes, the only concern, the only concern here is whether he can keep his strikeout rate with a low roar of 28, 9 % of his bat, which ends with punchouts in 2024. 。 There are many reasons for thinking that the batter will not be able to become an Everyday player in Washington next year, and may not be a fantasy superstar until 2025.

-The outfield players with a fantasy upside will probably not only wood. Dylan Cruise is one of the few players who have been in the second draft in the 2023 draft, just one season from that class. He was an elite wheel with a 9 3-percentile sprint speed, with a 30 or 5 % probability of finishing baseball. If you have a qualification, it is a figure that far exceeds the average. He has a clear risk for his experienced players like him, but he will be my fantasy top Prospect from 2025. -Garcia Jr. is one of the most stable selections as a second baseman in 2024, and it is noteworthy that the lef t-hand infielder will not be 25 until mi d-May. He struck out only 16 or three percent of the a t-bat, with a predictive batting average of 41 and 7 %, and a predictive batting average . 460. Despite being young, Garcia Jr. seems to be this level of score, but in 2024 he was ranked 103th out of all batters on Yahoo. The draft next spring should be aimed at that.

-Exbrams and Garcia Jr., even if you recognize the value of the position, the most wonderful upside players are wood, and what he showed as a rookie was the first year of the National League Incredibles. There is a high possibility that you will talk more, even if you do not say. If he is certified, this is the batter who will be the highest rank in the ball world with the average outlet speed (92, 8 miles), hard ratio (52), tracking rate (21 %), and a fou r-ball rate (11, 6). Yes, the only concern, the only concern here is whether he can keep his strikeout rate with a low roar of 28, 9 % of his bat, which ends with punchouts in 2024. 。 There are many reasons for thinking that the batter will not be able to become an Everyday player in Washington next year, and may not be a fantasy superstar until 2025.

-The outfield players with a fantasy upside will probably not only wood. Dylan Cruise is one of the few players who have been in the second draft in the 2023 draft, just one season from that class. He was an elite wheel with a 9 3-percentile sprint speed, with a 30 or 5 % probability of finishing baseball. If you have a qualification, it is a figure that far exceeds the average. He has a clear risk for his experienced players like him, but he will be my fantasy top Prospect from 2025.