Friday, April 24

Welcome to the latest edition of the Nationals Beat newsletter. This is your stop for the latest on and off the field, from news to exclusive player interviews and insights. MLB.com reporter Brian Murphy wrote this edition.

It’s been nearly a decade since the Nationals have boasted a top-five scoring offense at the end of an MLB season. Their fifth-place finish in 2017 (5.1 runs per game) is the only time the franchise has done that since moving to D.C. in 2005. Over the past four seasons, they have ranked 20th or worse.

This season, however, the Nationals might reach new heights. They entered Tuesday’s game versus the Braves with the third-most runs per game in the Majors (5.4). The main contributors are obvious -- outfielder James Wood and shortstop CJ Abrams -- and they might just end up putting together the best season by a Nationals duo since ‘05.

One reference point: Wood and Abrams both have an OPS+ of 140 or higher. Essentially, they have been at least 40% better than league average at the plate this year. That’s noteworthy because there has been only one duo of qualified Nationals hitters since the club moved to D.C. to post a 140 OPS+ or better during the same, non-shortened season. (You’ll have to keep reading to find out the answer.)

Wood’s 168 OPS+ is largely a product of brute strength. Few players make louder, more damaging contact consistently than the 23-year-old. His eight homers are tied for the NL lead. His 28.8% barrel rate is the best among qualified hitters. His 66.1 % hard-hit rate ranks second to Fernando Tatis Jr.

And no one is better at bashing the ball the other way. Wood’s clean 1.000 slugging percentage to the opposite field since the start of last season is the best in MLB among players with at least 100 plate appearances -- and it’s not close. He’s 88 points clear of Aaron Judge in second.

Abrams on Wood: “Everything he hits [seems] 110 or above miles per hour. You saw it [Friday] -- going 440 [feet] the other way is not easy. Stuff like that, it's just amazing.”

It is amazing, but we’ve grown accustomed to seeing it from Wood since his 2024 debut. What we’re seeing from Abrams right now is unprecedented. 

He has the sixth-highest OPS+ in the bigs at 177. After producing a .249/.310/.426 slash line through his first three full years with Washington, Abrams owns a .296/.420/.556 line with six homers in 23 games. What has he done right? Pretty much everything. He is making more solid contact, striking out less, hitting the ball in the air more frequently, and he’s on just about every pitch.

While Abrams has traditionally done well against fastballs -- and that’s continued to be true -- pitchers could usually exploit his weaknesses against breaking balls. Not anymore. In 37 at-bats (44 PA) ending on breaking balls this year, Abrams is batting .297 with three home runs and a .595 slugging percentage. Consider that Abrams hit .193 with a .355 slug and five dingers through 207 PA ending on breaking balls in 2025.

Wood on Abrams: “He doesn’t miss his pitch. He formulates a good plan, and when he gets his pitch, he’s all over it.”

Abrams has been one of the most valuable hitters in the sport this year by Statcast’s batting run value metric. He’s combined his much-improved game in the batter’s box with five stolen bases, putting Abrams on pace to be the first National to join the 30-homer, 30-steal club since Alfonso Soriano 20 years ago.

If they keep this up, Wood and Abrams will be able to put their names together in another exclusive group in club history by the end of this year.

Who are the only pair of Nationals teammates (post-Montreal Expos era) to record a 140 or better OPS+ in a qualified, non-shortened season?

A. Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth in 2015
B. Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto in 2019
C. Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Zimmerman in 2006
D. Adam Dunn and Ian Desmond in 2010

Last week was a momentous one for a trio of Nationals top prospects with Single-A Fredericksburg, headlined by last year’s No. 1 overall Draft pick and Washington’s No. 1 prospect, Eli Willits.

Willits notched his first home run as a pro last Wednesday -- and it was an inside-the-park job, no less. After showing off his 60-grade speed, Willits hit a more traditional homer the following day, although he did showcase his opposite-field pop with his dinger to left-center.

The 18-year-old shortstop got off to a chilly start this year with the FredNats, going 5-for-36 with 11 strikeouts over his first nine games. But in six games last week, Willits had eight hits in 24 at-bats – five of which went for extra bases. He had a couple of four-walk games, leading to a smooth .500 on-base percentage over 32 plate appearances. He also stole four bases and is already up to 13 steals through 16 games.

A couple of Willits’ teammates were recently recognized for their play as well. Right-hander Miguel Sime Jr. (Nationals’ No. 16 prospect) and outfielder Yeremy Cabrera (Nationals’ No. 20 prospect) made it on to MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Week on Monday.

• Friday, May 1: Friday Night Fireworks; Grateful Dead Day (special ticket required); Georgetown University Night (special ticket required)

• Saturday, May 2: Star Wars Grogu Bobblehead (first 20,000 fans)

• Tuesday, May 5: $5 Tuesdays; Pups in the Park (special ticket required)

B. Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto in 2019 

During the Nationals’ World Series-winning season, Rendon ranked sixth in MLB with a 157 OPS+ while the 20-year-old Soto had a 142 OPS+.

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