Opinion: Why you should buy into the Washington Nationals future

It’s been five and a half years since the Washington Nationals shocked the baseball world and won the World Series in their first season without Bryce Harper.

Following their magical title run, things didn’t go as planned. They went 26-34 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and fell to 65-97 in 2021, a season that saw them tear down their roster. In 2022, they lost over 100 games, going 55-107.

Just three years after winning the World Series, the Nationals had hit rock bottom.

However, something good happened for the franchise in 2022, despite it not seeming that way. During the trade deadline, Washington traded superstar outfielder Juan Soto, along with first baseman Josh Bell, to the San Diego Padres for a haul.

In that massive return, three names stick out years later: shortstop C.J. Abrams, starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore and outfielder James Wood.

Those three players specifically, along with former top prospects Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz who were acquired in 2021, have made the future look bright for the Nationals.

Another positive from the 2022 season is they earned the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, an asset accumulated from the first ever MLB Draft Lottery. With that pick, they selected outfielder Dylan Crews out of Louisiana State University, the best hitting prospect available that year.

By the end of 2023, results had started to show. They improved from 55 to 71 wins, a 16-win jump from the previous year. Last season, they won 71 games again, but Nats fans got to see future household names like James Wood and Dylan Crews for the first time.

The 2024 season also saw more players burst onto the scene, such as infielder Luis Garcia Jr. and starting pitcher Jake Irvin. Relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan, who recently re-signed for one-year and $6 million, was an All Star.

Under title-winning manager Dave Martinez, who will be entering his eighth season as the team’s skipper, Washington not only has a future, but a core.

While they might not be a postseason contender just yet, they are trending in the right direction, and another season of development from this young group could take them places in the future. It’s a future you should absolutely buy into.

Adam Pietrzak is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email app5940@psu.edu.