It is no secret that the first base position has been a problem for the Washington Nationals. The team thought they had solved their dilemma, at least for two years when they brought in Nathaniel Lowe. However, that move did not work out, which means the Nats are back to the drawing board at the cold corner.

One name that was brought up by MLB.com as a perfect fit is Ryan O’Hearn. That is a name that really intrigues me. I agree that he would be a very good fit in DC for a few reasons that I will get into. O’Hearn has been one of the more underrated players in baseball over the last three seasons and is hitting the market coming off of a strong 2025 campaign.

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O’Hearn set career highs in home runs and RBI’s, but this was no fluke season. He has had an OPS above .760 in each of the last three seasons and has been a baseball savant darling. His underlying numbers are always very strong, and this year was no different.

The biggest thing that changed this year was O’Hearn getting more opportunities to face left handed pitching. In Baltimore, he was used almost exclusively against right handed pitching. This year things changed a bit though. He had 97 at bats against lefties, more than the last two seasons combined.

O’Hearn took advantage of those chances, hitting .278 with an .832 OPS against southpaws. His OPS against lefties was actually higher than it was against righties. This ability to play every day makes O’Hearn much more valuable than he would otherwise be. That ability to be in the lineup everyday led to O’Hearn being an All-Star for the first time in his career.

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While the bat is the big selling point for him, O’Hearn also provides value in the field. He posted 5 outs above average last season and has done well in the field for two of the last three seasons. O’Hearn mostly plays first base, but has shown he can hold his own in the corner outfield as well. Last season, he played 75 games at 1B, 49 at DH, 21 in RF and 2 in LF.

For the Nats, O’Hearn would be an everyday first baseman, but that versatility is an added bonus. At 32 years old, he would also be a veteran in the clubhouse. Most of his success has come recently, but he would be a good role model for young players. O’Hearn struggled in the MLB for a while before finally breaking through in Baltimore at 29 years old. He would be a good player to learn from.

The offensive production is what the Nats would be buying though. O’Hearn is one of four first baseman with at least a .270 average and 10% walk rate since 2024. The other three are Bryce Harper, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Freddie Freeman. Obviously, he is not on the level of those other three, but it shows you how solid O’Hearn has been in recent years.

Like a lot of the free agents we have discussed, O’Hearn wouldn’t be overly pricey. It would take more than the Nats have spent in recent years, but it also would not be a mega-deal either. A 2-year $28 million deal or 3-year $36 million deal would make sense for both sides.

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Ryan O’Hearn is not a flashy option like Pete Alonso, but he is a realistic target. This is still a highly productive player and should be the best first baseman the Nats have had in a while. Then again, we did say the same thing about Nathaniel Lowe. First baseman without truly elite power can be risky as we saw with Lowe. However, I am willing to bet that O’Hearn’s production continues to stay strong. That is why I think he would be a good option for the Nats.