Alexandria, VA – The Washington Nationals 2026 season is underway. Hope springs eternal, as they say in April. The team did not add any significant free agents over the winter so the roster should look largely familiar for fans.
Left fielder James Wood should be the Nationals’ best player again. For the first three months of 2025 he was one of the top ten hitters in the major leagues. He dropped off in the second half, but he showed how good he can be. Wood is just 23 so he should only get better.
Dylan Crews was the second player taken in the 2023 draft, meaning he has enormous potential. Last year he missed half the season with an injury, slowing his development. He’s starting the season with the AAA team but he will be back in the outfield soon. Another first-round pick, 22-year-old Brady House, is starting at third base.
Cade Cavalli, a first-round pick from 2020, could be the Nationals’ best pitcher. He came back last August from two years of arm problems and showed he still has the talent. The Nats did trade starter McKenzie Gore for five prospects over the winter, and brought in some veteran starters, so the rotation looks different.
Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams
Under New Management
The biggest change from 2025 is the change in the dugout and in the front office. The team ownership let long-time team president Mike Rizzo go in hopes of improving on the results from the last few seasons. A rebuild was probably inevitable after some of the stalwarts of the 2019 championship team reached free agency and signed elsewhere, or, as in Stephen Strasburg’s case, developed a career-ending arm injury. But rebuilds eventually need to show some progress.
The Nationals decided to go in another direction and brought in Paul Toboni to replace Rizzo. Toboni came from 12 years in scouting and the front office for the Red Sox. One of his first decisions was choosing a manager. He picked Blake Butera who comes from the Tampa Bay organization. Butera is the youngest major league manager in five decades; he’s 33. He’s also three years younger than his boss. Toboni is 36. Combined they are just four years older than Rizzo.
The hope, or the plan, is that their familiarity with the latest technology and player development programs will help the Nats catch up with other teams who have already adopted them. They are investing in the latest tech to help players understand which pitches or swings work for them and which don’t. Some players had this technology in college but not with the Nationals until now.
Nationals left fielder James Wood
Team Building
The Nationals postseason teams of 2012-2019 were built around a nucleus of young, home-grown, affordable, talented players: Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Anthony Rendon, and Danny Espinoza to name just some. Trades brought Trea Turner and Wilson Ramos while they were still in the minors (hat-tip to Rizzo). These guys on affordable contracts allowed the team to sign free agents who put them into contention for years, such as Jason Werth and Max Scherzer.
The job of developing the young guys and deciding when to spend on more talent now lies with Toboni and Butera. Progress in 2026 will likely be determined by how fast the young players turn into useful major leaguers and All Stars. That doesn’t mean they aren’t fun to watch now.
Let’s Go Nats!
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