The Washington Nationals came into the 2026 season with not many expectations. They don’t have the star power of other teams, and fighting for a postseason spot could prove tough. 

However, that does not mean they don’t have any exciting pieces. CJ Abrams is the engine of the club, James Wood is a monster in the outfield, and Brady House is finally getting some regular run at third base. 

On the pitching side of things, many are excited to see Cade Cavalli take the next step. He has had two solid starts, but the starting staff has been the focus of the early season, and not for a good reason. 

MORE: Nationals’ Miles Mikolas, Rockies’ Michael Lorenzen have 2 of worst starts in MLB history on same day

Nationals’ rotation under the microscope after rough opening stretch

For a team that lacks the star power as the Nationals do, the pitching staff plays an important role. They have to keep the team in the game, at the very least, which has been a tough ask so far. 

Although we are only one week into April, the pitching staff has failed to keep the opposing team to fewer than six runs. 

Now, it is worth mentioning their past two series involved the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, and they were able to take one away from the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, but the pitching staff is under a microscope. 

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter doesn’t have much faith in the stable of arms the Nats have. 

“After taking two of three from the [Chicago Cubs] at Wrigley Field to open the year, the Nationals looked a lot more like the cellar dweller most expected them to be during the 1-5 week against a pair of presumptive NL contenders. They rank last in the majors with a 6.69 ERA from their starting pitchers, and that will likely be a major issue all season.”

If this team wants to avoid finishing in the basement of the NL East again this season, some starting pitchers are going to have to turn things around and do it quickly.

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