2025 Washington Nationals Regular Season

THE LEAD

At long last, baseball is back! Opening Day is this afternoon at Nats Park with first pitch at 4:05 PM, as MacKenzie Gore takes the hill against Zack Wheeler and the Phillies. There are so many things to look for and think about on the first day of the season, but in the spirit of hope, let’s look at some plausible best-case scenarios for each player on the Opening Day roster. Obviously, they won’t all happen (some of them are mutually exclusive, and I will also refrain from speculating on any trades or DFAs), but today is a day to dream:

SS CJ Abrams - puts the all-nighters at the casino in the rearview mirror and finds some consistency, hitting more like his 2024 first half (.268/.343/.489) than his second half (.203/.260/.326) and getting another All-Star nod.

C Riley Adams - hits like he did pre-hamate injury in 2023 (.273/.331/.476), giving Davey Martinez a reason to spell Keibert Ruiz a little more often and thus keep him more effective.

DH Josh Bell - the streakiest Nat (more so than even Abrams) goes on more heaters than ice-cold slumps, providing the team with some much-needed thump in the middle of the lineup in addition to his expected clubhouse leadership and community outreach.

OF Alex Call - ever the grinder, Call works at-bats (death, taxes, and Alex Call taking his timeout with two strikes), gets on base more than the average fourth outfielder, and provides good defense in spelling the starters (or holds down the fort should anyone be out for an extended stretch).

OF Dylan Crews - having been exposed to MLB pitching, Crews adjusts quickly and does his best Anthony Rendon impersonation at the plate (while playing outstanding defense in the outfield), running neck-and-neck in the NL ROY race all year long and netting the Nats an additional 2026 draft pick.

3B Paul DeJong - adequately holds down the fort at third base for four to six months, hitting enough home runs to make you forgive the frequent strikeouts and playing above-average defense that boosts the young pitching staff.

RP Jose A. Ferrer - displays enough improved command with his already nasty stuff that he usurps the closer role by Memorial Day and becomes one of the best young relievers in the league.

RP Kyle Finnegan - pitches regularly enough because the Nats are winning more frequently to keep his adrenaline going (Finnegan was excellent in save situations last year, dreadful at any other time) and provide himself with a big platform year in advance of free agency this winter.

2B Luis García Jr. - builds off of last year with a touch more pop (20-25 bolts), establishing himself as one of the better second basemen in baseball and being a borderline All-Star.

SP MacKenzie Gore - makes a leap with command both of his high-level stuff and his emotions on the mound, becoming a borderline ace and a reliable workhorse every fifth game.

SP Jake Irvin - avoids the stretch run fade that has plagued him each of the last two years, tossing ~180 or so above-average innings with a sub-4.00 ERA and the occasional elite start.

RP Jorge López - throws good fastballs rather than his glove and serves as a reliable right-handed setup man in advance of Finnegan and/or Ferrer.

RP Brad Lord - continues his meteoric rise through the organization (he started 2024 in high-A Wilmington), pitching well enough in long relief to usurp a rotation spot should one be made available via injury, ineffectiveness, or trade.

1B Nathaniel Lowe - combines his 2022 bat (27 home runs) with his 2023 Gold Glove defense to anchor the Nats’ young infield and makes turtlenecks a popular accessory at Nats Park.

SP Mitchell Parker - further establishes himself as a bona fide major league-caliber starting pitcher while rediscovering some of the strikeout stuff that he showed throughout the minors and providing the Nationals with another 150-160 roughly league-average innings.

RP Colin Poche - pitches well as the first lefty out of the pen, putting out some fires and neutralizing the Harpers and Schwarbers and Ohtanis (oh my!), etc., enough to keep the Nats in some more games.

RP Orlando Ribalta - pitches more like his 2025 spring training self (0.837 WHIP) than his 2024 MLB cameo (3.600 WHIP!!!), gradually gaining Davey’s trust and working his way into the top half of the bullpen.

UT Amed Rosario - hits lefties well enough to not be a black hole in the lineup when Davey rests García or Wood against the toughest southpaws, and plays average defense at a couple of positions.

C Keibert Ruiz - figures out a way to avoid the catastrophically slow starts that have plagued him every year thus far, playing something approaching average defense while being more selective at the plate and posting a wRC+ north of 100.

RP Eduardo Salazar - last year’s sneaky-good waiver wire pickup continues to show that he is at least an average major league reliever who can be trusted not to blow up innings and games.

RP Lucas Sims - is perfectly cromulent in middle relief, perhaps striking out as many guys as he did in 2022 for the Reds (76 in 47 innings).

SP Michael Soroka - rediscovers the form that made him a star before he blew out his Achilles twice, providing reliable innings and generating a bunch of ground balls as he is inspired to be his best by the Caps’ run to the Stanley Cup Finals (Soroka is from Calgary).

IF José Tena - hits the ball hard and more frequently than last year, pinch-hitting here and there, and hopefully not embarrassing himself too much in the field.

SP Trevor Williams - Davey’s judicious use of Williams pays off again, but with better health, as Williams manages to keep the ball in the yard at the same rate that he did a year ago and leaves after five, having given the Nats a chance.

OF James Wood - the elite exit velocities to all fields get airborne more often and Wood becomes an instant star, detonating a 30-30 season as a 22-year-old while getting on base close to 40% of the time thanks to his outstanding eye, and manages to not look as lost in left field as he did in 2024.

OF Jacob Young - Along with Crews, covers the third of the earth not covered by water but uses his newly-jacked body to impact the baseball more regularly at the plate, clearing a .700 OPS and cementing himself as an MLB regular.

 SPRING TRAINING COVERAGE 2025

Game Recap

There was no game yesterday, silly, because today is Opening Day!

 Perspective

Herz the Unlucky One in 2025

While the Nats have used the fewest different starting pitchers in baseball over the past two seasons (ten, with eight of them working all but a handful of those outings), they have not been immune to the dreaded Tommy John, losing one major league starter each of the past two years to that injury very early on in the season (Cade Cavalli in his last Spring Training start in 2023, Josiah Gray after two starts last year and a surgery-free rehab attempt). Yesterday we learned that DJ Herz, probably the Nats’ best starter in the second half of the 2024 season and the owner of perhaps the single best pitch on the staff (his changeup), has a partially torn UCL and has been recommended for surgery by Dr. Keith Meister. Herz is seeking a second opinion but it seems unlikely that will overturn the first, and he will thus miss the entire season. We have not yet heard whether, should he indeed get the zipper, he would have just the surgery itself or also the internal bracing procedure in tandem á la Gray last summer. Regardless, it is an unfortunate pause in the career of the 24-year-old Herz, who had a double-digit K rate (10.8/9 IP) in almost 90 innings as a rookie last year.

 theFUTURE

Rochester Red Wings Season Preview

While all eyes will be in Washington, D.C., for Opening Day tomorrow, the Rochester Red Wings will kick off their season against the Buffalo Bisons. Bill has a season preview will be live on the site later today.

AD

Wake up with Peet’s Coffee and the Morning Briefing

Peet’s Coffee is crafted for those who crave delicious coffee without the brewing; this versatile blend holds its own in any creation. Silky-smooth and delicious, hot or cold, it takes just one tablespoon and a couple of moments to whip up whatever cup you're craving. Order yours today to take advantage of their limited-time intro price.

 WHAT WE THINK THE NATIONALS FRONT OFFICE IS READING

Speed Reads

📌 From Home Depot to MLB Bullpen (Washington Post)

📌 Are More Wins Coming This Year? (MASN Sports)

📌 Relievers Becoming Starters? (The Athletic)