The Nationals hit a growth spurt in 2026
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Dylan Crews and CJ Abrams. Photo: Duane Burleson/Getty Images
The Washington Nationals finished their season Sunday with a 77-85 record.
Why it matters: Since winning the World Series in 2019, the Nats have missed the playoffs seven straight years. But this season felt different.
The big picture: By hiring 35-year-old Paul Toboni to run the front office and 33-year-old Blake Butera to manage the team last fall, the Nationals made clear they were moving on from the glory days.
- 2026 would be all about DEVELOPMENT.
- And those of us older than both could feel worse about our stations in life.
A year later, how much progress did they make? (Don't worry, we won't evaluate your personal growth.)
- Here are the baby steps, big leaps and regressions:
📊 The results
👶 Baby step: The win-loss record. Washington's 77 victories were its most since the 2019 title team.
🏃 Big leap: These Nats could mash. They scored 821 runs, the third-most in MLB and second-most in franchise history — including the Expos years.
⏮️ Regression: A bad bullpen got worse. Nats relievers blew 42 saves in 84 opportunities, a 50% conversion rate. Matching the league average 64% would have meant roughly 12 more wins — and a playoff spot.
⭐️ The young core
👶 Baby step: James Wood entered his age-23 season with superstar expectations, but faded after the All-Star break for the second straight year. Still, his 30 homers and .891 OPS made him central to the Nats' lineup.
🏃 Big leap: CJ Abrams has become one of baseball's best-hitting middle infielders, finishing with 33 homers and 34 stolen bases. His defense at shortstop remained a weakness, but he moved to second base midseason without much fuss.
⏮️ Regression: Dylan Crews failed to make the big-league roster out of spring training and struggled once he got called up. Through 225 career games, the former No. 2 overall pick has been a replacement-level player — not the star fans envisioned.
🏗️ The rebuild
👶 Baby step: The starting rotation improved, thanks to Cade Cavalli. Finally healthy, the 28-year-old emerged as the staff's ace and earned a $47 million extension.
🏃 Big leap: The Nats' minor-league affiliates posted MLB's biggest year-over-year gains across several metrics, according to The Athletic's Spencer Nusbaum. His deep dive shows how Toboni's front office overhauled a player-development operation that had been badly lagging.
⏮️ Regression: Fans weren't rushing back to South Capitol Street. The Nats averaged 22,705 in attendance, 24th in MLB and down from last year. Blame global warming? Even a new footlong hot dog couldn't persuade the masses to roast in the D.C. sun.
The bottom line: The future is brighter for Nats fans. Though 2026 looked like more of the same in the standings, a growth spurt is underway.
- Let's hope a potential MLB work stoppage in 2027 doesn't stunt development. Time to bone up on collective bargaining agreements.