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Could Riley Adams Become Catcher of Nationals' Future With Strong Finish To Season?
Aug 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Riley Adams (15) before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals entered the 2025 season hoping Keibert Ruiz would finally break through and live up to his previous top prospect billing.

Acquired as part of the return package for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner in 2021, it took little time for the Nationals to hitch their wagon to the future of Ruiz, with them inking him to an eight-year, $50 million contract extension ahead of the 2023 campaign despite just 135 games with the franchise under his belt.

But fast forward to 2025, and there's a real chance Washington could be looking to get out of the Ruiz business. That's because he has gotten worse with the bat in his hands every season since signing that extension and has been brutal on the defensive end with minus-16 defensive runs saved and a figure of minus-39 in fielding run value.

That is simply not good enough, and despite the long-term deal that he signed, the previous regime of Dave Martinez and Mike Rizzo are no longer in charge, meaning whoever takes over the decision making for the Nationals could be looking for a different everyday catcher.

Riley Adams Making His Case To Be Nationals' Catcher

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Ruiz was placed on the injured list on July 8 due to a concussion, and with him still being on the shelf, it's been Riley Adams who has stepped into the everyday catcher role for Washington.

Following the All-Star break, Adams has taken his offensive game to the next level, slashing .278/.352/.468 in 25 games with four home runs and 11 RBI, good for a 130 wRC+ that has injected some life into this lineup.

"I don't think it's any secret that the more time you're out there, the easier it is for myself to feel like I'm getting my timing down and getting into a rhythm there," he said, per MLB.com. "I'm trying to take that day by day and get a little more comfortable every time."

The question becomes if Adams can overtake Ruiz on the depth chart going forward.

While Ruiz hasn't been an offensive juggernaut or defensive stalwart during his career, neither has Adams, with just a career slash line of .219/.294/.377 and an OPS+ of 88 while his defensive runs saved value his minus-23 and his fielding run value figure is minus-27.

But the stretch of play by Adams following the All-Star break has been encouraging, and it's a good sign that this has come when he's gotten everyday reps instead of subbing in on an inconsistent basis like earlier in his career.

With Adams still having three years of club control remaining after this season, the Nationals don't have to rush a decision one way or the other, giving him even more of an opportunity to prove he should be the starter going forward.

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This article first appeared on Washington Nationals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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