2025 MLB First-Half Recap: Washington Nationals

The Pitching

The Good

It’s been the year of James Wood, who is arguably the best story out of Washington in the first half by far.

Wood, a 2025 NL All-Star, turned his raw power into home run power in a massive way this season, as he entered the break with 24 home runs. He does it differently than anyone else, as the power to the opposite field is something to behold. And after making such an impact with a low pull rate, his 30.9% Pull % in 2025 is actually lower than 2024.

But, make the wrong pitch in the wrong spot, and Wood can get out in front & punish pitchers.

Aside from Wood, two other pieces from the Juan Soto trade three years ago have turned into key pieces this season.

MacKenzie Gore currently sports what would be a career-high 30.5% K% this season for the Nationals. It’s been an exceptional run for the left-hander, who has a 40+% Whiff% on every single pitch he’s used this season, aside from the four-seamer.

CJ Abrams, meanwhile, put a sour end to his 2024 season behind him. Abrams hit .287/.353/.483 (.836) with 12 home runs and 36 extra-base hits over the second half. That extra-base hit total, good for 37th in the league, put two Nationals in the top 40 of that category (Wood is 16th with 43).

The Bad

Unfortunately for the Nationals, a lot went wrong this year.

Washington didn’t have a loud offseason, as their biggest move was to get Nathaniel Lowe from Texas. While Lowe has provided good home run power — 14 in the first half — his .294 OBP is far from his career norms. Lowe posted a .356 on-base percentage from 2019 to 24.

He’s not the only one who struggled this season. Keibert Ruiz, recently sidelined with concussion problems, had just two home runs this season, both of which were hit in the first two games of the season. Dylan Crews, the star rookie, only hit .196/.266/.354 (.620 OPS) over his first 45 games this season.

However, the metrics — he sported a strong 14.5% Barrel% in 2025 — weren’t too bad.

Pitching, however, has been a major weakness. Aside from Gore, it’s been an up-and-down season for their rotation. Jake Irvin currently leads the National League in home runs allowed (22), while Trevor Williams got hit around before going down to season-ending surgery.

Michael Soroka, signed this offseason, has pitched better than the numbers would indicate. Still, a 5.35 ERA is a 5.35 ERA.

As for their bullpen, it lacks swing-and-miss, as no reliever used significantly by Washington — and by that, I mean 20+ appearances — this season aside from Zach Brzykcy posted a K/9 north of 9.0 this season.

Those struggles led to the ousters of general manager & president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo, along with manager Davey Martinez. The Nationals went 37-53 under Martinez, and went 1-5 in their first six games led by Miguel Cairo.

What to Expect in Second Half

The Nationals will likely be sellers as the team moves into the next portion of their rebuild — which received a boost on July 13 when the team selected star Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits with the first overall pick.

Washington has pieces to sell, including closer Kyle Finnegan and Michael Soroka, both of whom are on expiring deals.

As for the rest of the second half, it’s about the young kids and whether Wood, Gore, Brady House, etc. can inject added enthusiasm into the nation’s capital.