Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was at the center of the trade that shipped Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres for several prospects. Abrams’ arrival shifted Luis Garcia to second base and brought a heightened level of excitement in Washington.
At 22 years old, Abrams has a lot on his shoulders. On the field, Abrams is replacing a fan-favorite Trea Turner, who the Nats traded in 2021. Turner was head of the infield during the Nats’ run to a World Series title in 2019. Many expected he was going to be in Washington for many more years.
However, on Thursday, Abrams represented the future shortstop. He also is the face of a franchise that is rebuilding. Soto was the cornerstone player at the ripe age of 24 and is already one of the best hitters in baseball. That’s a lot for Abrams to replace.
Maybe the pressure of what he represents got to the young lad. Playing on his first Opening Day with the Nationals, CJ Abrams had a day to forget against the Atlanta Braves. He went hitless in four at-bats with a strikeout, batting in ninth in the lineup.
Yet, what he did in the infield is what fans will be most conferences about. Abrams committed three errors, tying the most by a player in a game in Nationals history. Ian Desmond (2010), Maikel Franco (2022), Damian Jackson (2006), Michael Morse (2011), and Ryan Zimmerman (2007) also committed three errors in a game.
Abrams’ first error occurred in the second inning with runners on first and second. What appeared to be a routine grounder that would have resulted in an inning-ending double play bounced off Abrams’ glove. He was unable to field it, keeping the inning alive. Already up 1-0, the Braves tacked another run in the frame.
In the fifth inning, Abrams made a throw to first base that sailed high, allowing the baserunner on. His final error happened when he was off target with a relay throw to third base, allowing Atlanta’s third run of the ninth inning as the Braves downed the Nats 7-2.
“These are going to be some of the growing pains that we have, right?” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said, per Andrew Golden of the Washington Post. “A teaching moment. We’re going to teach him, get him to understand. But overall, I saw some good things out there as well.”
Four years removed from their World Series title, the Nationals are a skeleton of what the team once was. They’re rebuilding. Washington believes in the return it got in trades for Turner, Soto, and Max Scherzer, along with their excellent drafting.
The list of quality prospects is long. There will be growing pains. Abrams will see better days, but Thursday’s performance is one that the young shortstop will soon want to forget.
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