Nationals Reliever’s Brilliance in May Fuels Franchise’s Sudden Resurgence

The Washington Nationals have taken some hits as a pitching staff, and that includes their bullpen.

The group was not good in April. It was part of the reason why as late as May 13 the Nationals were 17-26. That coincided with a seven-game losing streak.

But Washington finished off May with a 28-30 record. That included a surge in which the Nationals went 11-4.

Offense has been a part of that turnaround, of course. But so has the pitching, specifically the bullpen.

When looking for a pitcher that exemplifies the Nationals’ turnaround in May, look no further than reliever Cole Henry.

Cole Henry Has Been Great for Nationals

On paper, the rookie right-hander had a rough April. But that was really based on one game. He threw six scoreless innings in his first five appearances before the New York Mets blew him away on April 28. In that game he gave up five hits and five earned runs and one inning and left with his ERA ballooning to 6.43.

In May, the 25-year-old has been about as perfect as a middle reliever can be.

In 12 appearances over 14 innings, Henry allowed three hits. Yes, three hits. He also didn’t allow a run, earned or unearned. He struck out 11, walked six and had a K/9 rate of 7.1. He finished with a 0.64 WHIP and, naturally, a 0.00 ERA.

Now, his season numbers look terrific. While he hasn’t factored into a decision, he has a 2.14 ERA in 18 games, with two holds. He’s thrown 21 innings, allowed 11 hits, five runs and nine walks against 21 strikeouts. Batters are hitting .153 against, him, even with the Mets’ offensive explosion in April.

Henry is an interesting case in player development and patience. The Nationals selected him in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of LSU, the same school that produced Paul Skenes and current Washington outfielder Dylan Crews.

He spent most of his minor league career as a starter, as he went 4-9 with a 3.25 ERA in 44 games (34 starts), with 162 strikeouts and 56 walks in 130.1 innings. Batters hit just .190 against him. So, his stuff has translated from the minors to the Majors.

But he’s never pitched more than 14 games in the minors, in part because he had Tommy John surgery in 2022. While he’s only pitched 21 innings, his 18 appearances is a career high as a professional.

But, so far, being a reliever suits him.