Nationals Second Half Will Be All About New Beginnings to a Hopefully Brighter Future

The Washington Nationals came into the 2025 season with what seemed like attainable expectations.

No one was expecting them to contend for a World Series, but it was fair to expect some strides would be made with their performance on the field.

After winning 71 games in back-to-back campaigns, improving upon that number was a fair goal to set for a team that hoped the light at the end of the tunnel was growing near.

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With a strong nucleus of young players emerging during the 2024 campaign, things looked to finally be heading in the right direction.

Unfortunately, not much has panned out on the field for the Nationals.

A majority of their veteran acquisitions this offseason flamed out.

Relief pitchers Lucas Sims, Jorge Lopez and Colin Poche were expected to help bolster a weak bullpen, but all three struggled so much, they were off the roster before the end of May.

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First baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who was acquired in a trade from the Texas Rangers, and designated hitter Josh Bell, who was signed in free agency, were supposed to supply some much-needed power to the lineup but haven’t quite lived up to expectations.

With those additions falling short of expectations, combined with a few of the younger players not progressing as hoped, the result has been a disaster on the field.

Entering play on July 22, Washington is 40-60, facing an uphill battle just to reach 71 victories again.

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General manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez were both fired as a result, moves that were warranted but came at odd times.

With a new chapter of the franchise now underway, the biggest storyline of the second half for the Nationals is how the introduction to this next era begins.

“Whatever happens in the second half, it’s all about starting over. The Nationals aren’t starting from scratch — James Wood is a pretty good foundation — but they’re clearly turning a page. Their second-half storyline is just an introduction to whatever comes next,” wrote Chad Jennings of The Athletic (subscription required).

Their All-Star left fielder is as good of a building block as there is in baseball right now. He isn’t alone, either, with shortstop CJ Abrams and ace pitcher MacKenzie Gore also playing at an incredibly high level.

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Unfortunately for Washington, that trio is all they currently have to be excited about.

A few more long-term pieces could be added ahead of the trade deadline, but an overhaul of the development team needs to be done for the Nationals to truly climb out of this rebuild.

Their most impactful players at the Major League level, right now, are all from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto blockbuster trade. To truly ascend to the next level, they need to start developing some talent of their own.

For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.