Washington Nationals Named Among Worst Teams at Scouting Talent, Called 'Way Behind'

The Washington Nationals have built a solid young core through this rebuild that has expedited their path back to the island of relevancy.

While many teams have built their core through exceptional drafts (i.e. the Baltimore Orioles), the majority of the Nationals' core has come through trading Major League caliber players, including superstar Juan Soto.

That trade alone landed the club CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, and James Wood, who are all already making waves at the Major League level, along with Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana who are both top prospects in the farm system and expected to be in MLB sooner rather than later.

Only eight of the 26 players who Fangraphs has projected to be on the Opening Day roster in Washington were drafted or signed as international free agents. That list includes Dylan Crews, the club's number two overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, who no one needed to scout to understand his Major League potential.

It leaves much to be desired in the club's scouting department.

Baseball America recently polled scouts across baseball, and of the 24 that responded to the "Which organizations are the worst at identifying talent?" question, three listed the Nationals, tying them with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Red Sox. One scout that responded viewed Washington, as well as the Chicago White Sox, as being "way behind."

Only seven teams received more votes, the Cleveland Guardians, Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, and the White Sox. Scouts viewing your organization as one of the eight worst in the sport at identifying talent is not something you like to hear.

On the other hand, it seems as if General Manager Mike Rizzo understands the club's shortcomings, with amateur scouting being one of them, with just how much of the club has been built through trades, waiver claims, and free agency.

Regardless of how the team's scouting department handles their day-to-day responsibilities, the Nationals still have a solid core they have built around and have a promising future as soon as 2025.

While they may not yet be playoff contenders, an above-.500 season is not out of the question. This team has the ability to play the role of a huge spoiler in the National League East and is one of the reasons why it is arguably the best division in MLB.