What We Learned From the Nationals’ 2025 Season

Lile, a 2021 second-round pick, has been in the shadows due to the name recognition of James Wood, Dylan Crews, and, to a lesser extent, Jacob Young. The 22-year-old was called up in late May and struggled to begin his career before settling in around July and finishing on a high note, slashing .391/.440/.772 with six home runs in September.

Lile finished his rookie year with a 132 wRC+, nine home runs, and nine stolen bases. He brings a smooth and simple swing from the left side that is more contact-oriented but still offers power to grow into. I was impressed with his eye for the zone and 87.4% zone contact rate that gives him a high floor and also plenty to dream on.

A swing as pretty as this that also lifts the ball is hard to bet against. I think he’ll find gaps, and his plus speed will help him rack up a load of extra base hits. In a year in which the Nationals needed to find a couple of foundation pieces, Lile surely established himself as one.

It Is Time To Move on From Luis García Jr.

Washington brought Luis García Jr. into the fold during the 2020 season when he was only 20 years old. It’s hard to believe, but García has already appeared in parts of six seasons, and although he’s only 25 years old, I think the Nationals need to pivot.

In 2024, García had a breakout year, slashing .282/.318/.444 with 18 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and a 110 wRC+, leading to a 3.0 fWAR campaign. In 2025, he reverted back to what he had been outside of the 2024 season: a below-average hitter with modest power (.160 ISO) who doesn’t draw walks.

With two seasons left of control, and a projected $7.0 million arbitration number (per MLB Trade Rumors), I think the Nationals need to test the trade market and see if they can get an arm in exchange for García. The money is a bit rich for what the 2026 Nationals will look like, and I do not see him as the long-term answer, so any type of extension is off the table.

García is a solid player, but more the type of guy a really good team needs to fill out the bottom of their lineup. The Nationals, well, they aren’t a really good team, nor are they close to being one. Collecting assets for players like García is still where the Nationals stand in their rebuild process.

More Questions Than Answers With Brady House

Brady House was the Nationals’ 2021 first-round pick and potential answer to their continued struggle to find a third baseman. After a lousy 2024 season that came with some injuries, House bounced back, posting a 128 wRC+ in Triple-A while also showing his power, launching 13 home runs across 65 games in 2025.

The Nationals called up the 22-year-old, and it went about as poorly as it could have gone: a .234/.252/.322 slash in his first 73 games with Washington. To me, this was a case of initial struggles snowballing into what needed to be a trip back to Triple-A instead of riding out the rest of the season with Washington.

House is a talented player who will likely always strike out more than you would like, but the swing decisions he was making and lack of contact on pitches in the zone were signs of a young player pressing.

Is he going to make enough contact to survive? Will the Nationals simply hand him the keys to third without competition? Does the power play at the major league level? Will he start 2026 in Triple-A? All questions I have with few answers provided from what we saw this past season.

James Wood Solidified His Superstar Potential

I know, I know, saying a top-10 prospect in all of baseball who was excellent as a 21-year-old last year still has superstar potential isn’t exactly a hot take. But, what we learned from James Wood in a full season solidifies his potential.

The sophomore slump did not hit. Sure, Wood’s second-half numbers were not as impressive as his first half, but he proved he could bounce back from an awful slump (.564 OPS in July) and still find success despite the swing-and-miss issues.

I was worried pitchers would start throwing him fewer fastballs, which could lead to even more swing and miss and fewer opportunities to do damage. But, Wood was patient and did not chase balls out of the zone like so many young hitters do, which allowed him to still see some fastballs, and he did not miss.

Wood hit 21 of his 31 home runs off fastballs while posting an average exit velocity of 98.9 mph against velocity. We know he’ll kill fastballs without any hesitation, and while he struggled against off-speed and breaking pitches, he showed that he will not necessarily lose value because of that.

As Wood matures and gains more time on task, I think the improvements will come. I wanted to see him continue to take his walks and not do too much, and he did exactly that. I think a big year is ahead.

Final Thoughts

Seeing CJ Abrams and James Wood produce, along with Daylen Lile’s breakout, gives the Nationals some hope for 2026. Dylan Crews never really got a chance to gain his momentum, and I will not overreact to his down season. In my eyes, the Nationals’ offense is starting to form into what a winning team needs, with a few pieces still to be added.

I’m fascinated to know how they will address their pitching. With a new chief baseball executive, I would expect more player movement and different approaches than we have seen in the past, and that’s good news. Either sign more impactful free agents or let the kids play. Washington needs to be done with the mediocre one-year vets.

Although 2025 was a step back, there’s enough talent to still think Washington’s rebuild is on track. Maybe not on track at the rate fans would have hoped, but far from derailed. I mean, can it get much worse than what we saw this season? I wouldn’t think so.