Coming off a series victory against the Cincinnati Reds back home in DC, the Nationals head to Minneapolis to take on the 49-53 Minnesota Twins in a 3 game set. After the offense exploded for 16 runs in the first 2 games against the Reds, the bats went quiet in the series finale, as Nick Lodolo threw a complete game shutout in a 5-0 Reds victory.
This series is likely the last complete one with the Nationals roster as it is currently constructed, as the trade deadline approaches rapidly and players
with expiring contracts must be moved. There should be an influx of young guns onto the big league roster soon, both from Rochester and those acquired in trades.
The Twins, for the second year in a row, are one of the more talented rosters in the AL Central, but have faltered all year and can’t build much momentum. They sit 4 games under .500, 5 games out of the third AL Wild Card spot, and 10 games out of first place in the AL Central. Many teams are hoping to acquire their ace Joe Ryan and elite relief arms Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran if they sell at the deadline, but they appear reluctant to blow up any of their current core despite the underperformance.
Team Stats
Team OPS: .713 (10th in AL, 16th in MLB)
Team OPS Leader: Byron Buxton (.922)
Team HR Leader: Byron Buxton (23)
Team ERA: 4.17 (12th in AL, 21st in MLB)
Team ERA Leader: Joe Ryan (2.63)
Team Saves Leader: Jhoan Duran (15)
The Twins' offense goes as Byron Buxton does, as he leads the club in almost every offensive category. They have not received the offensive production they would’ve hoped for from their most expensive player, Carlos Correa, who has a .711 OPS and just 7 home runs on the year. The lineup is deeper than most, but lacks elite production outside of Buxton.
The Twins' bullpen is one of the stronger units in the AL, but the rotation is what holds them back as a whole. Outside of Joe Ryan, almost all their starters are underperforming or hurt, with Pablo Lopez being the only other starter to have an ERA under 4, and he’s only made 11 starts.
Game One: Friday 8:10 PM EDT
WSH: LHP MacKenzie Gore (4-9) - 112.2 IP, 3.59 ERA, 1.27 WHIP
Gore is coming off the worst start of his career, where he allowed 8 runs over 2 1⁄3 innings against the Padres. His ERA over his last 7 starts is 5.06, largely inflated by the last start, but still not at his April and May levels.
MIN: RHP Zebby Matthews (1-2) - 23 IP, 6.26 ERA, 1.61 WHIP
The 25-year-old Matthews has been roughed up in his 14 career starts, posting a 6.26 ERA this year in 5 starts and a 6.69 ERA last year in 9 starts. It was more of the same for him in his last starts versus the Rockies as well, as he allowed 5 runs over 4 innings of work.
Game Two: Saturday 7:10 PM EDT
WSH: LHP Mitchell Parker (6-10) - 108 IP, 5.00 ERA, 1.40 WHIP
It’s been a season of ups and downs for Parker on the mound, but thankfully, his last start was one of his better ones, as he went 6 innings, allowing only 2 runs against a strong Padres lineup. His ERA of 6.54 over his last 15 starts is still incredibly scary and cannot continue to happen if he’d like to stick around in the rotation heading into 2026.
MIN: RHP Joe Ryan (10-4) - 116.1 IP, 2.63 ERA, 0.90 WHIP
Ryan had always been a solid pitcher in his career, but he’s exploded into ace territory this season, putting up numbers that could give him a shot at the Cy Young if Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet weren’t in his league. He continued his domination in his last start, going 7 innings and allowing just 1 run while striking out 11 against the Rockies at Coors.
Game Three: Sunday 2:10 PM EDT
WSH: RHP Jake Irvin (7-5) - 119.2 IP, 4.81 ERA, 1.33 WHIP
The Reds roughed Irvin up in his last start, as he allowed 5 runs over 3 2⁄3 innings of work. Irvin has flashed some really impressive performances this season and in his career, but has almost equally as many stinkers to match it. He needs to find some kind of consistency if he wants to be a part of the future of the Nationals' rotation.
MIN: TBD
Likely a bullpen game for the Twins on Sunday, as Fangraphs has current reliever but starter in the minors, Travis Adams, getting the ball for them.
Last Hurrah For Current Core?
The Nationals roster will look vastly different in a week than it does today, with this series likely being their last complete one together. Will the boys end with a bang, or will it be more of the same that we’ve seen out of them?
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