Series Preview: Washington Nationals @ Houston Astros

Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images

After the worst-case scenario against the A’s, the Houston Astros look to salvage something from this home-stand by hosting the Washington Nationals.

Nationals Standings:

• 43-62 (5th in the NL East) 13.5 GB, 13.5 GB for final NL Wild Card
• Road Record: 22-31 (Astros: 33-23 Record)
• Record vs. AL West: 5-4 (Astros vs NL East: 5-1)
• Last 10:5-5 [LWLWWLLWW] (HOU:4-6 [LWLWWWLLLL])
• 2025 Record vs. Houston: First meeting
• All-Time Record vs. Houston: 249-211
• Playoff Record: 4-3 (2019 World Series...move along)

Nationals’ Season to Date: The Nats sought to take the next step, challenging for a winning record and potential playoff contention. However, after a fair to middling start, the Nats saw the wheels come off, punctuated by a 11-game losing streak in June that sapped any hope for a successful season. What does it say that since June 1st,

the Nationals have gone 14-33, the worst in baseball. They fired long-time manager Davey Martinez and GM Mike Rizzo, further severing links to that 2019 Championship squad. Several of the youngsters from the Soto trade and years of suck are matriculating up to the majors, but it is not working out for all of them. More than a few Nats are trade candidates. Oh, and the ownership is also in flux, as Mark Lerner can’t decide if he is selling or not.

Nationals Leaders

Offense:

• HR: LF James Wood (24)
• RBI: LF James Wood (70)
• BA: SS CJ Abrams(.275)
• OPS: LF James Wood (.869)

Pitching:

• ERA: MacKenzie Gore (3.52)
• Wins: Jake Irvin (8)
• Saves: Kyle Finnegan (19)
• WHIP: MacKenzie Gore (1.27)

Projected Pitching Matchups (SUBJECT TO CHANGE, ESPECIALLY AS THIS RIGHT BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE...AND DID WE MENTION ALL OF THE ASTROS’ INJURIES)

• Monday, July 28 @7:10 p.m. CDT: Brad Lord (2-5, 3.39 ERA) vs. Framber Valdez (11-4, 2.67 ERA) [Space City Home Network; KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3 FM]
• Tuesday, July 29 @ 7:10 p.m. CDT: Michael Soroka (3.-8, 4.85 ERA) vs. TBD [Space City Home Network; KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3 FM]
• Wednesday, July 30 @ 1:10 p.m. CDT: MacKenzie Gore (4-10, 3.52 ERA) vs. TBD [Space City Home Network; KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3 FM]

Nationals Field Position Starters (SUBJECT TO CHANGE, ESPECIALLY AS THIS IS RIGHT BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE)

• C Riley Adams
• 1B Nathaniel Lowe
• 2B Luis Garcia, Jr
• 3B Bradley House
• SS CJ Abrams
• LF James Wood
• CF Jacob Young
• RF Daylen Lile
• DH Josh Bell

Nationals Offense: Somewhat similar to the A’s, the Nationals have some talent on the offensive side. While they currently bring up the rear in the NL East, they are fair to middling on offense: 18^th in BA, 22^nd in OBP and 18^th in runs scored. Some of the young talent that worked it way up the farm system by way of trades of talent like Juan Soto shows signs of MLB-level effectiveness, like SS CJ Abrams and LF James Wood. Uber-hyped prospect Dylan Crews was supposed to be part of that lineup but is out with injuries. However, that lineup is hardly making the DMV think of peak Harper, Soto or Rendon. Plus, some of the main roster depth is being shipped out, like Amed Rosario, who went to the Yankees for a couple of prospects. However, when they can get on base, they are 12^th in bases stolen, so that helps their offensive production.

Nationals Pitching/Defense: Also like the A’s, the Nats’ pitching, well, it is...not good. They bring up the rear in the MLB in key metrics: 28^th in ERA, 26^th in WHIP, 28^th in BAA. The days of Scherzer and Strasburg dominating from the mound are long gone. The rotation is led by Gore, who is solid, but far from spectacular. Projected front line starter Josiah Grey is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he may make a roster return by the end of the season. If the rotation is not great, the bullpen, well…Sean Doolittle might be their best bullpen arm…and he has been retired for a couple of years (currently a pitching analyst for the organization). They rate dead last in the MLB, with an astronomic ERA (5.69) and WHIP (1.50). Along with the closer Finnegan, Jose Ferrer and Cole Henry make are their high leverage relievers. The Nationals rate middle of pack for fielding and errors, so they aren’t necessarily helping or hurting the limited pitching staff.

Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Most Dangerous Player: LF James Wood. Well, given that he leads the Nationals in a bunch of stats and given the state of the Astros right now (more akin to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys vs. the major league roster), a guy like Wood could feast on Houston. He’s never faced the Astros, but at this point, that could hardly be seen as a limitation. Especially if he can catch a squad still recovering from what Kurtz did to them…I am not sure the Kurtz from Conard’s Heart of Darkness so damaged a group of people far away from home as the A’s Kurtz did to Houston this weekend. At any rate, while Wood is a lefty batter, he is someone the limited Astros pitching staff would do well to pitch around.

Injuries: We know about ALL.OF.THE.ASTROS.INJURIES...ALL OF THEM...However, the Nationals also have some players out for injury:

• OF Dylan Crews (Oblique), 60-Day IL; Projected Return: August
• OF Jacob Young (Finger), Day-to-Day; Projected Return: TBD
• P Derek Law (Flexor Tendon), 60-Day IL; Projected Return: July 2026
• C Keibert Ruiz (Concussion), 7-Day IL; Projected Return: TBD
• P Josiah Gray (Elbow), 60-Day IL; Projected Return: Late 2025
• P Trevor Williams (Elbow); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: 2026
• P DJ Herz (UCL); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: 2026

Intangibles/Vibes: The rebuild after 2019 was painful for this squad. Yet, there was promise over the past couple of seasons, especially with all the prospects from the Juan Soto trade. That has not panned out and the organization now must decide how to go about yet another rebuild. The NL East is tough enough, but with no immediate direction, or sense that this squad is doing anything but playing out the string, it is hard to see how Washington doesn’t finish last. With interim leadership across the board, the real excitement for the squad will be the offseason. As for the current roster, there are some potential building blocks, but those players not traded by the end of this series are playing for their jobs, either in Washington or somewhere else in MLB. There hasn’t been too much clubhouse drama yet, but players like Abrams (who was suspended for a couple of games by the team last season) might not take too kindly to a lost season such as this. Then again, for a team wallowing in last place, they have claimed back-to-back series, and for a young squad, the focus is not the standings, but quality of play to end the season.

Series Outlook: While baseball is baseball, and it can take strange twists and turns, it would behoove the Astros to bank some wins soon. They got manhandled by the last-place A’s at home, and they are 1-9 in their last 10 at the Ice Box. They still maintain a 4-game lead in the AL West, so they will go into their first off-day after the All-Star Break leading the AL West. Yet, they must go from one last place team focused more on the future to another last place team focused on the future. True, the Astros have a habit of getting blasted by last place teams during this dynastic run, but three straight home series losses doesn’t help. Washington has nothing to lose, as the players that survive the trade deadline look to either improve their standing with the team or help their prospects for a new employer in the offseason. Houston is looking to just hold on until they can get players back from the IL, but the margin of error is rapidly shrinking.

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