The Washington Nationals did it! They made history last night and “accomplished” something no MLB team has ever done. Of course, I am referring to the 2026 Nationals setting the all time blown save record when they blew their 38th save late last night. This is a truly embarrassing feat that should stick with everyone involved for years to come.
From ownership to the front office to the coaching
staff to the pitchers themselves, they all played a role in setting the worst kind of history. This bullpen has been an embarrassment all season long and now the record books show that. Entering this season, the plan was to build a bullpen on the margins and find enough hidden gems to have a mildly competent group.
As we know, that plan failed absolutely miserably. Teams like the Rays have shown this sort of plan can work. However, this front office is not the Rays front office. They have not shown a real ability to evaluate pitching yet, and it cost them dearly this season.
Don’t get me wrong, this front office has done some good things, especially on the offensive side of things. They have completely revitalized the offense. However, there has been more bad than good on the pitching side of things.
One example I keep going back to is a simple waiver claim they could have made but did not. It might sound nit-picky to talk about one waiver claim they did not make. However, even at the time, it was something I wanted to happen.
While Paul Toboni was picking up just about anyone with a pulse on the wire, there was one name he did not pick up. On paper, Bryan Hudson would be a perfect fit. This regime has shown a love for low slot lefties with funk and that is exactly who Hudson is. He also had a 1.73 ERA in 62.1 innings in 2024 before a rough 2025.
This offseason he was on waivers twice. Toboni did not pull the trigger either time. For the season, Hudson has a 2.95 ERA in 61 innings in a variety of roles. He has 7 saves and has opened 8 times. This is the exact profile this front office was looking for and they missed their solution hiding in plain sight.
If you are going to build a bullpen the way Toboni wanted to build it, you cannot miss on the Bryan Hudson’s of the world. However, a big reason that Toboni even had to build a bullpen like this is due to ownership. Over the past 5 years or so, ownership has not given this team a shot.
Under Ted Lerner, this team consistently ran top 10 payrolls. Now, it has become a bare bones operation. For this franchise to get back to where it needs to be, the Lerner’s either need to spend money or give the team to someone who will. Hopefully this inglorious record is a wakeup call that spending is needed, particularly in the bullpen.
Adrian Morejon, David Bednar and Raisel Iglesias will be the top 3 relievers on the market this offseason. Given this franchise’s recent track record, I doubt any will be Nationals. However, if this organization wanted to be serious, one of them would be wearing the Curly W.
We just cannot go another season without proven high leverage options at the back of the bullpen. Orlando Ribalta can be part of the solution, but they need bigger guns behind them. This bullpen has been so bad, it has negatively affected development.
Honestly, if you do not laugh about this, you will cry. It has truly become comical to see this team even defend multi-run leads. When they get back home, maybe they could take out the rubber and give it to the Hall Of Fame.
While most of these relievers are obviously not up to the job, it is tough to place too much blame on them. Whenever you see quotes from these guys, they are obviously gutted. They are not trying to blow these saves, they are just not up to the task. Jared Simpson clearly did not have it in his first back to back and it cost this team. Clayton Beeter has not had it for months, yet this is all we have got right now.
Mass changes will need to come this offseason. It would probably be unfair to make Simon Mathews a one and done, but some tweaks need to be made to the staff around him. There just needs to be a different voice after the bullpen has failed this miserably.
This was a fun season, but between the deadline sell off and the bullpen woes, things got ugly in a hurry. It sure feels like the momentum heading into next season is gone. Maybe this team can just flip the switch after an offseason, but they need some help.
The 2026 Nationals will be known for their high flying offense, but even moreso, their record setting bullpen. They set the all time record for blowing games. That is a stat that should make everyone in the building shiver. Cheers to 38 blown saves!
