The Nationals went 16-12 in the month of May. It was the team’s best month since August of 2023. At 31-29, this Nats team enters June sitting over .500 and looking like a team on the rise. I wanted to dive into the biggest factors that are driving this turnaround.
In April, the Nats were a good offensive team, but terrible pitching and defense led to a 12-15 month. Fans wondered what this team would look like average pitching. Well, they have gotten their answer, as the Nats posted a 4.04 ERA in the month of May.
The rotation really turned things around, especially towards the end of the month. Pitching was a big reason why the Nats finished the month with three straight series wins over teams with a record above .500.
Veterans Miles Mikolas and Zack Littell had the biggest turnarounds this month. Both looked like over the hill arms who could not stop allowing homers in April. Mikolas and Littell both had ERA’s in the 8’s for the month. However, in May, the pair both posted ERA’s below 3. Blake Butera often had them pitching after an opener, and the strategy has worked.
You also have to credit 30 year old pitching coach Simon Mathews for helping guide these veteran arms. It can be tough for a young first year coach to get through to struggling veterans. However, Mathews has done just that. It is also a testament to Mikolas and Littell that they are willing to accept new information deep in their careers from a guy who is so young.
While the pitching has improved, the offense is still the star of the show. James Wood is the engine of the operation at the top of the lineup. He leads the NL in plate appearances, walks, runs, on base percentage, OPS and OPS+. Wood hit .311 this month, showing an ability to get hits consistently, along with his light tower power. He is playing like a legitimate MVP candidate this season.
As Nats fans, we have been spoiled by all the transcendent young hitters that have come through this organization. We had Bryce Harper and Juan Soto, and now we have James Wood. At 23 years old, Wood is on that sort of trajectory right now. The last item on his checklist is to keep up these kinds of performances for a full season. With the Nats playing more competitive baseball, I imagine it is easier to stay motivated and come to the ballpark ready to roll.
A lot of the things I said about Wood also apply to CJ Abrams. While Abrams does not have the same sort of upside as Wood, the 25 year old is also coming into his own. Abrams has gotten off to fast starts before, but he has never been this good for this long. Through 2 months, Abrams has a .294 batting average with a .933 OPS.
However, Wood and Abrams were both rolling in April. In fact, both had slightly higher OPS numbers in April compared to May. Despite the Nats two stars “only” putting up OPS numbers in the .900’s instead of over 1.000, the offense was even better.
That comes down to improvement from the supporting cast. This month Wood and Abrams finally got a right handed hitting running mate that was producing near their level. Curtis Mead became a surprise star in the middle of the Nats lineup this month. He posted an OPS over .900 for the month, and on the season, his OPS is over .850.
The former top prospect is earning himself more and more playing time. After the game yesterday, a reporter asked Blake Butera who the last players to leave the stadium are. Butera said that Wood, Abrams and Mead are usually the last three he sees around. This work ethic has helped Mead become a full time player this month. Once Brady House got sent down, he assumed the role as the everyday third baseman.
Mead has helped make this lineup a whole lot deeper. As have guys like Luis Garcia Jr. and Jacob Young who have been productive at the plate this month. Young showcased a whole new side of his game, hitting five home runs in May. Entering this season, Young only had 5 homers in his entire career.
However, the biggest May breakout has to be Keibert Ruiz. As Fangraphs put it, Ruiz rose from the ashes. It is an appropriate way to put it. Ruiz had been dreadful for the last two seasons on both sides of the ball. In April, he was playing better defense, but was hitting just .178 with a .480 OPS.
The switch hitting catcher totally flipped the script in May though. He hit .379 with a wild 1.107 OPS. After meeting with the coaching staff, as chronicled in a great article by Spencer Nusbaum, Ruiz started swinging harder and hitting the ball with more impact.
Ruiz has always possessed great bat to ball skills, but it did not matter because he did not hit the ball hard. This month he is pulling the ball in the air a ton and hitting it with more impact. That is the reason why he had 12 extra base hits in May. He was just roasting balls down the line, often for doubles or homers.
This is the most fun I have had watching the Nats since 2019. There is a new energy and confidence to this team that you can see. Even when you are in the locker room, you can tell the vibe is getting stronger. The team added a table in the middle of the room, where you often see guys playing chess or cards. Players are always talking to each other about baseball related things or just life things. It is great to see a team come together.
There is a lot of season left, and this team is still a long shot for the playoffs, and unlikely to finish above .500. However, I have optimism that in a couple years, we can look back on this month and pinpoint it as the moment where everything started to come together.
