Now that we are officially in the offseason, we will be trying some new things here at Federal Baseball. One thing we will do this offseason is evaluate and grade the players on the 2025 team. We will look
at what went right, what went wrong and how these guys can look to improve this offseason. The first player we will evaluate is shortstop CJ Abrams.
Overall, this was another up and down season for Abrams. He was very good in the first half before fading down the stretch. This has been a problem for a lot of the Nats best players. At this point, it is tough to tell if this is a player issue or an organizational issue. It is tough to watch MacKenzie Gore and Abrams start so well before going off the rails.
When you zoom out, Abrams offensive numbers were almost identical to last year. Last season, Abrams hit .246 with a .314 OBP, a .433 slugging percentage and a .747 OPS. This year he hit .257 with a .315 OBP, a .433 slugging percentage and a .748 OPS. Even his advanced numbers like xwOBA and wOBA were virtually identical.
However, his fWAR actually improved quite a bit, though his bWAR was mostly unchanged. Abrams fWAR went from 1.9 in 2024 to 3.1 in 2025. This improvement comes from slight defensive improvements and his base running returning to elite levels. In early September, Abrams fWAR was actually at 3.3 before a tough month to end the season.
To his credit, the numbers suggest Abrams improved a bit on defense, even if it still is not great. His OAA went from -18 to -9 and his fielding run value went from -14 to -7. Is Abrams a shortstop long term, I am not so sure. His arm is still light for the position, his range is average at best and he makes more errors than you would like. I think second base would be a good home for him long term, but for now Abrams is the shortstop. Hopefully he can continue to improve on the defensive side of the ball.
One thing I like about Abrams is that he always comes into seasons well prepared and improved. He comes in with a plan and executes it. That is why he always gets off to fast starts. However, as the season goes along, Abrams has a tough time finding the necessary adjustments to keep up his strong work.
As we mentioned briefly, another reason why Abrams fWAR went up is that his base running returned to form. In 2023, Abrams was one of the best base runners in the sport. He had a base running run value of 8 and a BsR of 9.2, both among the best in the league. Abrams was also 47/51 stealing that season. In 2024, his base running regressed to merely above average levels. He only stole 31 bases while being caught 12 times. His base running run value was also only 4.
However, he returned to form this season. Sure, he did not get back to the 40 steal level he was at in 2023, but he swiped 31 bags while only being caught 3 times. Abrams posted 7 base running run value and 7.4 BsR. His BsR was 7th in baseball.
To take the next step, Abrams needs to have a full season’s worth of good offense. For a second straight year, he really fell off in the second half. Before the All-Star break, Abrams hit .287 with an .836 OPS. In the second half, he really tailed off with a .217 average and .634 OPS.
The home run power was in line with last season. While he did not reach the 20 homer milestone, he did get to 19, only one off of last season. Abrams became a real doubles machine this year, with his 35 two baggers being a career high and 12th in all of baseball.
Abrams speed also allows him to hit a good amount of triples. In 2023 and 2024, he hit six triples. This year that went down to five, which is still a healthy amount. He is no Daylen Lile, but three baggers are a part of Abrams’ game.
I am confident that Abrams will make the adjustments heading into the season. He has done that in each of the last two seasons. However, can he make the appropriate in-season adjustments? That is what he needs to do if he wants to take that next step.
Overall, Abrams had a decent season, but he did not take that leap Nats fans were hoping for. The improved defense and base running helped out his WAR, but his offense was remarkably similar to 2024 both in the numbers and how he got to those numbers.
You cannot complain too much about a 3 wins season, but Abrams left me wanting more. Can he finally finish a season strong in 2026? I really hope he can because he is great to watch when he is on his game.
Season Grade: B-
