The MLB trade deadline is officially under a week away, which means that it’s crunch time for the Nats to prove whether or not they deserve to be invested in. They currently sit 2 games above .500 and 1.0 game back of the last Wild Card spot, making these next few series’ as important as they come. This will also be their first test without Curtis Mead after he was dealt to Boston, and the offense will look for someone else to step up and take his place.
Washington’s opponent is the Toronto Blue Jays,
a team that is destined to sell at the deadline and still remains 10 games under .500. They’ve gone 3-7 in their last 10 games and are likely to see some major changes to their roster before August 3rd. With Atlanta next on the schedule, now is the time for the Nats to assert their dominance and prove once again that they’re worthy of adding to at the deadline.
Game One – Monday 6:45 PM EST
TOR: RHP Max Scherzer (1-4, 10.23 ERA)
WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-3, 4.22 ERA)
The future Hall-of-Famer has looked far from that status through 6 games in 2026. Scherzer is closing in on 3,000 innings, and this season could be his last. His arsenal is a far cry from what made him one of the league’s best arms in the 2010s, and teams have jumped all over him this year.
Connelly Early’s addition will force the Nats’ coaching staff and front office to make a few tough decisions on the state of the roster, and Alvarez could be pitching for his spot in the rotation every time he takes the mound. His impressive start has diminished in recent weeks, with his 3 most recent outings resulting in at least 3 earned runs and less than 6.0 innings each.
Game Two – Tuesday 6:45 PM EST
TOR: RHP Shane Bieber (2-1, 4.70 ERA)
WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (7-4, 3.58 ERA)
Bieber’s start to the season was delayed by an injury that kept him out until late June, and he’s seen a mixed bag of results since returning to the mound. His best 2 outings have come in back-to-back fashion, however, and he enters Tuesday’s game having given up 1 earned run in his last 13.0 innings pitched.
The Washington righty continues to get better in what has turned into a full-fledged breakout season, with July being far and away his most impressive month yet. He’s thrown 6.0 innings and given up 3 runs or less in 5 of his last 6 starts, and the Nationals will look to heavily on him with their rotation set to be shuffled around in the coming days and weeks.
Game Three – Wednesday 1:05 PM EST
TOR: RHP Trey Yesavage (4-5, 3.92 ERA)
WSH: RHP Zack Littell (7-8, 5.17 ERA)
Yesavage has seen his fair share of struggles recently, with a 2.56 ERA in May followed up with 4.75 and 6.11 marks in June and July, respectively. He’s been tagged for 12 earned runs across just 17.2 innings in July, and the Nats’ offense will look to continue that trend of subpar performances in the series’ finale.
It’s been a rollercoaster of a month for Littell, with 3 stellar outings sandwiching an 8-run blowup appearance on July 18th against the Athletics. He was able to bounce back with 5.0 innings of 1-run ball in his most recent game, and the Nats will hope that he can continue to get back to what was working earlier in the month.
