On Monday night, the Washington Nationals were in Cleveland for the start of a three-game series with a Guardians who just left Philadelphia having won two out of three games while holding the Phils to just four runs.
In the first game of their series, the Nats plated 10 runs on 15 hits in their 10-2 victory. They did it against Tanner Bibee, who entered the game with an 0-7 record and a 4.57 ERA. He lasted just three innings against Washington, gave up seven earned runs on eight hits with just three strikeouts.
Washington did what you’re supposed to do with a lousy pitcher. They bullied and bloodied him.
The Phillies, meanwhile, trudged into San Diego having lost four of their last five with an unreal pitching staff but dragging an offense that has struggled mightily against, well, everyone. They entered their three game series against the Padres facing right-hander Griffin Canning, who had a 7.54 ERA in his first four starts of the season. Canning held the Phils to one run on one hit, a first inning Kyle Schwarber homer, before Brandon Marsh touched him for a two-out, two-run blast in the 7th, helping the Phillies to a 3-0 victory.
They did not bully and bloody a lousy pitcher. They made him look like a Cy Young contender. They managed just three hits off him, and have not compiled at least 10 hits in a game since Friday, May 15, in an 11-9 win against the Pirates in which they totaled 14.
That was 10 days ago.
Through the first two months of the season, Washington leads MLB in runs scored (298), while the Phillies are tied with Toronto for 22nd (216). If you look at all the numbers, you will see a Nationals team that had few expectations coming into 2026 totally outperforming the Phils’ collection of “stars.”
The Nats are outpacing the Phillies in every offensive category. It’s not even close.
But is it real?
To answer that question, ask yourself this.
Would you trade the Nationals offense/position players straight-up, right now, for the Phillies’?
It seems crazy to say out loud, but consider that the Nats appear to have young talent that the Phils could only dream of. You could argue James Wood (.939 OPS, 14 HRs) alone would be worth the swap. C.J. Abrams (.925, 12 HRs), is finally playing like an elite shortstop. Both should be starters in the NL All Star Game at the moment.
Outfielder Daylen Lile is emerging as a young star (.752) in his own right. Catcher Keibert Ruiz (.754) and Luis Garcia Jr. (.719) are starting to produce, and center fielder Jacob Young has found a power stroke he never had before, with seven bombs, 24 runs and 24 RBIs. He’s certainly been more productive than Justin Crawford thus far. And would you rather have Ruiz or J.T. Realmuto at catcher?
Washington is also getting big time production from platoon and part-time players. Curtis Mead, given up by the Phils in the Cristopher Sanchez trade to the Rays, plays first and third base for the Nats and launched two dingers on Monday night, giving him seven on the season with a very healthy .844 OPS in 136 PAs. And waiver claim Joey Wiemer is absolutely destroying left-handed pitching as a right-handed hitting outfielder, with a 1.199 OPS in 43 PAs against them. The Nats claimed him from the Giants back in January, and Wiemer made history by reaching base in each of his first eight plate appearances with the Nationals back in late March.
Wiemer is exactly the type of the player the Phils need and don’t have.
Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper don’t quite cancel out the production Wood and Abrams are giving the Nats, but it’s relatively close. Lile and Brandon Marsh are essentially a wash in left field, too. At some positions, the Phils have the advantage. You’ll take Bryson Stott over Nasim Nunez, whose 22 steals leads the NL but who will have a hard time staying on the field with a .188/.288/.206 slash line. And at third base, Brady House has a .681 OPS, while Alec Bohm is at .605, but rising (House was sent to AAA by Washington this week to improve his defense). By the end of the season, it’s more likely Bohm’s numbers will be better.
In my heart, I honestly do not believe Washington has a “better” offense than the Phillies. While I am a firm believer in Wood, Abrams and Lile, no one else on that roster deserves much trust yet. That’s why I would not flip the offensive rosters if I could. I truly believe, by the end of the season, the Phils’ offensive numbers will surpass the Nationals’ in most categories.
That being said, it’s hard not to be envious of what Nats fans are watching right now, at least offensively. They’re a fun, entertaining group, hitting the ball hard, playing solid fundamental baseball, and scoring a bunch of runs.
The bats are giving them a chance to win every night.
The same cannot be said of the Phillies.
On the latest Hittin’ Season podcast, powered by WHYY, we discussed this and lots more! Listen to the full podcast below!
