The book is now closed on the 2026 Washington Nationals season. They finished the season 77-85, making an 11 win improvement from last season. This was a true step forward season, but there is still a way to go. James Wood summarized the season well when he told me, “We should be proud of how far we’ve come, but there is still a lot more to improve on”.
As we wrap up the season, I want to focus on the positives. While there are some areas that will need to be improved, the Nats exceeded expectations.
The betting markets are not gospel, but on BetMGM, the Nationals over/under win total was 65.5 games. They were expected to be a bottom feeder team.
Those expectations were not misplaced in my opinion. The Nats were coming off a disastrous 66-96 season, where the final record was flattering if anything. Last season, the Natshad a -212 run differential. Based on that run differential, they should have been a 100 loss team. Instead of adding pieces, the Nats traded their best starter and reliever in the offseason.
Hopes were not high in the offseason. In addition to the betting markets, the local media was bearish on this team. Mark Zuckerman got local reporters to predict the Nats win total, and nobody had the team winning more than 75 games. I was not included in this, but I had the Nats having a similar record to last season.
I was hopeful that improved player development and strides from core players would help them avoid a 100 loss season. However, the Nats just seemed outgunned in a competitive NL East division. Most pundits thought that Blake Butera and his group were in for a long year.
However, that did not turn out to be the case. It did not take long for fans to realize that this offense was going to be special. Even as the pitching struggled, the bats were firing on all cylinders. James Wood and CJ Abrams both had great seasons, but there were so many different heroes along the way.
We saw so many players take major strides offensively. Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead took monster leaps before being traded. Jacob Young got to 10 home runs on the season, and that might not even be a top three offensive success story of the year. I thought Keibert Ruiz was damaged goods, but he turned in a career year.
Even in this last game of the season, we saw the fruits of this offensive turnaround with another breakout star. Andres Chaparro looked like your typical slugger who was too good for AAA but not good enough for the big leagues. He turned into a monster in the second half with an OPS over 1.000 with 12 homers and a .306 average. On the last day of the season, Chaparro hit two home runs to finish his breakout year in a big way.
You have to give a lot of credit to the Nats new hitting coaches. Matt Borgschulte leads the way, but he works very closely with Andrew Aydt and Shawn O’Malley. Blake Butera talked about how those three work so well together and have such complimentary skillsets.
Borgschulte has been a hitting coach in the majors and minors. Despite being 35, he is highly experienced. Meanwhile, Andrew Aydt is an expert on the biomechanics side of things. He came from Driveline and put together plans on how to maximize a hitter’s swing. If anybody needed advice mechanically, Aydt was the guy. Meanwhile, Shawn O’Malley cut his teeth in the Mariners system as a hitting coach. He is also the only one to have big league experience.
This group was such an upgrade on the Darnell Coles operation we saw for years. It shows you that coaching does in fact matter. The 2026 season was truly evidence that it sometimes is on coaching. This coaching staff truly elevated the players.
There were a ton of positives this season, but as James Wood said, this group wants more. Blake Butera felt like he was in two different minds at the end of the season. He knew this was a step forward season, but there was also this tinge of disappointment because he knew it could have been better.
He is already putting together a plan for this team to have another 11 win improvement in 2027. Butera stressed the importance of this offseason. He told me, “With the strides we made this season, we need to make sure those players come back next season not only the same, but better”.
While players such as James Wood and CJ Abrams had monster years, there are still hitters with more in the tank. On the pitching side, Butera said they have moved in the right direction but they still need to see further improvements.
For his part, James Wood said that another 11 win jump starts with improving the little things. He told me he wants to find ways to help get the team one or two more wins. Wood also mentioned that he needs to improve defensively and he cost the team runs at times.
With such a young team, if each player just gets a little bit better, it could go a long way. However, this should also be an opportunity for the team to bring in outside help. Blake Butera has downplayed the role of veteran leadership, but he said it obviously would not hurt. I think it would be a real sign of intent to go out and truly augment this core.
For the first time in a while, this team looks to be on the cusp of something special. That run differential, which was -212 last year, was +6 this season. This season was not a fluke, it was a transformational year. However, they will need to capitalize on this success.
Obviously, they will have a big decision to make with CJ Abrams. The Nats shortstop/second baseman has been in trade rumors for a while. That did not stop him from putting together a career year though. He hit 33 homers, stole 34 bases and drove in 106 runs. Hopefully the Nats can build around Abrams and make the playoffs with him in DC.
I think this is possible if the right moves are made. The blown save record was a big talking point this season, and rightfully so. If the Nats can find a way to solve the bullpen puzzle, they could pick up several more wins just by doing that. At the end of the year, guys like Erik Tolman and Jack Sinclair stepped up. However, I still think this team needs a true closer.
With all of the heartbreaking losses, this Nats team had to show their true character. In fact, Blake Butera told me the thing he was most proud of this season was “the resiliency”. He admitted there were times this season where he was not sure how they would respond.
In Ted Lasso, they talk about being a Goldfish and having a short memory. Butera brought that up and said he has “A bunch of Goldfish”, who can quickly turn the page after a tough loss. Hopefully that resiliency won’t have to be tested as much next year.
There were ups and downs, but this was the best Nationals season since 2019. I know the bar is low, but this was still a lot of fun. After years of concern, I finally feel optimism around the Nats. Now it is time to capitalize on that in the offseason. Thanks for a great season. The best is yet to come under Blake Butera and Paul Toboni!
