When the Nationals signed 37-year-old right-hander Miles Mikolas in early February, it’s safe to assume that they didn’t have particularly high expectations for the starter who hasn’t posted a sub-4.00 ERA since 2022. His velocity sits below league average; he’s never been able to miss bats consistently, and the lowest ERA he put up in his last three seasons was 4.78.
Even so, the product he put onto the field during his first month or so was worse than whatever the front office could have imagined.
He finished April with an 8.46 ERA for the month, with his season-long mark sitting at 8.23. Fans clamored for his abrupt removal from the roster, whether it be designating him for assignment or outright release. He seemed to struggle both as a starter and a bulk reliever, and his spot on the roster seemed like more of a gesture of respect to a veteran of the game rather than a decision made with the team’s best interests in mind.
From the start of May, however, he’s looked like an entirely different pitcher. Mikolas has made 8 appearances and 2 starts since the calendar flipped, and, outside of getting tagged for 6 runs against the Miami Marlins on June 2nd, he has lowered his ERA in every outing. He threw 23.0 innings in May to the tune of a 3.52 ERA, and his June mark currently sits at 3.06 through 3 games. His 2026 campaign, on paper, will likely remain scarred by how rough he began the year, no matter how well he pitches going forward.
Still, that’s not the same Miles Mikolas that the Nationals have seen in recent weeks. He bounced back from the dreadful start to the month with 4.2 scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants, and followed it up with an absolutely dazzling 7.0 innings on June 14th, where he held the Seattle Mariners to just 3 hits and no runs.
The eye test shows that Mikolas has improved his command and pitch sequencing, with his early walk problems reduced to a nearly nonexistent issue with only 2 walks in 17.2 June innings. Below the surface, not much has changed. His Baseball Savant page is as blue as ever, and there isn’t any metric in particular that would explain his 180-degree shift in performance. He doesn’t blow anybody away, and comparing his arsenal to most of the league’s current top-performing pitchers is night and day.
But, as pitchers like Ranger Suarez and Bryce Elder have continued to display, sometimes a good mix of location and timing can be as effective as anything.
As it stands, the Nationals are sitting 2 games above .500 at 37-35, battling with the Philadelphia Phillies for second in the division and currently just 1 game back from a Wild Card spot. The Washington offense has been carrying much of the load for the majority of the season, and Mikolas maintaining his recent string of solid pitching would be a massive benefit for their playoff push.
