Nationals keep playing spoiler amid surge after All-Star break

Two months ago, the San Diego Padres were reeling from a series loss to the lowly Washington Nationals. San Diego’s season had not gone as planned, and frustration was rising. 

“C’mon, man. We’re playing the Nationals,” Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts told reporters. “I don’t think they have playoff aspirations. … I wouldn’t say anyone picked the Nationals to be in the playoffs. So you have to beat the teams that you have to beat.” 

Since then? Turns out, the Nationals can’t stop playing the role of the spoiler. 

In the second half of the season, the Nationals have proven they’re no longer the pushover that many expected coming into the campaign. Washington already has more wins than it did a year ago (with 57 topping last year’s 55), but even more impressive, the Nationals have had the sixth-best record in MLB since the All-Star break. Washington’s 21-14 record in that span is also the third-best mark in the National League. 

In fact, as the Nationals gear up for Tuesday’s game against the New York Yankees, the Nationals are actually closer to playoff contention than the Yankees — a team spending $186 million more than Washington this season.

The Nationals (57-68) are eight games back of the final NL wild card spot, whereas the Yankees (60-64) sit nine games back in the American League. 

“We always tell each other we’re going to surprise some people,” Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams told reporters after a recent win over the Philadelphia Phillies. “I think we’re doing that, and we’re going to keep it going.”

Abrams’ growth this season has been one of the main factors in Washington’s surge. Since manager Dave Martinez moved Abrams primarily to the top of the lineup on July 7, the 22-year-old has hit .280 with five home runs and 13 RBI. Through his first 78 games, Abrams hit just .233.

The Nationals are also making up for what they may lack in pure talent by finding other areas to exploit on the field. For example, Washington lacks power with Juan Soto and Bryce Harper long gone. But the Nationals have used their speed to their advantage: They have the third-most stolen bases since the All-Star break with 38. Abrams — one of the pieces acquired in the Soto trade with San Diego — accounts for 19 of those.

For Washington, this season wasn’t projected to be solely about wins or losses. Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo stressed that the value of this summer would be found in the development of the club’s younger players. And according to news reports that broke Monday, both men apparently will have an opportunity to oversee that development beyond this year.

Martinez, whose contract was up at the season’s end, has been extended two years, and the club is reportedly working on a similar deal for Rizzo.

Already this season can be judged a success in terms of player development. In addition to Abrams’ leap, starting pitcher Josiah Gray made the All-Star Game, MacKenzie Gore has a promising strikeout rate and catcher Keibert Ruiz appears to be coming on as a power hitter. 

But Washington’s wins of late are notable, too. Specifically, the Nationals are proving to be a frustrating out for clubs trying to make the postseason. In August, the Nationals have series wins over the Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, the Boston Red Sox and the Phillies. Only the Athletics — with the worst record in MLB — have no shot of making playoffs. The others need every win possible.

What’s even more encouraging for the Nationals is that they’re still nowhere near the finish line of their rebuild. They still have heavy hitters in the minors, and those players seem to be making promising strides. This week, Washington promoted outfielder Dylan Crews — the second overall pick in July — to Double-A Harrisburg after just weeks in low Class A. Crews’ promotion, though, was well deserved: He hit an eye-popping .355 to go along with his five home runs and 24 RBI in 14 contests. 

But the product at the major league level has vastly improved, as well.

“It has been so much fun this last month to see the growth of our guys,” Martinez said.