The Nationals, after chalking up four wins against a couple of losses on their road trip out West, suddenly look like one of the more dangerous teams in baseball.
Sunday night’s loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks notwithstanding, the young Nationals seem to have found their stroke, continuing an offensive explosion in recent weeks that could keep fans engaged throughout the District’s swampy summer.
The Nationals (28-31) were buoyed by 38 runs during a four-game win streak before Sunday’s loss.
Manager Dave Martinez’s squad scored at least nine runs in each of their last four wins. Saturday’s game featured an onslaught, as the Nationals batted around the order in the first inning before recording their first out.
The squad scored a franchise-record 10 runs in the opening frame of the 11-7 victory.
“I love it. We’ve got a lot of young kids who are still learning how to hit up here,” Martinez said on Saturday. “But when they have that kind of approach, that’s awesome. Don’t try to do too much; just see the ball, get it up put a good swing on it.”
The successful road trip served as a confidence booster for the young Nationals. The club went 15-12 in May, their first month with a winning record since August 2023.
“We can win, especially against good teams like Seattle and the Diamondbacks,” Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz said. “Overall, it was a good road trip and we’ve just got to take the positives and keep going.”
The Nationals are starting to come out of their shells. After a seven-game losing streak threatened to tank the season before it began, the Nationals have rattled off 11 wins in their last 16.
Washington’s 11-5 record since May 14 ranked as the fourth-best in the major leagues entering Monday’s games, trailing only the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers.
“The guys were having fun,” Martinez said. “The kids were having fun. It’s good for them.”
The power surge has been led by rising stars: outfielder James Wood and shortstop C.J. Abrams.
Wood has turned into one of the league’s premier sluggers in his first spring in the majors — he made his MLB debut last July.
The Maryland native leads NL outfielders in slugging percentage (.567), on-base plus slugging (.952) and home runs (16). Fans and analysts expected Wood to become a franchise player in due time.
Few fans and analysts expected him to dominate this quickly.
“He’s incredible,” Nationals designated hitter Josh Bell told MLB.com. “It’s not surprising. It seems like it doesn’t matter the field, doesn’t matter the pitch; he’s locked in. And if you make mistakes over the heart of the plate and he gets extended, no ballpark can hold him.”
The 22-year-old added a defensive highlight to his resume on Saturday, too. A laser-like throw from left field to home plate prevented Arizona’s Pavin Smith from scoring a run.
“I can’t say enough about Woody’s throw there,” Martinez said. “We’ve been working with him on it and he stayed down, used his legs and made an unbelievable throw.”
Abrams, one of two Nationals named an All-Star last season, has matched his teammate’s production at the top of the lineup.
The 24-year-old ranks second among NL shortstops in slugging percentage (.486) and on-base plus slugging (.833).
Even lucky — or unlucky, depending on your perspective — breaks have seemed to favor Abrams this season.
Arizona pitchers hit him three times in Saturday’s win, including twice in one inning. He joined former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Brady Anderson as the only players in MLB history to be hit by multiple pitches in the first frame.
A successful May has the Nationals nine games behind the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies. They’re looking to turn a solid month into sustained success.
“We should get used to it,” first baseman Nathaniel Lowe told MLB.com. “We play this game to win. Ideally, you show up every day with a chance to compete and win. Losing is not why we play at all.”
The Nationals return to the District on Tuesday night for a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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