Soto trade bears fruit for Nationals as Gore, Abrams, Wood blossom

The old saying insists that hindsight is 20/20.

The Washington Nationals, now reaping the benefits of the much-maligned Juan Soto trade from 2022, might be inclined to agree.

The Nationals were widely criticized for sending Soto to the San Diego Padres in exchange for a bevy of prospects — including shortstop C.J. Abrams, pitcher MacKenzie Gore and outfielder James Wood. Three years later, those prospects are budding stars who are carrying the Nationals forward, while Soto is finding his footing on his third team in three seasons.

A sweep of the Baltimore Orioles over MLB’s first-ever “Rivalry Weekend” — led by Abrams, Gore and Wood — helped numb the nagging pain of a rebuild that is stretching into its fifth season.

The 21-27 Nationals, who enjoyed a day off on Monday, aren’t threatening to contend for a title just yet. They trailed the New York Mets, Soto’s newest squad, by 8½ games on Monday morning. But, after years of toiling at the bottom of the standings without a clear star on the roster, the Nationals appear to have a trio of rising talents ready to become franchise cornerstones.

Abrams may be most ready to make the leap to superstardom. The rangy infielder made his first All-Star appearance last year and carried momentum — if you exclude a late-season demotion to the minors amid concerns about his off-field conduct — into this season.

The 24-year-old proved the impact he could make in Sunday’s 10-4 win in Baltimore. Abrams took the first pitch he saw into the right-field stands for his 11th leadoff home run as a National. He now ranks second in Nationals history, trailing only Alfonso Soriano’s 14.

“It keeps the momentum going,” rookie outfielder Dylan Crews said of Abrams. “It lets everybody know we’re here, and even on the first pitch, we’re ready to go. There’s no waiting around. He’s done a great job of attacking those pitches.”

Abrams went deep again in the second inning, his eighth homer of the year. He notched his third extra-base hit of the game in the ninth before crossing home plate for the third time.

“That’s my guy,” manager Dave Martinez said. “I said it before: I moved him to leadoff because I thought he’d be the catalyst for this team. He is.”

Abrams added a defensive highlight at shortstop, making a quick move to his left to rob a single, tossing the ball to second base for a 6-4-3 double play.

“When he goes, he makes this team go. I love him,” Martinez said on Sunday. “He’s playing with a lot of energy and a lot of fire.”

The skinny Abrams isn’t even Washington’s power hitter, though. That honor belongs to the 6-foot-7 Wood, who has provided a power surge in his first spring as a full-time big leaguer.

After making his major league debut last season, Wood cemented himself as an everyday starter in left field in 2025. The Maryland native leads Washington with 12 home runs and 27 walks while starting every game for the Nationals.

He ranks seventh in the league in homers, crafting a reputation as a force at the plate.

Wood and Abrams both rank in the top 15 for OPS alongside MVP candidates like Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.

On the mound, Gore has blossomed into an ace for a Washington rotation that lacked one. He opened the campaign with 13 strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies, a franchise record for an Opening Day start.

Even a down outing for Gore against the Orioles on Friday saw the southpaw strike out nine batters while allowing 10 hits and two runs in 3 2/3 innings.

The 26-year-old has become a strikeout machine with a league-leading 84 punch-outs through his first 10 starts. A 2-4 record won’t wow casual observers, but the Nationals’ historically BAD bullpen is at least partially responsible for the lack of wins.

Almost three years removed from the Soto trade, the Nationals got what they wanted: a trio of franchise players to replace long-gone stars like Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer and Trea Turner.

Through the first quarter of the season, Soto has racked up 1.7 wins above replacement (WAR), an advanced stat that strives to determine a player’s impact on wins and losses compared to a league average.

Wood has 1.8 WAR. Gore and Abrams aren’t far behind with 1.5 WAR each. If they maintain this form, Washington could send a three-man contingent to the All-Star Game in Atlanta this summer.

The Nationals return to the District for a six-game homestand that begins Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves.