How are the 'Scrappy' Washington Nationals finding their recent success?

"It's pretty clear that the 2025 Washington Nationals are not a good baseball team. In what was supposed to be a a season in which they took a step forward, the Nationals have seemingly taken two steps backwards instead. Most of their starting rotation on paper is sidelined, they traded away their closer, and their most prolific hitter isn't really hitting. And yet, the month of September has been very kind to Washington. They've won seven of their first nine games this month."

"When Kyle Finnegan was traded to the Detroit Tigers, it seemed to be an acknowledgement that holding onto an experienced late-inning reliever who is relatively reliable isn't really important. Once Finnegan left, it seemed very possible that the bullpen could be destined to enter a tailspin. Instead, they've been surprisingly productive. Chief among the relievers to emerge has been Jose A. Ferrer."

The 2025 Washington Nationals have struggled overall with injuries sidelining most of the starting rotation, the team trading away its closer, and its most prolific hitter slumping. Despite those setbacks, the Nationals have won seven of their first nine games in September, fueled largely by an unexpectedly effective bullpen. Jose A. Ferrer has not allowed a run in his last 14 outings and has been used more frequently in high-leverage situations. Other relievers including recent acquisitions Clayton Beeter, PJ Poulin, and Orlando Ribalta have also performed well, while Jackson Rutledge and Cole Henry have regressed.

Read at District on Deck