"But as far as performance on the diamond goes, the old saying "look good, feel good, play good" is a motto that a handful of young Nationals are seemingly taking to heart heading into the 2026 season. While the Nationals are certainly embracing the youthfulness of the organization, it appears as if a few players are embracing a fresh start and clean slate."
"After that, the team had to decide who would lead the Nationals into their new era of competent baseball, and tabbed Paul Toboni to be the overall leader as the President of Baseball Operations. He has been a very busy man, hiring on a ton of new hires including a new General Manager recently, and also hired the youngest skipper in the sport to lead his club moving forward."
"They are doing this with updated jersey numbers, and some of them are looking to be major upgrades from the ones they had before. The first change comes from Jackson Rutledge, who will be moving from number 79 to number 44, which was last worn by catcher Jorge Alfaro to end last season. While his future on the team is murky at best, maybe a new number will give the big righty some confidence."
Major changes occurred across the Washington Nationals organization, beginning with a front-office cleanout that started in July with Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez being fired and continued with additional departures. Paul Toboni was named President of Baseball Operations and immediately pursued numerous hires, including a new General Manager and the sport's youngest manager. The roster direction shifted toward youth, with several young players adopting new jersey numbers as symbolic fresh starts. Jackson Rutledge moved from 79 to 44, and Brad Lord switched from 61 to 41, while uncertainty and expectations about performance remain.
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