"Aside front ace southpaw MacKenzie Gore, Washington's pitching staff struggled mightily in 2025. Young starters Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker took major steps back after solid showings in 2024. Trevor Williams pitched more like his 2023 self than 2024. Kyle Finnegan was inconsistent and wound up getting traded, and no young relievers (perhaps with the exception of Brad Lord) stepped up in a meaningful way."
"This also doesn't take into account that Gore finds himself towards the top of the list of trade candidates across the league this offseason. If he indeed leaves town, the starting rotation will be essentially bereft of big-league talent. That's not to downplay the fact that Josiah Gray will return to the mound after missing the 2025 season, and star pitching prospects like Travis Sykora or Jarlin Susana could find their way to the majors."
The Nationals won only 66 of 162 games in 2025, five fewer than the prior two seasons and well below reasonable expectations. Pitching was the primary weakness: aside from MacKenzie Gore the rotation and bullpen largely underperformed, with Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker regressing and few young relievers stepping up. Gore is likely to be a top trade candidate, which would leave the rotation thin despite Josiah Gray's return and pitching prospects like Travis Sykora or Jarlin Susana. The team should target young, talented pitchers or sign capable veteran starters. Daylen Lile emerged as a near-.300 hitter and a legitimate starting outfielder.
Read at District on Deck
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]