Which Nationals have eased concerns and which players have raised new ones?

"Cavalli didn't just look healthy this spring, he looked dominant. Capping his Grapefruit League performance with a six strikeout masterpiece against the Astros, Cavalli touched 99 MPH and more importantly commanded the zone with a sharp new "sweeper." Blake Butera didn't hesitate to name him the Opening Day starter at Wrigley Field."

"For two years, the majority of the conversation around Cade Cavalli has been defined by the word "if." If he gets healthy, if he regains his velocity, if he can still be an ace. Consider those concerns officially erased. Losing MacKenzie Gore felt like a death blow to the rotation, but Cavalli's emergence as a legitimate, healthy #1 has saved the narrative."

"After a 2025 rookie campaign where he finished 5th in Rookie of the Year voting and looked like a triples machine, Lile entered camp as a "locked in" part of the young core. He got off to a sputtering start, failing to register a hit until his 6th game of the spring, but he has bounced back nicely since then."

The Nationals' Spring Training in West Palm Beach has revealed significant developments for the 2026 season. Cade Cavalli has dispelled two years of health concerns by delivering dominant performances, including a six-strikeout game against the Astros while touching 99 MPH with improved command of a new sweeper pitch. Blake Butera named him Opening Day starter, positioning him as the rotation's anchor following MacKenzie Gore's departure. Conversely, young outfielders face troubling struggles. Daylen Lile, who finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2025, started slowly before recovering with extra-base hits and homers. However, concurrent struggles from Dylan Crews and James Wood create uncertainty about outfield depth and roster composition moving forward.

Read at District on Deck