For the most part, I have liked what I have seen from the Nats during Spring Training. The pitching has been good and the vibes seem to be high. However, the Nationals offense has left a lot to be desired this spring, especially from the big guns.
While the games do not count, it would be nice to see some of the Nats star hitters heat up as we get closer to Opening Day. It has been a pretty brutal spring for guys like CJ Abrams, James Wood and Dylan Crews. All three of them are below the Mendoza line for the spring, and they are not alone. The Nats are hitting just .192 as a team this spring.
The Nats .606 spring OPS is the worst in the league, which is obviously not what you would like to see. So far, the pitching staff has picked up the slack, but I want to see the offense explode one of these games. The offense was supposed to be the best part of the team heading into spring, but it has not looked that way so far.
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Of course, the script could totally flip by the time the real season starts, but I think you can take something from this. I would not be surprised if the pitching staff sees quick improvement this season, while the hitting is more of a work in progress. It is easier to teach a new pitch or alter a pitcher’s usage than it is to tweak a hitter’s mechanics.
We are seeing some of those growing pains this spring. Matt Borgschulte has a different philosophy to Darnell Coles, and that might come with an adjustment period for some hitters. It would not be surprising if the Nats struck out more than they did last year. Hopefully that can come with more power and patience though.
One player I would love to see get going is James Wood. As we all know, he was not the same hitter after the All-Star break. The strikeout rate exploded and his confidence dropped. So far this spring, Wood has looked like the second half version of himself. We have not even seen as much hard contact as you would expect from him.
I am no hitting guru, but when I compare his swing from early last year to this year, I think his leg kick has gotten a bit out of control. Last Spring Training, he had a medium sized leg kick and was able to control his long levers. Right now when I watch him, it seems like he is a bit out of control due to that leg kick getting higher. Here is a video of what his swing looked like last spring.
While CJ Abrams has not been very productive this spring, I am not very worried about him. His at bats look good, and he is clearly working on being patient. Abrams is also getting a bit unlucky. He crushed a ball over 400 feet the other day, but it was right at the fence in the deepest part of the park. I would not be surprised if he quickly flips the switch in the regular season. He has been a fast starter these past couple years.
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Dylan Crews has been another hitter that has struggled, but he has shown more signs of life lately. In his last game against the Mets, he hit the ball hard in all three of his at bats. He had one hit, a sac fly and a hard hit out. Blake Butera was very happy about that, saying Crews’ swings were “the biggest positive of the night in my mind”.
Getting Dylan Crews going would be a huge plus for the Nats. He has yet to hit the heights expected of him when he was taken second overall in 2023. However, when you watch him on the right night, you can see his talent. It is all about consistency and finding a swing that works for him.
So how worried am I about the Nats offense? On a scale of 1-10, I am at about a 4 right now. James Wood not looking like himself again after his second half is a bit disappointing. It also really feels like there will be growing pains for this offense. The one bright spot has been Brady House, who has been destroying baseballs. Hopefully he can keep that up and some of the quieter Nats hitters can get going.
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