
The Washington Nationals, initially viewed as underdogs for the 2026 season, are showing unexpected resilience in the competitive NL East. Despite a poor previous season and minimal offseason changes, they have started the season strong.
Improved Nationals show surprising resilience in competitive NL East originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Washington Nationals came into the 2026 season with little to no expectations. They were one of baseball's worst teams last season, finishing in last place in the NL East by a long shot with their 66-96 record.
Over the offseason, they did not make any big moves. Their biggest splash came when they signed Zack Littell or when they made a trade with the Seattle Mariners to acquire Harry Ford.
However, they are not letting their low expectations stop them from playing good baseball. They have come out as one of the more surprising teams to start the 2026 season.
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CJ Abrams and James Wood are leading this team from an offensive standpoint. Abrams leads the club with his .312 batting average, 19 runs batted in, and .432 OBP, while Wood leads the team with his seven home runs.
They have made things a bit easier on a starting rotation that is struggling. Foster Griffin holds the best ERA among the starting staff with a 3.05 ERA.
The Nationals entered the 2026 season with little to no expectations, having finished last in the NL East the previous year.
The Nationals signed Zack Littell and traded with the Seattle Mariners to acquire Harry Ford during the offseason.
The Nationals have surprised many by playing good baseball and starting the 2026 season strong despite their previous struggles.


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All in all, the offense and the shaky pitching staff have come together to give this team some life. They sit with a 10-13 record, good enough for third place in the NL East, and Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter is pleased with what he has seen so far.
"Entering the year, the Nationals looked poised to spend the entirety of 2026 on the dreaded first slide, but they have been downright competent through 22 games. It won't be easy to avoid the NL East cellar if the starting rotation doesn't improve on a 6.01 ERA, but this has been a far more competitive team than last year's 96-loss version."
While Reuter likes what he sees, he is clear that the starting rotation needs to pick it up. If they can do that, they may not be a postseason contender, but they should finish miles ahead of where they did last season.