2024 Season in Review

[Senatorswin]

I think 2024 was the most fun since 2019 despite no progress in the win column.

It was fun seeing the young starters develop.

It was great seeing James Wood come up. It looks like he's the real deal and it will be a blast watching him do his thing for the next six years at least. The 9 home runs were great but the 4 triples shows he can fly.

Dylan Crews didn't impact as much but he has a nice swing, he showed he can go deep and looks like he's going to be a good one. He can also fly.

Louis Garcia really came into his own. Totally unexpected for him to progress like that.

CJ was an all-star. He has a nice combination of power and speed. Lets hope this gambling thing isn't an addiction.

Jacob Young brings the leather like nobody else, is a menace on the basepaths and I can see him only getting better. Would be nice if he could hit the weights during the off-season.

Kyle Finnegan is a reliable closer despite a few blow-ups.

Ruiz needs to put a full season together but the second half of the season was promising.

Rizzo kicked but with his deals at the deadline.

Attendance was up. It was quite enjoyable going to Nats Park and the surrounding neighborhood.

[Count Walewski]

Agreed, it's fun to be a Nationals fan again. You go to the ballpark and you don't feel the pressure of having to win this key series against a division for for playoff access or seeding, but you also go knowing there's a decent chance that one of the young stars of the team will do something amazing. It's all upside at Nats Park now.

I don't know what to think of Luis Garcia Jr turning into a power hitter and Team MVP. Normally I would have opinions about things like whether this is for real, whether the team should sell high, but my brain just has a processing error when I try to load the new Luis Garcia data.

[Smithian]

I'll have a longer review later but I agree a lot with your first line: this season was very fun. A lot of good player to keep up with. This team had some 2010 vibes to it. It just feels like the franchise has the right cornerstones in place with some possible stars. This team definitely closed a lot better than that one did. Now we just need the signing that says the ownership wants to be at least major league average in payroll.

This offseason will determine how I look at this season in hindsight. Next few months are big for this franchise. Most crucial offseason since... 2018? When Harper was entering his final year and we didn't know Soto was waiting in wings?

[English Natsie]

LIke most teams, most years, there's been ups and downs. The young hopefuls, coming through, is encouraging - at least, in terms of batting and defence. Starting pitching remains a concern, although not as much a worry if we see more of good Irving and Gore, next season. But then - there's the mulitple shut-outs, back-to-back shut outs (White Sox ! ?), being no-hit (again) and what must be Nook coached baserunning (Yankees, anyone?...).

Could be our most crucial off-season, for many years - the choices made could well decide whether we are contenders, or the new Pirates...

[aspenbubba]

Some very thoughtful and positive comments from the previous posters. I was hoping that we would surpass the 2023 number of victories as the consensus on the forum felt that they were over achievers with their last half surge and the '24 teams regression in the last half. I think the addition and playing time given to Gallo, Senzel and Rosario were fruitless proven that we did not receive a return at the trade deadline and kept Gallo on the roster for the whole season.

We have some building blocks and with the addition of a frontline starter, a DH /1B, a closer (yes Finnegan should be a set-up guy) and several RP I think we could be a play-off team in 2025. I would like Williams re-signed as a long man / spot starter and I'm not sure what to do with Rutledge as he looked good the few times he was up here and was woefully inconsistent in the minors.

[imref]

that 1-12 run at the end of the season was really disappointing, especially considering the promise of having a number of key 2025 pieces in place for the last month or so. I think we learned that Chapparo isn't the answer. The jury is still out on Tena though I expect he'll be the OD 3B.

[aspenbubba]

that 1-12 run at the end of the season was really disappointing, especially considering the promise of having a number of key 2025 pieces in place for the last month or so. I think we learned that Chapparo isn't the answer. The jury is still out on Tena though I expect he'll be the OD 3B.

1 in 10 or 3 in 13 at end of season

[JCA-CrystalCity]

The 1-9 stretch before the last series took some of the good vibes out of the short-term memory, but the team seems in much better shape going into the offseason. I'll give a hat tip to both Lane Thomas and Jesse Winker for making the most of a short term opportunity. I like the return on those deals. The Nats went into the year with only 1 or 2 long term pieces in their regular line up (Abrams and Ruiz). Now they have 5, maybe 6 (Wood, Crews, Garcia, Abrams, Young, Ruiz). Signs of trouble on a couple of those long termers.

As for the rotation, there was surprising development for Herz, Gore worked his way around a mid-season slump, Irvin showed he can give a lot of quality innings, and Parker is an in-the-mix type that's a least an upgrade over past bottom of the rotation / spot starters. Maybe more interesting was some of the minor league starter development, especially Sykora, Lord, and Susana.

Bullpen had value early, and maybe some promise late. Looks like Ferrer is something. Finnegan delivered results and, for most of the year, had better stuff than in the past. Behind them Law is a useful piece, and Garcia showed some skills and stuff but inconsistent results. All of those guys figure in next year.

[IanRubbish]

The Good:

• James Wood, his patience is badly needed and he'll only get better next year
• Doo and the development of Irvin/Parker/Herz
• Jacob Young, especially his glove
• Luis Garcia, strong response to last year's adversity

The Bad:

• Defense outside of CF, especially in the infield, and Keibert throwing out just 12% of baserunners at 2nd
• Baserunning blunders and countless pickles
• Failure to adjust to being scouted, especially as caught stealing rates went up sharply from under 20% to nearly 30%
• Bringing back coaches who contributed to poor performance, not to mention the manager and GM
• Attendance dependent on summer concerts or away teams who brought a lot of their own fans
• Play-the-contract, Corbin's departure will help, but remains part of the culture, and little likelihood of better D at catcher
• Failed offensive strategy of swinging at everything, most games Nats pitchers had higher pitch counts after 3, 4, or 5 IP than opponents, and bullpen was taxed at many points during the season, and needed constant reinforcements
• Rizzo's um'ing and uh'ing like no one's business, along with hyper-defensiveness, during interviews with the Junkies, also lack of transparency from the front office, especially with the Cavalli injury
• Many core fans with low expectations willing to accept poor performance and salary dumps, in turn reducing the team's ability to engage new fans with a compelling product

[Senatorswin]

The Good:

• James Wood, his patience is badly needed and he'll only get better next year
• Doo and the development of Irvin/Parker/Herz
• Jacob Young, especially his glove
• Luis Garcia, strong response to last year's adversity

The Bad:

• Defense outside of CF, especially in the infield, and Keibert throwing out just 12% of baserunners at 2nd
• Baserunning blunders and countless pickles
• Failure to adjust to being scouted, especially as caught stealing rates went up sharply from under 20% to nearly 30%
• Bringing back coaches who contributed to poor performance, not to mention the manager and GM
• Attendance dependent on summer concerts or away teams who brought a lot of their own fans
• Play-the-contract, Corbin's departure will help, but remains part of the culture, and little likelihood of better D at catcher
• Failed offensive strategy of swinging at everything, most games Nats pitchers had higher pitch counts after 3, 4, or 5 IP than opponents, and bullpen was taxed at many points during the season, and needed constant reinforcements
• Rizzo's um'ing and uh'ing like no one's business, along with hyper-defensiveness, during interviews with the Junkies, also lack of transparency from the front office, especially with the Cavalli injury
• Many core fans with low expectations willing to accept poor performance and salary dumps, in turn reducing the team's ability to engage new fans with a compelling product

A lot of them are valid points for the 2024 season but are also fixable. The outfield defense was superb with Crews, Young and Wood out there.  Garcia was a plus defender at second according to the Post. Ruiz was better throwing guys out the last month or two so it looks promising for next year.

I don't have stats to back it up but I feel like the baserunning got better and the steal rate got better after that major embarrassment when Tena hit it off the centerfield wall but it ended up a double play.

Please explain what you want the fans to do differently when you say core fans accept poor performance and salary dumps.

Even without the concerts attendance was up.

[imref]

the more i think about it, the more it's disappointing that we didn't improve on last year given the advances by our starters, Garcia Jr., Young, Winker, and the arrivals of Wood and Crews.  We just had too much deadweight on offense

[IanRubbish]

I don't have stats to back it up but I feel like the baserunning got better and the steal rate got better after that major embarrassment when Tena hit it off the centerfield wall but it ended up a double play.

Nats stolen base success was 83.5% on May 15, 6th in MLB, and then fell into the low 80s by June, mid 70s after that.  Ended the season at 75.3%, or 25th in MLB in spite of the very strong first quarter of the season.  League average was around 79.5%.  This was damaging because they attempted 1.83 steals per game, by far the most in MLB, but with well below average success.   Once they got scouted, they should have changed approach, but they just kept running and ended up giving away a lot of outs and keeping opposing pitch counts down.

On the other side of the equation, Keibert threw out just 12% of baserunners, and had one of the lowest arm strength scores in the league.  If you remember after last year the plan was for him to move up closer to the batter's box, but after a few catcher's interference calls in Spring Training they stopped that tactic.   

[IanRubbish]

the more i think about it, the more it's disappointing that we didn't improve on last year given the advances by our starters, Garcia Jr., Young, Winker, and the arrivals of Wood and Crews.  We just had too much deadweight on offense

Team scoring and OPS were down from 2023, scoring went from 700 to 660, OPS from .710 to .683.  OPS rank went from 21st to 25th.  It was even lower than 2022's .688.  The team avoided losing 110 due to improvement in the rotation, but the offense has a lot of issues to address.

Some of the OPS challenges are reasonable when you factor in break-in periods for young hitters.  But you're right there was a lot of deadweight on offense, including very poor lineup decisions.  Joey Meneses, 281 ABs at a .593 OPS, Eddie Rosario 219 ABs at a .550 OPS, not to mention Joey Gallo, Ildemaro Vargas, Keibert, Harold Ramirez, and Nick Senzel all getting way too many ABs given either their #'s or lack of long-term future with the team.  They could have called up much of Rochester and Harrisburg, and not done much worse.

So in terms of improvement for '25, the deadline flip rentals can't occur again, you have to give them ABs they don't deserve, and they were half the lineup many nights for the first half.  The moderate haul in return isn't worth and it's not fun to watch 30 year olds strike out that much or struggle to stay near the Mendoza Line. 

[sixthree175]

If there is any hope of getting one of the three wildcard spots in 2025, much money will need to be spent. Will that happen?

[varoadking]

If there is any hope of getting one of the three wildcard spots in 2025, much money will need to be spent. Will that happen?

I would bet against it...

[Natsinpwc]

The team was -145 run differential in 2023. -104 this season. So there was improvement. Last year was 65 win team that got lucky. 

[Senatorswin]

   Once they got scouted, they should have changed approach, but they just kept running and ended up giving away a lot of outs and keeping opposing pitch counts down.

Since they didn't hit home runs they had to keep stealing. They matched a record that hadn't been accomplished since 1917 by having 23 different players steal a base. They might of been more selective on who they let steal but they had no choice but to run. They'll have some players with some serious speed next year in Young, Crews, Wood, Abrams and Garcia. Hopefully they'll hit more home runs but with the new rules and that kind of speed they need to cut those guys loose again.

Why do you say "Many core fans with low expectations willing to accept poor performance". What are you saying the core fans should do differently?

[English Natsie]

The greatest up-side was that we didn't regress, and managed to (at least) hold our ground - contrary to most expectations when young, rookie, players come up against established major leaguers. So, the obvious key to the future is can they show onwards development - the lowest benchmark should be that marking-time won't be acceptable, next season,, unless we've all got it wrong, about the prospects, and everything falls apart...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

2023 was a 65 win team that overachieved due to a decision to keep a strong bullpen together past the trade deadline. 2024 was a better team that probably deserved a 71 win record +/- 2.

It's significant just how much younger this team is now than at the end of 2023. No Thomas, no Dom Smith, no Robles, no Vargas. More young regulars actually playing.

[English Natsie]

Our 2024 Nationals feature in the 'Top 25 Plays In September' reel ! Unfortunately, it's for the Busch catch...  

[Senatorswin]

For the short time he was up Crews was a constant highlight real in right.