Nationals’ youth movement powers team to playoff fringes through 71 games

The rebuilding Washington Nationals are ahead of schedule through 71 games, powered by several young stars who have made an immediate impact since joining the major league roster.

The Nationals have won eight of their last nine, compiling a 35-36 record that has them tied for the National League’s final wild card spot.

“We keep winning ballgames,” Nationals rookie pitcher Mitchell Parker said Sunday after they completed a sweep of the Miami Marlins. “I mean, winning is fun. … We’re having a great time.”

Nationals manager Dave Martinez’s squad entered the season as favorites to finish last in the NL East for a fourth consecutive year. FanGraphs analysts predicted the long-struggling team to lose 96 games in another disappointing year.

But the Nationals have been competitive through their first 71 games, thanks to an evolving arsenal of promising young stars.  

Washington’s top three position players based on FanGraph’s wins above replacement metric — shortstop CJ Abrams, outfielder Jacob Young and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. — are all 24 years old or younger.

On the mound, fresh-armed pitchers like Parker, D.J. Herz and Mackenzie Gore have found their stride against major league competition. 

The starting rotation, which ranks fifth in the National League with a 3.77 ERA, has allowed just four earned runs over its last 35 innings.

“Everyone’s throwing well,” Parker said. “It’s contagious.”

When the 23-year-old Herz strikes out 13 batters like he did against the Marlins on Saturday, it inspires his teammates to keep up. Parker, 24, responded by allowing one run in six innings on Sunday.

“I really believe they’re starting to feed off each other,” Martinez said. “They’re very close … They’re watching each other, they’re pulling for each other, but I think collectively, each guy wants to go out and do what the other guy did, and it’s been fun to watch.”

Martinez said the organization couldn’t resist calling up rookies like Herz, Parker and Young — they were too good in the minor leagues.

It’s paid off.

“These guys put the work in,” Martinez said. “They really did everything they needed to do for us to say: ‘Hey, wait a minute. Let’s call this guy up. I think he can help.’ … And now they’re here and they’re continuing to do what they did down there before we brought them up.”

The rookies’ contributions have extended beyond the diamond.

Since winning the World Series in 2019, the Nationals have suffered through four consecutive losing seasons. The fresh blood has reinvigorated the locker room.

“It’s a fun group, it’s a good dynamic in the clubhouse,” general manager Mike Rizzo said on MLB Network’s “High Heat” on Friday. “The veteran guys are taking some leadership roles and having some fun with the young kids. And the young kids are playing with their hair on fire.”

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that other teams have inquired about several Nationals, including veteran relievers Hunter Harvey and Kyle Finnegan, ahead of next month’s trade deadline. But Rizzo won’t commit to selling.

“We’ll take it week by week and see where we’re at,” Rizzo said. “We could do a hybrid of buying and selling at the deadline, filling some holes for us. Everything we do though at the trade deadline will facilitate us not only for this year but also for the future.”

The red-hot Nationals were third in their division entering Monday, 12 games behind the NL-leading Phillies. Washington returns to action Tuesday to start a three-game series at home against Arizona.