The Washington Nationals’ 2026 season is over, and the biggest story is that the question has changed. After finishing 77-85 and improving by 11 wins, the Nationals no longer look like a team simply waiting for its rebuild to end. Now the focus is on how they turn that progress into sustained success.
Dan Holmi breaks down the Nationals’ 2026 season, including CJ Abrams’ historic 33-home-run, 106-RBI campaign, his 30-home-run/30-stolen-base season, James Wood reaching 30 home runs, and Cade Cavalli emerging as a rotation cornerstone before signing a four-year extension through 2030 with a 2031 club option.
But major questions remain heading into the 2027 offseason. The Nationals blew an MLB-record 42 saves, Jake Irvin finished with a 5.48 ERA, and the rotation still needs more certainty. The potential December MLB lockout could also change the timing of free agency and trades.
Dan also looks at the CJ Abrams shortstop-versus-second-base decision, Nasim Nuñez, the Nationals’ young pitching, and what Paul Toboni and Blake Butera need to do next. 2026 showed the Nationals can make progress. The 2027 offseason will show whether they can build on it.

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Jarlin Susana is back, and the Nationals have a major decision ahead. The 22-year-old pitching prospect is once again touching 103 mph, but after a UCL sprain, lat surgery and just 14 innings in 2026, questions about his long-term role are getting louder.
In this Nats MinuteCast, Dan Holmi breaks down Susana's electric fastball and slider, his 408 strikeouts in 282 minor-league innings, the command and third-pitch concerns raised by Keith Law, and why a move to the bullpen could eventually make sense. But is Washington anywhere close to making that decision?
The argument here is simple: don't rush it. The Nationals need to find out how good Susana can be as a starter before deciding that his future belongs in relief. His 2026 return has provided flashes of dominant stuff, but the workload is still being rebuilt.
Jarlin Susana. 103 mph. The stuff is back. Now the Nationals have to figure out what comes next.
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The Washington Nationals have blown 35 saves in 2026, putting them just two away from the MLB record. After another disastrous ninth inning against the Miami Marlins, it’s time for the Nationals to stop hoping their bullpen problems will fix themselves.

In this episode of Nats MinuteCast, we break down why Washington needs to make an experienced back-end reliever a major priority this offseason.

The Nationals had a 2-0 lead heading into the ninth before the Marlins scored six runs to turn a potential fourth straight win into another painful loss. It was the latest example of a bullpen that has repeatedly cost Washington games this season.

But this isn't about blaming one pitcher or one bad inning.

It's about recognizing that the Nationals are reaching a different stage of their rebuild.

Washington's young offense is becoming a legitimate foundation. The farm system is improving. The roster is more talented than its record suggests. And that means the Nationals can't afford to keep wasting opportunities because they don't have someone they trust to get the final three outs.

We discuss Blake Butera's call for a pitcher who wants the ball in the ninth, the bullpen arms already developing inside the organization, the potential free-agent market, and why spending money on an experienced closer or high-leverage reliever could be one of the smartest moves Washington makes this winter.

The rebuild is changing.

Now the Nationals need to act like it.

• The Nationals' 35 blown saves
• The disastrous ninth inning against Miami
• Why Washington needs experienced bullpen help
• Clayton Beeter, Orlando Ribalta and the developing relief corps
• Why prospects alone can't be the 2027 bullpen plan
• The case for spending this offseason
• How the Nationals can protect their improving young offense
• Why the ninth inning could define Washington's next step

Nats MinuteCast covers the Washington Nationals, Nationals Park, MLB news, roster moves, prospects, trades, free agency and the future of the Nats.

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