2 weeks Ago
With the Washington Nationals off to a mediocre start to the season, the team is still analyzing what 2025 might look like. This winter, there was some hope that the Nationals might look to make a splash or two in free agency in order to really snap the franchise out of their rebuild. However, the franchise elected that this wasn’t the offseason to do that, which likely was the right decision.
Within their division alone, there are a lot of good teams, and trying to expedite a rebuild could just handicap the team in the future. This campaign, while they are better on paper, is still all about developing their young players. Potential cornerstone players in James Wood and Dylan Crews have yet to even play a full year in the Majors, and expecting them to be significant contributors on a contending team would have been unrealistic.
However, the Nationals do want to be better in 2025, and there are some early signs that they may achieve that. A couple of starting pitchers are stepping up to provide them with some hope that they have some building blocks in the rotation to pair with their exciting core in the lineup. Furthermore, some of the newcomers who were either signed or traded for have had a positive early impact on the team.
However, it has been one player in particular who has helped solve what was a massive problem at first base. Jessica Camerato of MLB.com recently wrote about Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe being the best newcomer for the team in 2025.
“The Nationals acquired Lowe from the Rangers this offseason to add offensive production, a reliable glove at first base and veteran leadership. He has checked all those boxes," she wrote. It ended up being a fairly active offseason for Washington this past winter.
The team was able to make some nice veteran additions to help support the young core, and some moves have worked out well. One of the most notable additions was Lowe in a trade with the Texas Rangers . The price to acquire the talented slugger was steep, giving up talented relief pitcher Robert Garcia, but early results have been good.
So far in 2025, Lowe has slashed .293/.370/.
500 with four home runs and 19 RBI. It has been some excellent production early on at the plate, which is exactly what the Nationals have needed for years. Furthermore, the 29-year-old is one of the best defensive players at his position, providing some extra value there.
With him under contract through next year as well, Lowe could end up becoming an important part of what Washington is trying to build. As a solid hitter and an excellent fielder, he has been a strong addition to a young team. Recommended Articles.
