The Washington Nationals are legitimately in postseason contention right now, and honestly, we should all be breathing a massive sigh of relief. This team has a shot at October baseball, all thanks to the incredible production from their three All-Stars, especially James Wood and CJ Abrams. But get this: there was a very real scenario where we wouldn't even have these guys on the squad. Talk about a bullet dodged.
The Winter That Almost Blew Up Everything
Can you believe it? According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Nationals were reportedly open to trading both Abrams and Wood just last offseason! They traded MacKenzie Gore and then just put these two out there as available. Think about that for a second. We're talking about two cornerstones, players you build a franchise around, and they were almost gone. Letting them walk would've been a colossal mistake, something that would've haunted us for years. Fortunately, the front office managed to steer clear of that disaster, keeping them right here in D.C.These All-Stars Are Carrying The Team, Period.
So, what exactly did we almost miss out on? A 48-48 record right now, for starters, hovering right there in the wild-card race! CJ Abrams is hitting a stellar .276 with 20 homers, 67 RBIs, and an .866 OPS across 92 games and 341 at-bats. And then there's James Wood, absolutely crushing it with a .278 batting average, 27 home runs, 63 RBIs, and a ridiculous .974 OPS in 96 games and 367 at-bats. These guys aren't just good, they're All-Stars, and they are the main reason this team even has a winning record right now. Yeah, the bullpen is historically terrible, but with Wood and Abrams lighting it up, the team can totally justify buying a reliever at the deadline to boost those postseason odds. This team is in a good spot because of Wood and Abrams. There's still work to do, definitely need to fix that bullpen and shore up the starting rotation. But with these two as the centerpieces, the future looks bright. They are clearly the guys to build around, and it's awesome to see them prove it every single day.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.