WASHINGTON — Wednesday afternoon, as a television segment about the Washington Nationals’ trade deadline plan played on mute in their home clubhouse, there was no distinct sign that anyone cared.
CJ Abrams chatted with James Wood at the far end of the clubhouse. Foster Griffin held a baseball in his left hand and conducted an interview while describing the seven pitches that have made him an intriguing trade candidate. Luis García Jr. put his feet up on a cardboard box at his locker, with a burgundy gambler’s hat — the designated team apparel handed out to the MVP of the team’s most recent win — by his side.
Outside of Wood, it is unclear which of those players will still have a locker in the home clubhouse after Monday’s deadline and the coming eight-game road trip. And yet, for the first time in years, the players involved in those talks have some control over the team’s direction in the games leading to the deadline.
Washington is still exploring any and all types of pathways that can help in the short and long term, according to people familiar with the team’s plans who were granted anonymity to speak candidly. The team has expressed interest in dealing lower-pedigree prospects for someone who could help down the stretch, such as a rental reliever, but that remains one of many avenues it could take.
The players in the Nats clubhouse believe they could make a run to the postseason. One can reason that the front office agrees, at least to a certain degree. At the same time, Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays dropped their postseason odds (via FanGraphs) to 9.1 percent. Worse yet: Seven of their last eight losses were decided by one run or involved a late lead change.
That puts a spotlight on the margins as they prepare for a four-game set against the Atlanta Braves — easily the most meaningful series for this franchise since it won the World Series in 2019. Here is what to watch, based on what we have seen recently:
Orlando Ribalta’s ERA in July is barely half of what it was in June. (Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
Can the back of the bullpen hold it together in Atlanta?
The box score might disagree, but Orlando Ribalta and Clayton Beeter have looked much better over the last few weeks.
Beeter has a 4.91 ERA in July but has had much better stuff and command since the All-Star break. His uptick in slider usage — related, in part, to the team calling some pitches from the dugout — has also helped round out his game. Ribalta, meanwhile, allowed a pivotal run Wednesday, but that was only because of soft contact and shaky defense. He has cut his June ERA (7.27) nearly in half in July thanks to a fastball that recently gained a tick and now sits at 98 mph.
What to watch and say to make yourself a smarter fan (or at least to seem like one): The Nationals throw changeups less often than any other team, but it’s been well worth it for Ribalta to throw his. It’s allowed him to dominate left-handed bats whom the Nats have otherwise faltered against. Opposing lefties have just one hit off his changeup (and none off his slider) this year.
Why it matters against Atlanta: The Braves have the second-best offense in MLB in the eighth inning and beyond. And, as far as stakes go, this is uncharted territory for one of baseball’s youngest rosters. No team in MLB has blown more saves than the Nats. They need Ribalta and Beeter to be at their best.
Can a pair of bats with significant platoon splits stabilize?
For most of the season, the Nats were reluctant to give left-handed García at-bats against lefties. They sent right-handed Dylan Crews to Triple-A Rochester this spring in part because of his struggles against righties. Both entered Wednesday’s game with an OPS of at least .900 against opposite-handed pitching and under .700 against same-sided pitching.
And yet …
Tuesday, they hit back-to-back home runs, with García going deep off a lefty and Crews doing the same off a righty. It prompted a bat flip toward the dugout from García and a lengthy grin from Crews. It was only a week earlier that García threw his bat in disgust after striking out against a lefty in Colorado, and Crews lamented his own swing decisions against righties. Now?
“I do think they are getting a little more comfortable in those spots,” manager Blake Butera said.
What to watch and say to make yourself a smarter fan (or at least to seem like one): The Nats lean heavily on platoon splits for a reason. Their right-handed hitters have an .843 OPS against lefties (first in MLB) while their left-handed bats have a .796 OPS against righties (sixth in MLB). Still, with only so many spots to platoon, Crews and García are forced to receive same-sided at-bats.
Why it matters against Atlanta: The Braves have four arms in their bullpen with a sub-3.00 ERA and at least 30 innings pitched. Two are righties, and two are lefties. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Crews or García with an at-bat in a big spot against the leverage arm.
Can CJ Abrams and James Wood keep it up?
Wood and Abrams have been the two best hitters in the National League this month. That is particularly relevant as both seem to be playing through minor bumps and bruises.
Abrams fouled a ball off his calf Monday and was the designated hitter on Wednesday, though Butera said he could have played shortstop. Wood wasn’t able to track down a pop fly in shallow right field in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s loss and hasn’t sprinted as fast as usual in the second half.
Still, Butera said he believed they’re 100 percent “as much as they can be this late in the season,” and Wood has indicated that he feels fine.
“Obviously, you know who is kind of in it, but I’m not really watching every day,” Wood said of the tight wild-card race. “A little bit more focused on what we can do day in and day out. But there’s some awareness, for sure.”
What to watch and say to make yourself a smarter fan (or at least to seem like one): Wood and Abrams entered Wednesday’s game slashing .335/.425/.739 in July. The closest full-season equivalent to that slash line (non-steroid division) is 2024 MVP Aaron Judge (.322/.458/.701).
Why it matters against Atlanta: There’s nothing matchup-specific here, though the Nats will want those two at or close to 100 percent.
