With Opening Day just a couple weeks away, I took a stab at predicting the lineup
The Washington Nationals Opening Day matchup against the Phillies is just two weeks away! With that in mind, I thought it was time to make my prediction for the Opening Day lineup. One important thing to keep in mind is that the Phillies Opening Day starter, Zack Wheeler is right handed.
1: CJ Abrams, SS
This one is a slam dunk. Manager Davey Martinez has already confirmed that Abrams will be the leadoff man. Despite his tumultuous second half, the Nationals still have faith in their young shortstop. The best stretches of CJ’s career have come from the leadoff spot, and it has always felt like he has been more confident at the top of the order. He will take the first at bat of the season for the Washington Nationals.
2: Dylan Crews, RF
This might be slightly bold due to Crews’ lack of MLB production, but I think the Nats are going to stick him in the 2 hole. A big reason for this is his right handed bat. The Nationals lineup is very left handed heavy at the top as we will discuss. Davey Martinez will want a right handed bat in between those guys and Crews fits the bill. Martinez has a history of not liking too many same sided hitters in a row, so Crews is a good bet at in the 2 hole.
3: James Wood, LF
The Nationals highest upside hitter will hit in the three hole. There are high hopes for the towering slugger in 2025. Andrew Golden said he had a chance to hit 35 homers this season, while Grant Paulsen said 30 was within reach. Wood certainly has the raw power to get that done. He hits the ball hard a ton, and it goes a long way when he elevates the ball. Right now he hits the ball on the ground too much, but even with that, he had a productive half season at just 21 years old.
4: Nathaniel Lowe, 1B
The first of a few new additions, Nathaniel Lowe was the biggest move of the Nationals offseason. He has been a stalwart in a stacked Texas Rangers lineup the past few years. While he hasn’t hit for the power of your prototypical cleanup man the past couple years, he is a well above average bat. He gets on base a ton and provides some thump to go along with it. Lowe should be a leader in the young Nats lineup.
5: Josh Bell, DH
While I would consider Luis Garcia Jr here, I know Davey wouldn’t love three lefties in a row. That is why the switch hitting Bell is going into the five hole. Bell is looking to get back to hitting for more power, something the Nats need him to do. The Nats are hoping he can be a 25 home run bat. He has also a beloved member of the community in his first stint with the club, so it will be nice to get him back in town.
6: Luis Garcia Jr., 2B
Luis Garcia had a breakout year in 2024. He was arguably the Nationals best hitter last season. You can certainly argue that he should be hitting higher in the lineup, but this is what I think will happen. Having Garcia in the 6 hole shows the improved depth of the lineup. He can establish himself as one of the better second baseman in baseball if he can repeat or improve upon his 2024 campaign. Garcia has been swinging a hot bat this spring.
7: Keibert Ruiz, C
Speaking of swinging a hot bat, Keibert Ruiz has looked excellent this spring. He is tapping into his power, with three home runs and his approach looks improved. Those were the two things Ruiz needed to do to bounce back from a brutal 2024 season. The bat to ball skills have never been in doubt, he has just given away too many at bats and there has been too much weak contact. 2025 is a massive year for the 26 year old catcher.
8: Paul Dejong, 3B
I think Paul Dejong is going to be the opening day third baseman. He signed just before Spring Training on a one-year deal, but the veteran has impressed. Dejong has looked very strong defensively at third base and has showed off some of his famous power. He hit 24 homers last year and the Nationals need power bats.
9: Jacob Young, CF
Jacob Young will be like a second leadoff man for the Nats. His speed and solid contact ability make him a pesky hitter at the bottom of the order. Hopefully his new strength can translate to a bit more power. Young will never be a slugger, but even if he could hit 8 homers a season, it would go a long way. He is a phenomenal defensive center fielder, but if the bat doesn’t improve, his job will be under pressure with all of the outfielders the Nats have in the upper minors.
This is my Opening Day lineup prediction. We will see how I did in two weeks when the Nats host the Phillies on March 27th for Opening Day.