It can not get much worse for the Washington Nationals standings than finishing 55-107 and having the worst record in baseball by five games.
Of course, the Nationals could go through another MLB schedule as the worst team and be even lower in the MLB standings from the next closest team. It is a rather sad sight and difficult to see since the Nationals are four years removed from winning their first World Series in 2019.
Rebuild Mode
But the Nationals are hoping they have some foundational pieces acquired from other MLB teams when they shed their payroll. Some of those moves included securing a young core to blossom together.
They include starting pitcher Josiah Gray and switch-hitting catcher Keibert Ruiz from the Los Angeles Dodgers and three top prospects from the Padres in southpaw MacKenzie Gore, shortstop C.J. Abrams and outfielder Robert Hassell III, among others.
This year’s MLB games are going to be important for individual development rather than team success. After saving cash for a few years after selling off players such as Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Trea Turner, and Max Scherzer, the Nationals will soon find themselves in a position to spend on veterans to become franchise cornerstones.
Until then, the Washington Nationals season odds are going to be slim to none as far as postseason hopes. But they are not totally shut out from those opportunities.
Season Odds
Through the first 12 games of the season, the Nationals are 4-8 and have three teams with a worse record than them already. Though, the Washington Nationals season odds to win the division are tied for the worst in the league at +20000 in the uber-competitive National League East, which sent three teams to the playoffs and the Philadelphia Phillies – who had the worst record of those three – won the pennant.
Still, the Nationals are +25000 to win the pennant, the worst in the National League. They are +50000 to win the World Series, which is the worst in baseball and tied alongside the Colorado Rockies and Oakland Athletics.
Who knows how the front office is thinking, and maybe the team is playing well enough they can buy players at the trade deadline. While that seems like a longshot, the potential bonus to cash in is worth a little something. Props show the Washington Nationals season odds are +2500 to make the playoffs against -15000 to miss the playoffs.
A relatively small bet would land a sizable payout for those who make those MLB picks.
Room To Improve
Last season, the Washington Nationals stats showed they were 26th in the league in scoring 3.72 runs per game. That was mostly with Soto and Bell. Through 12 games, they hold the same placement but are up to 3.94 runs per game.
The pitching staff was the second-worst in the league in allowing 5.28 runs per game. So far this season, they are allowing 5.40 runs per game, which ranks 23rd.
Baseball’s New Era: Speed and Power Take the Field
With the rules changes banning the shift and adding a pitch clock, plus larger bases, there is more room for speed and power in the game. Games are happening quicker and leading to more scoring, and the Nationals are starting to build for that with Abrams and Hassell, who started in the minor leagues.
Gore has already started out strong. He is 2-0 and allowed three earned runs in 11.1 innings pitched with 12 strikeouts, MLB player stats show.
Gray is showing signs of improvement after he led the league in home runs allowed and walks allowed last season. However, he has allowed four home runs and eight walks in 16.2 innings already in 2023. He is mixing his offspeed pitches with more frequency, which is an encouraging sign for a young pitcher.
Veteran presence
The MLB injury report has already claimed two veterans in outfielder Corey Dickerson and utilityman Ildemaro Vargas. But other veterans hope to kick start the rebuild, such as Victor Robles, Joey Meneses, Dominic Smith, and Jeimer Candelario.
The Nationals hope to see improvements in their plans from their young team with the playoffs a longshot.
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