Abrams' defensive gem stands out even on three-hit night

TORONTO – He singled. He doubled. He stole a base. He doubled again, this time driving in the tying run. He was diving all around second base, in one instance making one of the best defensive plays of his career.

CJ Abrams was everywhere Tuesday night. And though the Nationals ultimately lost 5-3 to the Blue Jays, it wasn’t for lack of effort by their dynamic shortstop, who had his best all-around game of the young season.

“He’s been doing really well,” manager Davey Martinez said. “I’m happy because he’s hitting, but I’m also happy because he’s playing really good defense right now. He made some really good plays today.”

Yes, even on a night in which he went 3-for-4 with two extra-base hits, Abrams’ glovework stood out above all else. He found himself diving to make several plays at shortstop, none of them more impressive than his sixth-inning robbery of Will Wagner’s sure base hit up the middle.

On the play, Abrams dived to his left to snag the ball well to the right side of second base. Then he hopped to his feet and fired to first just in time to get Wagner. The Blue Jays challenged the call at first base, but replays were inconclusive and the call stood, much to the Nats’ delight.

“He made one really tremendous play today, and was really close on another one of mine,” said Trevor Williams, who was out of the game by the sixth but also saw Abrams nearly pull off another highlight-reel play in the fifth. “We had a double-play ball that he was involved with. To see the work he’s been putting in is great.”

Several metric formulas didn’t like Abrams’ defensive play in 2024, rating him among the worst shortstops in the majors. Others were more kind to him, but he knew coming into the season he needed to be better, especially on grounders up the middle.

So far, so good.

“He’s moving a lot better,” Martinez said. “His first step has been really good. He’s getting around the baseball a lot better.”

Abrams also credited Nathaniel Lowe’s presence at first base, noting the former Gold Glove winner serves as a calming influence for everyone in the infield with his ability to scoop up errant throws.

“He’s a vacuum over there,” Abrams said of the 6-foot-4 first baseman. “As long as I get it over there and don’t miss high, I think I’ll be good.”

Advanced defensive metrics don’t mean much this early in a season. A larger sample is needed before those numbers start to take shape. But for whatever it’s worth, Abrams is through five games without committing an error.

Combine that glovework with a number of quality at-bats the last two nights, and he’s beginning to look more like the All-Star version of himself from the first half of the 2024 season and less like the shortstop who slumped throughout the second half and ultimately was demoted to the minors in late September for disciplinary reasons.

“They all say I get things going: I go, we go,” Abrams said when asked about his importance to the Nationals’ overall fortunes. “So I’m just trying to get off to a good start for the team and put things together.”