What went right and what went wrong in the first half

The All-Star break offers a time for reflection, a chance to hit the pause button and consider everything that’s happened over the last 3 1/2 months. It’s a lot easier to think about the big picture when you don’t have a game to worry about from the night before or another coming the following day.

And when you take a step back and consider the big picture, you find a lot to be pleased about the Nationals’ first half of the season. There were breakthrough performances, the arrival of several rookies including one of the top prospects in the sport and ultimately a better record (44-53) than at this same point one year ago (39-58).

Which isn’t to say everything went swimmingly in NatsTown. There were disappointing performances from a number of players, disruptive injuries and sloppy play at times. This is a team that felt at times like it could be good enough to win more games than it lost, but the record suggests there’s still a way to go before that feels plausible.

So before we move on to what could be a very entertaining – and newsworthy – second half, let’s look back at the things that went right for the Nationals in the first half and the things that went wrong …

RIGHT: THE YOUNG STARTING PITCHERS
Even the most optimistic club official or fan couldn’t have predicted how well the quartet of Jake Irvin, MacKenzie Gore, Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz would pitch. (Many wouldn’t have even predicted Parker and Herz would be in the big leagues to begin with.) But this turned into the most important story of the first half. Combine their stats, and those four young starters delivered a 3.91 ERA and 1.238 WHIP while issuing only 2.5 walks per nine innings and surrendered slightly more than one homer per nine innings. And those numbers looked even better a couple weeks ago, before all four labored in their final outings leading up to the break. If they can return refreshed and get back to what they did throughout April, May and June, the Nats will have the makings of a strong rotation for years to come.

WRONG: STARTING PITCHER INJURIES
The Nationals have still only used nine starting pitchers this season, and six of them have started 93 of the team’s 97 games. But boy would they love to have Josiah Gray, Cade Cavalli and Trevor Williams healthy right now. Instead, none appears close to returning. Gray went on the injured list after two starts, though he was ready to come off the IL a few weeks ago but then felt a recurrence of elbow pain and now is waiting for a final diagnosis from noted surgeon Keith Meister. Cavalli’s rehab from Tommy John surgery keeps coming to a grinding halt, and he’s now rebuilding himself back up again after getting sick. And Williams, who was 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA in 11 starts, has been sidelined more than a month with his own arm injury, all but quashing any chance the team had at flipping the veteran at the trade deadline.

RIGHT: THE PLAYERS ACQUIRED IN THE JUAN SOTO-JOSH BELL TRADE
As the two-year anniversary of perhaps the darkest day in club history approaches, the Nationals can’t be upset with what they ultimately got from the Padres for a generational talent. CJ Abrams is an All-Star, and he’s still got room to grow. James Wood is in the big leagues after dominating at every level of the minors. Gore continues to struggle with consistency on the mound, but his good starts remain electric. Even Jarlin Susana is starting to show strides in the low minors, recently promoted from Fredericksburg to Wilmington after a string of good outings. Only Robert Hassell III (back on the IL with a wrist issue) has trended in the wrong direction among the five prospects who came in the deal.

WRONG: THE PLAYERS ACQUIRED IN THE MAX SCHERZER-TREA TURNER TRADE
Gray, as noted earlier, made only two starts before landing on the IL. And it’s entirely possible we’ll learn in the coming days he’s not only going to miss the rest of the 2024 season, but perhaps a big chunk of the 2025 season as well. Keibert Ruiz, meanwhile, has been the biggest disappointment on the roster, his offensive numbers cratering and his defensive progress stilted. Ruiz showed a few signs of improvement at the plate heading into the break, but he’s still got a long way to go to get back on track and ultimately prove the Nationals’ decision to give him an eight-year extension correct.

RIGHT: JESSE WINKER AND DYLAN FLORO
The Nationals bought low on both veterans and are now going to have the chance to sell high on both guys at the end of the month. Winker, who signed a minor league deal at the start of spring training after two rough seasons in Seattle and Milwaukee, has turned into one of the team’s most consistently productive offensive players and a popular clubhouse figure. Floro, who signed for $2.25 million after a down year in Miami and Minnesota, has been nails just about every time Davey Martinez has summoned him out of the bullpen. That’s exactly what a rebuilding team hopes for out of players like this, and now it’s up to Mike Rizzo to turn them into prospects who could make a difference long-term.

WRONG: ALL THE OTHER ONE-YEAR DEALS
Rizzo didn’t exactly bat 1.000 in cheap free agent signings over the winter. Joey Gallo has hit only five home runs and played in only 46 games due to injuries. Nick Senzel hit .209 in 64 games and never looked smooth at third base before getting designated for assignment. Eddie Rosario hit .183 in 67 games and never looked entirely awake in the outfield or on the bases before he was designated for assignment. You can’t expect every single one of these signings to work out. But you can expect them not to become complete busts as these three were.

RIGHT: GIVING KIDS A SHOT
The Nationals’ 26-man roster right now includes 10 players age 25 or younger. And almost every one of them has a chance to be part of the long-term plan around here. Some (Wood, Abrams, Ruiz, Gore, Luis Garcia Jr.) were supposed to be part of the plan all along. Others (Jacob Young, Trey Lipscomb, Parker, Herz) weren’t necessarily expected to get this shot, but all earned it and are now trying to prove they should stay. They won’t all work out, but after several years of stopgap veterans who had no future in D.C., this has been a very refreshing development.

WRONG: WASTED ROSTER SPOTS
The Nationals’ active roster has included Nasim Nunez, Tanner Rainey and Jordan Weems the entire season since Opening Day. Even though none is trusted to be used in any situation of consequence. Nunez, a Rule 5 draftee, may have a future as a good fielding utility infielder, but he has appeared in a total of 21 games and has taken 14 plate appearances. Rainey and Weems, meanwhile, were supposed to be reliable members of the bullpen but struggled so much they were buried in the back and trotted out only when the score is lopsided or nobody else is available to pitch. Neither has options, so both would have to be exposed to waivers before getting sent to the minors. The Nats have refused to make that move with either right-hander to date, often leaving them with only six true available arms in their bullpen.