The Washington Nationals fell to 4-10 on the road last night, but they are far from the only team struggling away from home
The Washington Nationals have really struggled on the road this season. They fell to 4-10 after a gut wrenching defeat to the Phillies last night. Their rough road record is stark in comparison to the teams 9-7 record at Nationals Park. However, they are far from the only team facing this problem, with home teams dominating so far in 2025.
So far, road teams are 172-227 league wide as of the morning of April 30th. That is only a 43.1% winning percentage. There are only eight teams with winning records on the road this season. Even a lot of the best teams in baseball have been mediocre away from home.
For example, the 21-9 Mets have been doing a lot of their heavy lifting at Citi Field. They are 13-1 at home, compared to a mediocre 8-8 on the road. Even the Dodgers, which many people called an historically great team heading into the season are 6-7 on the road, compared to a stellar 14-3 at home. Only two of the six first place teams in baseball have winning records on the road.
The numbers have been much more extreme than normal so far this season. From 2021-2024, teams road winning percentages have ranged from 47.5% to 48.2%. There will certainly be some regression to the mean as the season goes on, but it will be interesting to follow. I would not be surprised to see the number closer to 46.5 to 47% this year, given the extreme start.
So it is probably not much of a surprise that a young team like the Nats are struggling away from home. Even on their “easy” road trip, the team went 4-6, showing the value of a home field. At their home field, the Nats have taken series from teams like the Dodgers and the D-Backs, two very good teams.
However, on the road, the bats have struggled. The Nats are hitting .265 with a .773 OPS at home compared to a .217 average with a .624 OPS on the road. Yes, this is a small sample size, but the numbers being this stark is eye opening, especially given the fact they faced an historically bad Rockies team at a hitters paradise in Coors Field. They have faced tougher opposition at home, but the results are better.
This is a trend I will be keeping a close eye on, both for the Nats and the rest of the league. Is there any reason why home teams are having more success, or is it just noise? When I looked at the standings, it was jarring how big the splits were across the board. Last year there were 13 teams with winning records on the road, compared to eight so far this year.
Another twist is that two of those teams with winning road records are the A’s and Rays, two teams playing in Minor League stadiums. They are two of only five teams with better road records than home records. This is very interesting because these two teams don’t get a lot of the advantages home field brings.
The crowds are smaller and less enthusiastic. However, that is not all. For the fanbases and players, this is not home for them, especially in the case of Sacramento. They also do not have the same level of facilities most home teams enjoy.
Is there a true reason why this is happening, I am not sure and it might level out. However, this is a trend I found interesting for both the Nats and the league. It is something to keep an eye on as we get deeper into the season and as we go into the playoffs.
Regardless, the Nats need to buck this trend and have success on this road trip. They are in danger of falling further and further away from that .500 mark. The road has not been kind to them so far, but the Nats need to tame the beast that is playing away from home.