Outside of MacKenzie Gore, the Washington Nationals rotation has been underwhelming
Early in the season, the Washington Nationals rotation was the best part of the team. A lot of the teams young starters looked like they were taking the next step and solidifying themselves as mid rotation options for the present and future. However, the wheels have fallen off for most of the non-MacKenzie Gore members of this rotation.
Guys like Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin were shining early in the season. However, they look like number 5 starters at best right now. In his first five starts, Parker was a revelation. He had a 1.39 ERA and had gone at least six innings every time out.
It has been tough sledding for Parker since his hot start. His ERA is up to 4.63 and he has only completed six innings in three of his last 12 starts. While Parker has been a bit better lately, it is pretty clear at this point that he is a back of the rotation innings eater rather than a true difference maker. His underlying numbers are ugly and his stuff just does not stand out.
Irvin has been a similar story. He got off to a pretty strong start to the season, but has also proved why he is just a back of the rotation innings eater lately. As recently as May 24th, Irvin had a 3.42 ERA and was coming off his best start of the season against the Giants. Sure Irvin’s velocity was down, but it did not seem like a huge deal. He was figuring out how to thrive with less velocity.
Well, his lackluster stuff has hurt him lately. Just seven starts later and Irvin’s ERA is up to a rough 4.71. In his last seven starts, Irvin’s ERA sits at 7.12. His underlying metrics are also very ugly, with a FIP and xERA over 5.
Irvin has a massive home run and even his normally reliable curveball has been hit hard lately due to being overused to compensate for a fastball that is lacking heat. His 4-seam fastball velocity has gone from 93.9 MPH to 92.2 MPH in 2025. Right now, Irvin is lined up as the Nats two starter, but he is not qualified for that role.
Michael Soroka has shown flashes, but has not turned that into consistent production. After blowing up against the Red Sox, his ERA is up to 5.40. All his underlying data suggests he is a better pitcher than that, but at a certain point you have to turn that theoretical ability into real production. Finally, Trevor Williams has been the fifth starter, and the less said about him the better.
The Nationals have gotten the ace level production they craved out of MacKenzie Gore, but the rest of the rotation has not been up to snuff. It is a lot like the rest of the roster. The top guys are ready for prime time, but everyone else is not close.
The Nats are going to need to find a 2 and 3 starter soon. Travis Sykora should be one of those guys sometime soon, but how quickly will he rise through the system. Also, will he face bumps in the road when he gets to the big leagues. MacKenzie Gore only has two more years of control after this season and is a Boras client, so they need to compliment him at the top of the rotation and fast.
Another option for this could come in the draft. LSU’s Kade Anderson has a lot of momentum to be the top pick in the draft and this rotation predicament explains why. Anderson has the potential to be a 2 or 3 three starter and get to the big leagues quickly. He has the chance to be in a big league rotation this time next year.
The last option would be to do something ownership has not done in a little while, spend. There are some big name starters hitting the open market this year. We wrote about the big three of Michael King, Framber Valdez and Dylan Cease. All three of those guys would help the Nats in a big way.
One thing is clear, the Nats rotation is not good enough as currently constructed. They will need to find upgrades somewhere. The question is where will those upgrades come from. Will they come from within or could the Lerner’s splash the cash.