WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – If there was any reason to debate who will hold the top spot in the Nationals’ batting order to begin the season, Davey Martinez put it to rest today with a fairly definitive revelation.

“CJ is going to lead off,” the eighth-year manager said. “The 3-4-5 will be kind of different. The 2-spot might be a little different at times. But we do know CJ’s going to lead off for us, and we’ll go with that for now.”

So there you have it: CJ Abrams will reclaim the leadoff spot he held for the majority of the 2024 season but did lose at one point when he was struggling at the plate.

The Nats have long believed in Abrams as their long-term answer at the top of the lineup. And over a 13-month stretch from July 2023 into August 2024, he held that job nearly every day, batting .252 with a .318 on-base percentage, .441 slugging percentage, 111 runs scored, 35 doubles, nine triples, 28 homers, 89 RBIs and 56 stolen bases.

But Abrams’ second half slump last summer prompted Martinez to move him out of the leadoff spot for a while, giving him a chance to clear his mind and hopefully get himself back on track. During that stretch – and during the final week of September after Abrams was demoted to the minors for disciplinary reasons – rookie Dylan Crews took over the No. 1 position in the order.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – After 10 days of official workouts, not to mention plenty more unofficial workouts that took place before camp actually opened, the Nationals are undoubtedly ready for something different. Like exhibition games, which fortunately start showing up on the schedule Saturday.

“Yeah, we’re ready,” manager Davey Martinez said. “As I’ve said before, these guys have been here for a while now. They’re itching to get out there and compete.”

The Nationals wrapped up the first portion of spring training today with one final full-squad workout on the back fields behind CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. They’ll finally set foot inside the main stadium Saturday to face the Astros in both teams’ Grapefruit League opener.

Don’t expect the entire projected Opening Day lineup to be out there right off the bat. We already know James Wood (who is dealing with left quad tendinitis) is being held back for the moment. It also sounds like CJ Abrams will sit Saturday, with veteran utilityman Amed Rosario getting the nod at shortstop.

“We’re still in February,” Martinez said. “I’m going to give everybody a chance to get out there and play and get going. We’ve just got to be careful. The ultimate goal is to keep everyone healthy and get them ready for Opening Day at the end of March.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It was posted on the Nationals’ official “X” account one week ago, Feb. 14. The caption read: “Jacob but he goes by Jacked ??” The accompanying photo showed Jacob Young in a batting cage, holding his bat behind his head as he looked at someone (A teammate? A coach?) behind and to the right of the camera, which was positioned at a low angle looking up at him in a way that highlighted his surprisingly large biceps.

At last check, the post had generated more than 203,000 views. Which is only slightly more than the number of texts Young received about the photo.

“More than anything else that’s ever been put out there of me,” he said with a laugh.

Was that an accurate depiction, Young was asked, of the size of his arms?

“No,” he said, laughing again. “I think, honestly, good angle. Whoever was on the camera deserves a raise from me.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – As Saturday’s exhibition opener creeps closer, the Nationals are trying to make sure they cover all their bases during these final days of full-squad workouts. Literally.

This morning’s session included the entire defense on the field as one, specifically working on proper relay technique. Outfielders tracked down balls hit to the gaps or corners. Infielders positioned themselves to either receive the relay throw, back up the relay throw or cover an open base. Pitchers ran to their correct backup position in foul territory.

It can all sound mundane, especially for players at the major league level. But manager Davey Martinez pointed out the importance of everyone involved getting it right.

“It is repetitive, but what we’re trying to teach them is: These things do matter,” Martinez said. “The dropping of the ball, the making of a good throw to the bases, to understand that you don’t leave your feet if the guy throws the ball, we’ve got a trail guy behind, all that stuff. Believe it or not, when you see them do it, sometimes they forget. As I always say … we treat these guys like they’re from Mars, they don’t know anything from the game.”

Martinez believes the Nationals cost themselves runs during the course of the 2024 season with seemingly little mistakes that allowed runners to take extra bases (especially trailing runners). That’s why he wants all cut-offs to be caught cleanly, and why he wants the other infielders and pitchers in correct position to cover bases or back up the play in case someone does try to steal an extra 90 feet.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – MASN will televise eight Nationals Grapefruit League games this spring, the team announced today, including one of this year’s two Spring Breakout Games featuring top prospects.

The first televised game will be Sunday, when the Nats host the Mets at 1 p.m. at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, one day after their exhibition opener against the Astros.

After that comes a stretch of four televised games in six days: March 4, 6 and 8 against the Cardinals (the first two at 1 p.m., the last at 12 p.m.), then March 9 against the Mets in Port St. Lucie (1 p.m.).

The March 16 game against the Mets at 5 p.m. also will be televised, but this one features top prospects from both clubs as part of Major League Baseball’s Spring Breakout series. Last year’s game saw the likes of Dylan Crews, James Wood, Brady House, Jarlin Susana, Travis Sykora, Trey Lipscomb and Mitchell Parker take the field to face New York’s best young talent.

The Nationals play another Spring Breakout Game on March 14 against the Astros.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Two weeks into the new year, the Nationals had only one relief pitcher on their roster with any kind of substantial big league experience: Derek Law. Clearly, Mike Rizzo still had plenty of work to do before the start of spring training.

The process remains slow, but the Nats have managed to add three experienced relievers over the last month. They signed right-hander Jorge López to a $3 million deal on Jan. 11. They signed left-hander Colin Poche to a minor league deal on Feb. 7. And then on Wednesday they signed right-hander Lucas Sims to a $3 million deal.

At long last, a bullpen that was woefully short on proven arms now has four veterans to take some pressure off the organization’s young relievers.

“These guys have done it. They understand it. They’ve done it at the major league level,” manager Davey Martinez said. “They can teach our younger guys what it takes to go out there and compete, to be put in these high-leverage situations. Talk to them about controlling your heartbeat, always being ready, what their routine is like in every situation. I’m excited about the guys we brought in, the veteran guys, because they’re willing to do that.”

All three newly signed veterans have said the right things about their individual responsibilities and their desire to mentor younger teammates who haven’t been through the meat grinder before.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Two days into full-squad workouts, more than a few observers have noticed a crispness to the Nationals’ infield defense that wasn’t always there last year.

With middle infielders CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr. returning, now joined on the corners by Nathaniel Lowe and Paul DeJong, the unit as a whole looks sharper than it did last season.

“We’ve got to catch the baseball. We talk about it all the time,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We were really good in the beginning, and toward the second half we were not good at all. We’ve got to be consistent, and I think with the guys we brought in … they’re going to help our young guys.”

Lowe takes over at first base, already the proud owner of a Gold Glove Award from 2023 when he was with the Rangers. DeJong, just signed this week, doesn’t look inexperienced at third base, even though he only moved there from shortstop in the middle of the 2024 season.

Abrams is still working on his fielding mechanics and can look a bit stiff at times, but the organization believes the All-Star shortstop is primed to make significant strides after his second half struggles last season.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals have added a much-needed experienced arm to their bullpen, albeit one trying to bounce back from a rough year.

Veteran Lucas Sims formally signed a one-year deal with the Nats this morning, the 30-year-old right-hander getting a major league contract and thus a near-guaranteed spot on the Opening Day staff.

Needing to clear space on the 40-man roster, the club placed Mason Thompson (who had Tommy John surgery last spring) on the 60-day injured list.

Sims, who was in uniform and ready to participate in today’s workout, is behind his new teammates by a week but believes his late signing won’t impact his ability to be ready for the regular season.

“I was patient. I had a good situation in the offseason out in Arizona. I was content,” he said. “I was able to get my work in. I knew whenever a deal came together that I was going to be ready to go. I’m glad it worked out.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Josiah Gray knows exactly where he currently stands in his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

“I’m about six months and three weeks in,” he said. “It’ll be seven months on the 24th.”

Forgive the Nationals right-hander for being able to recite such specific mileposts off the top of his head. It’s just the way it is for any rehabbing pitcher. It’s about the only way to stay sane throughout this long, arduous process.

Since he went under the knife July 24 to have his torn elbow ligament replaced and have an internal brace implanted in the elbow to further stabilize everything, Gray has known when he’ll be allowed to do what.

For six months, all he could do was exercise and physical therapy. Nothing with a baseball allowed. Then on Jan. 27, he finally got to cross a major item off the rehab list when he played catch for the first time since surgery.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Before his team took the field for the first official full-squad workout of the spring, Davey Martinez gathered everyone together this morning for his first “Circle of Trust” meeting of the spring.

No, there weren’t any camels. Nor any other live animals. Yet. (There’s still five weeks of camp to go, of course.)

There was, however, a message from the manager that didn’t resemble any of the previous seven camp-opening messages he has delivered during his time here. Martinez’s first four teams were veteran-laden squads that expected to win big. His last three teams were firmly in the rebuilding category, with long-term development taking precedence over short-term success.

The tone this year, Martinez believes, should be different.

“I hear a lot about how our core guys are going to be really good, and they’re coming. I don’t really want to hear that anymore,” he said. “I told them today: ‘We’re here. This is the core. These are the guys we anticipated would be here. You guys are here. You got your feet wet. It’s time to go out there and perform every day, go 1-0 every day.’

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – James Wood sat out defensive drills on the first day of full-squad workouts, the Nationals left fielder hampered by left quadriceps tendinitis.

Wood insisted it’s nothing serious, and he was able to take batting practice today with no apparent issues. The ailment has been bothering him since the offseason, though, enough to warrant an MRI. That test, Wood said, showed no structural damage.

“It’s just inflammation,” he said. “The muscle’s just a little (ticked) off. I trust the training staff. I feel good about everything I’m doing, so I have no doubt I’ll be just fine.”

Asked what his level of concern is, Wood replied: “Zero.”

Wood has been a regular presence on the practice fields for the last week as one of many early-arriving position players who took batting practice and faced live pitching. But when the entire squad officially assembled today and everyone took his place in the field, Wood stayed back and watched from foul territory as Alex Call and Juan Yepez alternated drills in left field.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – There’s no ill will. Josh Bell wished he could’ve been a National this entire time, but he has always understood why Mike Rizzo included him in the Juan Soto trade package that brought five prospects to D.C. in August 2022 and remade the franchise for the long term.

“That’s just baseball,” he said. “I would have made the same move.”

Bell felt that way at the time, he felt that way in the 2 1/2 years since as he bounced from San Diego to Cleveland to Miami to Arizona. And he still feels that way now, thrilled to be back where this little odyssey began, reunited with the Nationals after signing a $6 million deal with them this winter.

It’s a Nationals team that looks very different from the one he parted.

“You see what we got in return,” he said.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Day two of live batting practice at Nationals camp saw several returning pitchers on the mound facing teammates. It also saw one especially notable newcomer who drew tons of extra attention.

Shinnosuke Ogasawara had a large crowd assembled on Field 3 behind the plate, in the dugouts and behind the fences, with everyone from club officials to teammates to media members to fans wanting to get a first look at the Japanese left-hander as he faced major league hitters for the first time.

Ogasawara faced an experienced group of position players including Josh Bell, Luis García Jr., Paul DeJong and Amed Rosario. There was some contact off him, but there were plenty of uncomfortable swings from hitters who were thrown off by the 27-year-old’s repertoire and hesitation delivery.

Garcia was impressed when he returned to the dugout, noting Ogasawara has not only a good changeup and slow curveball but also a sneaky fastball. That ability to change speeds and make everything look the same coming out of his hand could prove to be a challenge for big league batters.

“His arm action, it looks just like a fastball coming in,” manager Davey Martinez said of the changeup in particular. “The thing we talked with him is: If he throws it over the plate – it doesn’t have to be east-to-west as we always talk about – it’s really, really good. There’s a whole lot of swings, not very good swings, as we saw today. But he’s got to understand that he needs to be over the plate with it, down.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Nathaniel Lowe looked around the Nationals clubhouse Sunday morning and tried to get used to a few ideas previously foreign to him.

He’s not only the new guy in camp, having spent the last four seasons with the Rangers. He’s also now a veteran among a sea of promising young players, even though he’s only 29 himself and still two seasons away from free agency.

Oh, he’s also the highest-paid player on the team after ranking ninth last year in Texas as part of a roster that included the likes of Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.

“I hope the guys aren’t scared to say something (to me),” Lowe said, perhaps half-joking and half-serious. “Because I know in that situation, I was freaking out when you see guys with some time. It’s still weird to be considered one of the older guys. But we’ll make the most of it.”

The Nationals acquired Lowe in December for reliever Robert Garcia because he filled a glaring need on their roster: a first baseman who can both hit for power and play smooth defense. And unlike free agents Pete Alonso and Christian Walker, he came relatively cheap (he’ll make $10.3 million this season, with a raise in store for 2026, his final year of arbitration eligibility).

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Position players don’t officially report to Nationals camp until Monday, with the first official full-squad workout Tuesday, but so many of them were already on hand early that the team decided to get started now with a time-honored, spring training workout: live batting practice.

Nine pitchers took turns facing groups of three live hitters on three different practice fields during this morning’s session. The largest crowd (including managing principal owner Mark Lerner) watched from behind the plate on Field 3 as MacKenzie Gore, Jose A. Ferrer and Jarlin Susana pitched to Stone Garrett, Alex Call and José Tena.

Gore had success against Garrett (one of his closest friends on the team), but it was Call who connected for a home run to left-center field off the left-hander and potential Opening Day starter.

Susana, the flamethrowing 20-year-old in major league camp for the first time, also had plenty of onlookers watching intently as he faced that same group of hitters, plus Keibert Ruiz. Drew Millas had the task of catching Susana’s 100-plus mph fastball, and the young backstop was eagerly awaiting that opportunity as everyone warmed up prior to the drill.

Field 6 saw Trevor Williams, Tyler Stuart and Clay Helvey take the mound against another group of hitters. Field 4 was manager Davey Martinez’s venue of choice, in part for the pitchers who worked there (Eduardo Salazar, Evan Reifert, Joan Adon) but maybe even more for the hitters who faced them (James Wood, Dylan Crews, CJ Abrams).

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals’ search for more power has landed on a former All-Star shortstop who will now be asked to play third base in D.C.

The Nats signed Paul DeJong to a one-year, $1 million contract this morning, adding the veteran infielder to a roster lacking in experience and proven home run power. The 31-year-old passed his physical and settled into a new clubhouse, where he now resides in between veteran first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and young shortstop CJ Abrams.

"This was the best offer I had, and I'm happy for this offer," he said. "This worked out great for me. Honestly, I think this is a great team for me to be on right now. A lot of great, young talent. I know a few guys in camp already, so it's not too unfamiliar to me. And being a local guy, living in (nearby) Jupiter, it makes it nice. I can just transition right into this first day."

Needing to clear space for DeJong on the 40-man roster, the Nationals placed right-hander Josiah Gray on the 60-day injured list. Gray isn't expected to return from last summer's Tommy John surgery until late this season.

A Rookie of the Year finalist in 2017 and an All-Star in 2019 with the Cardinals, DeJong has spent the last two seasons bouncing between five different organizations. He spent last year with the White Sox and Royals, hitting 24 homers with a .703 OPS but struggling to make contact, as evidenced by his .227 batting average, .276 on-base percentage, 156 strikeouts and 23 walks in 482 plate appearances.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – In a sport full of perfectionists, MacKenzie Gore rises above the fray. The Nationals left-hander expects the absolute best from himself, beats himself up when he doesn’t live up to that standard and always seeks improvement no matter how well his last start went.

This isn’t a recently learned trait for Gore. He didn’t just become this way as he rose up the baseball ladder. It predates everything.

“I think I’ve kind of always had that since I was 12, 14 years old,” he said. “That’s just the way I was raised. It’s just the way it should be. I think everyone should have super-high expectations. That’s just trying to get the most out of what you’re capable of.”

This mindset has worked both to and against Gore’s benefit since he joined the Nationals as part of the Juan Soto blockbuster trade in August 2022. It helps that he demands excellence from himself, and he’s got a half-dozen or so starts over the last two years that stack up with any in recent club history. It also hurts when he’s not going well, something that was all too evident last summer when he slogged his way through a lengthy pitching slump that threatened to ruin a strong season.

That slump took place over a stretch of eight starts from July 6 through Aug. 17. During that span, Gore went 1-4 with a 7.71 ERA, allowing a whopping 50 hits and 25 walks in only 35 innings. His season ERA skyrocketed from 3.47 to 4.66.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The early days of spring training are defined by two time-honored morning drills: Bullpen sessions and pitchers’ fielding practice. The former draws most of the attention, because it’s an opportunity to see pitchers work on their primary craft. But the latter, while mundane, matters quite a bit.

And that’s especially true for the Nationals this spring. After seeing several of their pitchers struggle in the field last season, there is a renewed emphasis on PFPs in this camp.

“Get off the mound, get to the ball and get an out,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We don’t want to see a spectacular play. We just want to see you make the routine play and just get an out.”

Nationals pitchers combined for minus-7 Defensive Runs Saved last season. Only two members of the staff rated higher than 1 DRS: Jake Irvin (6) and Trevor Williams (2). MacKenzie Gore (minus-3), Hunter Harvey (minus-3) and Mitchell Parker (minus-4) all rated near the bottom of the league.

Every team runs through the standard PFP drills every spring. Fielding bunts. Covering first base. Pickoff plays. So the Nats aren’t doing anything revolutionary in that regard.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals learned today they won their arbitration case against first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, a source familiar with the decision confirmed.

Lowe will make $10.3 million this season, the highest salary on the team’s current 2025 roster. He was seeking $11.1 million.

Acquired from the Rangers for reliever Robert Garcia in December, Lowe had two years of arbitration eligibility remaining. When he and the club were unable to agree to terms on their own before the leaguewide Jan. 9 deadline, they were required to submit competing arbitration figures. They wound up $800,000 apart.

A hearing was scheduled for Feb. 14, the last of nine arbitration hearings across Major League Baseball this winter, but the two sides were free to continue negotiating and could have settled on a number somewhere between the two competing offers and avoided the hearing altogether.

The Nationals actually had some recent history of settling, avoiding hearings with former outfielder Victor Robles in both 2022 and 2023 after initially filing for arbitration. In this case, they weren’t able to settle with Lowe and went to the hearing.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Ask Keibert Ruiz what he thought of his 2024 season, and the Nationals catcher doesn’t mince words.

“I was really disappointed with my season last year,” he said. “It wasn’t good, you know? I wasn’t happy.”

Ruiz then immediately flips the switch and turns his attention toward the upcoming season, one he can’t wait to get started.

“This is a new year. This is 2025, and I’m not going to think about the past. Just put my focus on this year.”

Before he could flip that switch, though, Ruiz had to take a hard look at last season. He had to be willing to accept his faults, not try to sugarcoat anything that went wrong and figure out how to improve in every possible way.