What Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams says and does is important to the ballclub in more ways than one.
Win, lose, or not in manager Blake Butera’s lineup, how Abrams performs on the field or what he may say to the media resonates with his teammates.
In Wednesday’s Nationals’ 2–0 loss to the Pirates on the road, Abrams found his way on the bases by whatever means possible. He doubled for one of the three hits for Washington, then he worked in a walk, and was hit by Pittsburgh pitchers twice in the nine-inning affair for free passes to first base.
Coming into the game, the Nationals, who were fifth among all MLB clubs in scoring at the start of the night (99 runs), were shut out for the first time this season. However, hitting fifth in Butera’s starting nine, Abrams, 25, demonstrated once again that by whatever means possible, he will find a way to get on base.
Offensively, Abrams is off to the best start of his fourth full-time season with the Nationals. In the 17 games he’s appeared in, Abrams has connected on 22 hits, six home runs, and 19 RBIs. His .367 average is more than 100 points higher than any he has finished in a season since 2022.
Conventional wisdom will conclude that as the 2026 season progresses, Abrams’s bat is sure to cool. However, the 2024 National League All-Star shortstop seems to be committed to his overall responsibilities this season, more so than in the past.
At the start of spring training in February, in speaking with MLB.com in West Palm Beach, Fla., Butera made it clear to his veteran infielder what his expectations are for this season.
“Watching the way he plays the game, he’s one of the best players in baseball, in my opinion, (he) has the potential to be,” Butera said.
“I told him a couple days ago, ‘Hey, you should be an All-Star this year’. He was like, ‘I know that’s my goal.’”
Abrams is taking his leadership role to heart. With the average age of the Nationals roster being 27, second youngest in MLB, living what he preaches in the dugout speaks volumes.
Leading into the series finale on Thursday in Pittsburgh, Abrams is tops for the Nationals in four offensive categories: batting average, hits, RBIs, and OBP (On-base Percentage). The younger corps of Nationals are watching not only Abrams’s results on the field, but also how he goes about his work.
Third baseman Brady House, center fielder Jacob Young, plus Joey Wiemer, who is splitting time this season in center field as well as in right field, and left fielder James Wood, along with Abrams, represent the future of the Washington baseball. Seeing Abrams push himself this season serves notice to others to do the same.
Earlier this season, on Opening Day in Chicago against the Cubs, Abrams had a less-than-flattering moment. With bases loaded, Abrams slugged a ball that he anticipated would clear the fences for a grand slam. Instead of running to first base after his bat made contact with the ball, Abrams stood at the plate and admired his power. Unfortunately for Abrams and his teammates, the ball didn’t go into the stands. Although two runs scored, Abrams was tagged out at second base due to his lack of hustle.
In speaking with The Athletic after the game on March 26, Butera said Abrams owned up to his mistake.
“But he came in right away and just owned up to it and knew he made a mistake not getting out of the box quick and said, ‘That can’t happen’. He wanted to fully own that mistake he made. He knows the culture we’re trying to create here, the accountability piece,” Butera said.
“The fact that none of us even had to go up to CJ, he came to us on his own and felt terrible about it and said it won’t happen again.”
Growth throughout the Nationals system is a main theme for this year’s club. A complete house cleaning of the Nationals’ leadership core took place right after last season’s disappointing last-place finish in the National League East.
At the start of October, Paul Toboni was hired as president of baseball operations. Later that month, Butera, 33, was named National’s skipper.
In December, Ani Kilambi was welcomed to Washington as the new general manager. Abrams and Wood were part of the 2022 trade that saw the Nationals ship Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres and brought the young shortstop and outfielder to D.C.
The Nationals are fifth among all 30 MLB clubs in team batting average (.263). Abrams’s work ethic is a major contributor to the group’s success. Signed to a one-year contract for 2026 by Washington, if Abrams continues to be a team leader and keeps his production value growing, he could be rewarded as early as the end of this season with a multi-year deal.
Leading isn’t for everyone, but Abrams has taken a liking to it, and Washington baseball is better for it.
