<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-rumors-who-washington-hire-next-manager-2-candidates-emerge');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals rumors: Who will Washington hire as next manager? 2 candidates emerge');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Miguel-Cairo.jpg"><figcaption>Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals rumors: Who will Washington hire as next manager? 2 candidates emerge</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T03:50:04-07:00">October 26th, 3:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T04:13:22-07:00">October 26th, 4:13am</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is a veteran editor and writer for print and digital media. He also created and oversaw video and event production departments for legacy media brands. Mike is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals finished the 2025 season with a losing record for the sixth straight year. Washington hasn’t reached the playoffs since winning the World Series in 2019. After a dismal 37-53 start this season, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-fires-dave-martinez-mike-rizzo-brutal-season">Nationals fired manager Dave Martinez</a> and longtime general manager Mike Rizzo.</p><p>The <a href="https://x.com/andrewcgolden/status/1982169071748583508" rel="noopener">hunt is on</a> for a new manager in Washington. The team interviewed Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and interim manager Miguel Cairo for the position this week, per The Washington Post’s Andrew Golden. The organization may consider additional candidates as well.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-miguel-cairo-interim-manager-dave-martinez-firing">Cairo was promoted to interim manager</a> after Martinez was dismissed in July. He originally joined the Nationals as the team’s bench coach in 2024. While placed in a difficult position after a rocky start to the season, Cairo was not able to turn things around. Washington finished the year 29-43 with Cairo at the helm.</p><h2><b>Nationals seek new manager during front office rebuild</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/James-Wood.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-hire-ex-red-sox-assistant-gm-baseball-operations">Nationals hired Paul Toboni</a> to replace Rizzo as president of baseball operations. Toboni comes from the Red Sox organization, where he served as assistant GM.</p><p>Washington’s shakeup didn’t stop at manager and GM. Since taking over as the team’s president, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-front-office-changes">Toboni has overhauled the front office</a>. The Nationals moved on from a number of employees, including the organization’s two longest-tenured executives.</p><p>Toboni initiated a complete teardown of the operations side of the franchise in his first month in charge. The moves make it difficult to believe the team will hire Cairo as the sweeping changes feel partly symbolic for a team that needs a fresh start. Although, Cairo had only been with Washington for two seasons, so perhaps he isn’t viewed as part of the old guard.</p><p>Martinez was hired to manage the Nationals in 2018. The following year he won the only World Series championship in team history. Since then, he didn’t win much at all, finishing with a 500-622 record as Washington’s skipper.</p><p>Martinez had been, by far, the team’s longest-tenured manager since the Lerner family purchased the franchise in 2006. In fact, he was the only manager who lasted more than three seasons with the Nationals. Martinez was fired in the middle of his eighth year with Washington.</p><p>Rizzo joined the franchise in 2007, just two years after it left Montreal and became the Washington Nationals. He started as assistant general manager and worked his way up to GM in 2009. Rizzo became GM and president of baseball operations in 2013.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals rumors: Who will Washington hire as next manager? 2 candidates emerge

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-red-sox-mackenzie-gore-trade-suitor-padres-reunion');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Red Sox listed as MacKenzie Gore trade suitor, but what about a Padres reunion?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MacKenzie-Gore.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Red Sox listed as MacKenzie Gore trade suitor, but what about a Padres reunion?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T09:22:38-07:00">October 23rd, 9:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T09:22:38-07:00">October 23rd, 9:22am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-front-office-changes">Nationals are going through some major changes</a>, replacing their head of baseball operations and manager. Because of the franchise shake up, some major trades could be on the horizon.</p><p>When it comes to the Nationals, perhaps no player is more eye-catching than starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore. Already an All-Star an under team control through the 2027 season, Gore would be a controllable, top of the rotation starter for any team in need of pitching.</p><p>As the Nationals ponder their future, the right-hander was named fifth-most likely player to be traded this offseason, via Jim Bowden of The Athletic. Both the Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6738377/2025/10/23/mlb-offseason-trade-targets-tarik-skubal-jarren-duran/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=mlbtw&amp;source=mlbtw" rel="noopener">were named as potential suitors</a>.</p><p>“He’s controllable for two more seasons, so the best time to trade him to maximize the return would be this offseason,” Bowden wrote. “It makes sense that his name is popping up everywhere. If the Red Sox don’t land him, watch for the Padres to push for a reunion.”</p><p>Paul Tobini, the Nationals new president of baseball operations, served in the the Red Sox’s front office since 2015. He has a strong understanding of Boston’s prospect pool and what it would take to get a deal done.</p><p>In turn, the Red Sox are still in need of some pitching. Garrett Crochet has proven to be their ace. However, Walker Buehler did not work out as the No. 2 in their one-two punch. Adding a player like Gore gives Boston some real firepower atop their rotation.</p><p>The Padres are well aware of what Gore brings to the table. They drafted him in 2017, before trading Gore to the Nationals in the deal that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego. Now, general manager AJ Preller may be considering a reunion.</p><p>San Diego is preparing to see Dylan Cease, Michael King and Nestor Cortes all enter free agency. They have pitchers like Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove, but it’s clear the Padres need another top of the line starter to compete in the National League. Gore would give them that and also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/san-diego-padres/mlb-rumors-padres-real-run-mackenzie-gore-reunion-trade-deadline">provide the Padres with a full-circle moment</a>.</p><p>But of course, any trade comes down to what the Nationals are planning. Washington hasn’t made the playoffs since winning the World Series. Maybe a full-on rebuild is their best course of action.</p><p>If they were to do that, Gore would be their crown jewel. While the Red Sox and Padres might be at the top of the list, they wouldn’t be the only team calling the Nationals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Red Sox listed as MacKenzie Gore trade suitor, but what about a Padres reunion?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-front-office-changes');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals make series of front office changes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/A-detailed-view-of-the-Washington-Nationals-logo.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals make series of front office changes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-08T13:20:47-07:00">October 8th, 1:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-08T13:21:46-07:00">October 8th, 1:21pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals have begun a sweeping overhaul of their baseball operations department <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-hire-ex-red-sox-assistant-gm-baseball-operations">under newly appointed president of baseball operations Paul Toboni,</a> in what stands as the most significant front-office shakeup since the club’s 2019 World Series championship.</p><p>The organization has parted ways with more than half a dozen employees, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6700483/2025/10/08/nationals-paul-toboni-staff-changes/" rel="noopener">including assistant general managers</a> Eddie Longosz and Mark Scialabba, both long-serving executives who had been foundational pieces of the front office during the Mike Rizzo era (h/t Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic).</p><p>Toboni was officially introduced last week at Nationals Park after leaving the Boston Red Sox organization, where he had built a strong reputation in scouting and player development. The 35-year-old’s arrival opened the door to an immediate shift in direction for a franchise that has not recorded a winning season since 2019. Within days of assuming office, Toboni commenced an extensive overhaul, parting with prominent staff and several scouts tied to the organization’s Florida complex.</p><p>Longosz and Scialabba’s exits epitomize the end of two of the Nationals’ longest tenures. Eddie Longosz, who joined Washington in 2010, rose from scouting assistant to vice president and assistant general manager of player development and administration in November 2023. He had previously captained the club’s scouting operations for eight seasons, serving as the backbone of its draft and player development strategies.</p><p>Mark Scialabba, a fixture in the Nationals’ front office since 2006, began as assistant director of player development and later became director of minor league operations (2009–2013) and director of player development (2013–2019). He moved into the assistant GM role for player development in 2019, then climbed the ranks to assistant GM of player personnel in 2021, overseeing the club’s minor-league pipeline and roster depth decisions.</p><p>These dismissals follow earlier offseason departures of former scouting director Danny Haas, who joined the Baltimore Orioles, and senior director of amateur scouting Brad Ciolek, who accepted a position with the Detroit Tigers. Both moves occurred after the July <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-fires-dave-martinez-mike-rizzo-brutal-season">firing of longtime executive Rizzo</a> and World Series–winning manager Dave Martinez.</p><p>In the meantime, as the GM chair remains up for grabs, Mike DeBartolo, who served as interim GM following Rizzo’s dismissal, will stay with the organization. Toboni has not confirmed whether the GM role will continue under his leadership structure, leaving DeBartolo’s future responsibilities unclear.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals make series of front office changes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-dusty-baker-son-granted-request-leave');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dusty Baker’s son granted request to leave Nationals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nationals-Darren-Baker.jpg"><figcaption>© Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dusty Baker’s son granted request to leave Nationals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-30T12:52:26-07:00">September 30th, 12:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-30T12:52:57-07:00">September 30th, 12:52pm</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Dusty Baker’s son Darren <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-dusty-bakers-son-records-first-mlb-hit-on-first-pitch-he-sees">has had some good moments playing for the Washington Nationals</a>. It appears those good moments are now over. The Nationals are agreeing to allow Baker to <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1973063937311519036" rel="noopener">become a free agent</a>, per USA Today. Darren asked the team to allow him to leave the franchise and get another playing opportunity.</p><p>Darren Baker appeared in nine games for the Nationals during the 2024 season. In 14 at-bats, he posted a .500 batting average. He also connected on seven hits. Two of them were doubles.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-red-sox-assistant-gm-in-mix-for-washington-front-office-lineup">Nationals just went through a very difficult season</a>. Washington missed the Major League Baseball Playoffs, after posting just a 66-96 mark. Baker didn’t record a single plate appearance during the 2025 campaign for Washington.</p><p>In the team’s farm system, the second baseman hit at a .256 average in 2025. He had one home run. Baker also drove in 25 runs for Triple-A Rochester.</p><h2><b>Nationals are looking for success heading into 2026</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nationals-news-Jacob-Young-makes-insane-catch-in-win-vs-Mets-2.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Washington went through some difficult months in the 2025 season. The club finished the year 30 games behind in the National League East. Washington finished dead last in the division.</p><p>There is a nucleus of young talent in the nation’s capital, though. Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-daylen-lile-rookie-milestone-last-seen-1963">outfielder Daylen Lile had a strong close to the 2025 season</a>. He was named the National League Rookie of the Month in September by Major League Baseball. Lile <a href="https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-joey-cantillo-of-the-cleveland-guardians-named-the-american-league-rookie-of-the-month-for-september-daylen-lile-of-the-washington-nationals-named-the-national-league-rookie-of-the-month-for-september" rel="noopener">slashed at an astonishing rate</a> during the final month of the campaign.</p><p>“The speedster’s seven triples were the most in a single month in Nationals/Expos franchise history, and the most in the Majors since José Reyes also had seven for the Mets in June 2011,” MLB.com reported.</p><p>The Nationals outfielder also accomplished feats the franchise had not seen in close to five years.</p><p>“Lile reached base safely in a career-best 16 consecutive games from August 31st through the first game of a doubleheader on September 16th, hitting .433/.493/.817/1.309 during the stretch. Along with his 15-game on-base streak from June 21st-July 10th, he became the first Nationals player under the age of 23 with multiple on-base streaks of at least 15 games since Juan Soto in 2021,” MLB.com reported.</p><p>Nationals fans hope the club can have a lot more success in 2026, with players like Lile leading the way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dusty Baker’s son granted request to leave Nationals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-luis-garcia-jr-goes-off-3-hr-game-white-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals’ Luis Garcia Jr. goes off with 3-HR game vs. White Sox');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Luis-Garcia-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Mills-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals’ Luis Garcia Jr. goes off with 3-HR game vs. White Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-26T20:50:37-07:00">September 26th, 8:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-26T20:50:37-07:00">September 26th, 8:50pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Luis Garcia Jr. had an impressive highlight during the Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-hire-ex-red-sox-assistant-gm-baseball-operations">Nationals’ matchup against the Chicago White Sox</a> on Friday night.</p><p>The Nationals are looking to end their season on a positive note, already being ineligible for playoff contention. They have one last series to deal with before calling it a season, which involves the White Sox.</p><p>This is where Garcia entered the picture to impress the home crowd. He got his pair of home runs in the fifth and sixth innings, then <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1971746269640249596" rel="noopener">pulled off the hat trick</a> in the eighth frame. He blasted the solo shot to right field, having the ball soar up to 394 feet in the air to give his team the 9-8 lead.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LUIS GARCIA JR. HITS HIS 3RD HR OF THE GAME 😤</p><p><a href="https://t.co/mnwWIN5quU">pic.twitter.com/mnwWIN5quU</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1971746269640249596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How Luis Garcia Jr., Nationals played against White Sox</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Washington-Nationals.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Mills-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite Luis Garcia Jr.’s efforts with his three home runs, it wasn’t enough as the Nationals fell short in a 10-9 loss to the White Sox.</p><p>Washington had a 9-8 lead thanks to Garcia’s third homer, but Chicago responded with a two-run homer from Colson Montgomery in the top of the ninth. The hosts were unable to recover from that blow, being unable to score any runs to walk off the game, leaving the home crowd with heartbreak.</p><p>The Nationals’ bullpen were unable to contain the White Sox’s offense. They conceded 11 hits after 38 at-bats, including two homers in the fourth and ninth innings. Cade Cavalli started on the mound as he lasted four innings, striking out six batters while conceding seven hits and two runs. Meanwhile, Jose Ferrer obtained the loss for his fourth of the season.</p><p>Washington fell to a 65-95 record on the season, remaining at the bottom of the NL East Division standings. They are 10 games behind the Atlanta Braves and 13 games behind the Miami Marlins.</p><p>The Nationals will look to bounce back in Game 2 of their series against the White Sox. The contest will take place on Sept. 27 at 4:05 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals’ Luis Garcia Jr. goes off with 3-HR game vs. White Sox

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-hire-ex-red-sox-assistant-gm-baseball-operations');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals set to hire ex-Red Sox assistant GM as president of baseball operations');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Carter-Kieboom-when-he-played-for-the-Nationals-1.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals set to hire ex-Red Sox assistant GM as president of baseball operations</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-24T11:48:47-07:00">September 24th, 11:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-24T12:03:14-07:00">September 24th, 12:03pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals made some tough organizational decisions during the season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-fires-dave-martinez-mike-rizzo-brutal-season">firing president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo</a> after not having much success in recent years. The team has now <a href="https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1970914990136885390" rel="noopener">found his successor</a>, who is the former Boston Red Sox assistant general manager, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.</p><p>“BREAKING: The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal to name Paul Toboni their new head of baseball operations, sources tell ESPN. Toboni, 35, rose rapidly to become assistant GM for the Boston Red Sox and is widely regarded as one of the best young executives in MLB,” Passan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Tobini has a history of picking good talent, and that should be good news for the Nationals’ future.</p><p>“For a Nationals team in need of a serious infusion of talent, it’s worth noting Paul Toboni ran the draft for Boston when it chose Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, and the prospects who went to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet deal,” Passan wrote.</p><p>The Nationals have not had the best season this year, as they’re currently 64-94 and are in last place in the NL East. There were hopes coming into the season that the Nationals would make a run in the National League, but things did not work out in their favor.</p><p>The future is still bright for the team, as they had the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-2025-no-1-pick-goes-on-hit-barrage-in-pro-debut"> selected Eli Willits</a>. If Toboni can come in and make the necessary changes to the roster, it would be interesting to see how fast he can turn the team around.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals set to hire ex-Red Sox assistant GM as president of baseball operations

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-mackenzie-gore-lands-on-il-as-season-winds-down');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore lands on IL as season winds down');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nationals-SP-MacKenzie-Gore.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore lands on IL as season winds down</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-23T17:42:38-07:00">September 23rd, 5:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-23T17:42:38-07:00">September 23rd, 5:42pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Currently slated for yet another last-place finish in the NL East, the Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-jacob-young-makes-insane-catch-win-mets">Nationals will look to end</a> the season on a high note. On Tuesday night, the Nationals will look to end the Atlanta Braves’ current nine-game winning streak. Ahead of the divisional tilt, Washington made a flurry of IL-related moves. Chief among those was the placement of ace MacKenzie Gore on the 15-Day IL <a href="https://x.com/NationalsComms/status/1970562713148399673" rel="noopener">with a right ankle impingement,</a> according to the team’s official communications page on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“The Nationals have made the following roster moves: – Placed RHP Mason Thompson on the 15-Day Injured List (retroactive to Sept. 20) with right biceps tendinitis,” posted the team’s communications page. “- Placed LHP MacKenzie Gore on the 15-Day Injured List with a right ankle impingement – Recalled RHP Julian Fernandez and RHP Orlando Ribalta.”</p><p>At the moment, the Nationals are winning 1-0 over the Braves in the fifth inning. Washington starter Brad Lord and Atlanta rookie Hurston Waldrep are locked in a classic pitcher’s duel. While losing Gore for the rest of the season stings, the young ace has done all he can this season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-places-mackenzie-gore-on-injured-list">Thompson has been an on-and-off</a> contributor to the bullpen, so he’ll look to return in the spring and make an impact. As the 2025 season closes, can the Nats finish with a couple of series wins?</p><h2><b>How do MacKenzie Gore, Mason Thompson fit into Nationals’ 2026 plans?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nationals-RP-Mason-Thompson.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Both Ribalta and Fernandez will join the Nats bullpen. Washington will likely promote Mitchell Parker back to the rotation, especially with only a few days left in the season. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-daylen-lile-rookie-milestone-last-seen-1963">Nationals are still in the middle</a> of a rebuild. Yet, they’ll need to find a permanent head of baseball operations, not to mention a new general manager and on-field manager. This winter should be one of considerable change.</p><p>Depending on who is hired to run the Nationals’ baseball operations, the team could go <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-rumors-the-truth-behind-padres-mackenzie-gore-trade-pursuit">down several paths with Gore.</a> He’ll be in his age-27 season in 2026, so the left-hander could continue to improve next year. However, he could also be traded for a boatload of other young players/prospects. Whatever happens this winter, this current Washington squad will look to complete the 2025 season with a flourish.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore lands on IL as season winds down

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-jacob-young-makes-insane-catch-win-mets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals’ Jacob Young makes insane catch in win vs Mets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nationals-news-Jacob-Young-makes-insane-catch-in-win-vs-Mets.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals’ Jacob Young makes insane catch in win vs Mets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-21T20:11:44-07:00">September 21st, 8:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-21T20:11:44-07:00">September 21st, 8:11pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jacob Young had an incredible highlight in the Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-daylen-lile-rookie-milestone-last-seen-1963">Nationals’ 3-2 win over the New York Mets</a> on Sunday afternoon.</p><p>Going into the game, the Nationals and Mets were even at one game apiece. New York took Game 1 with a solid 12-6 showing while Washington fired back with a 5-3 victory in Game 2. The winner of Game 3 would take the series.</p><p>Young would have his moment in the afternoon. The ball went his way as he tried to make the catch but was initially unsuccessful. However, the ball remained midair as the outfielder <a href="https://x.com/JomboyMedia/status/1969840900764258664" rel="noopener">used his leg to kick the ball up</a> and finally secure it with his glove.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ever see an outfielder KICK IT TO HIMSELF FOR THE CATCH??? <a href="https://t.co/jmlYIxefJl">pic.twitter.com/jmlYIxefJl</a></p><p>— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1969840900764258664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How Jacob Young, Nationals played against Mets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nationals-news-Jacob-Young-makes-insane-catch-in-win-vs-Mets-2.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was a great moment for Jacob Young to have for the Nationals, helping them get the series win over the Mets this weekend.</p><p>Washington scored all of its runs in the second inning. Jorge Alfaro opened the scoring with an RBI double to left field before Nasim Nunez blasted a two-run homer to left-center field to grow the lead to three. New York tried to fight back with two runs in the third and sixth frames, but it wasn’t enough to take control of the game.</p><p>The Nationals’ bullpen was decent at limiting the Mets’ offensive chances throughout the day. They held New York to eight hits after 33 at-bats, including the homer in the sixth inning. Jake Irvin earned the win as he lasted 5.1 innings, striking out five batters while conceding six hits and two runs. Meanwhile, Mitchell Parker obtained the save for his first of the year.</p><p>Washington improved to a 64-92 record on the season but remain at the bottom of the NL East Division standings. They are nine games behind the Atlanta Braves and 12 games behind the Miami Marlins.</p><p>With six games remaining, the Nationals will prepare for their next series. They will be on the road, facing the Braves as Game 1 will take place on Sept. 22 at 7:15 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals’ Jacob Young makes insane catch in win vs Mets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-why-cj-abrams-held-out-lineup-injury-scare');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why CJ Abrams is being held out of Sunday lineup after injury scare');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CJ-Abrams.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why CJ Abrams is being held out of Sunday lineup after injury scare</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-21T12:59:28-07:00">September 21st, 12:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-21T12:59:28-07:00">September 21st, 12:59pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With their 63-92 record, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-eliminated-playoff-sixth-straight-season">Washington Nationals have been eliminated from postseason contention</a>. But as they look to their future, shortstop <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-fans-mind-blowing-cj-abrams-impossible-homer">CJ Abrams is expected to play a significant role in any form of success</a>.</p><p>What he won’t be doing though is playing in Sunday’s matchup against the New York Mets. Abrams jammed his shoulder driving into third base in the 11th inning of Saturday’s game. The Nationals <a href="https://x.com/MarkZuckerman/status/1969790880748859870" rel="noopener">decided to hold him out on Sunday</a>, although interim manager Miguel Cairo confirmed Abrams would be available to pinch hit, via Mark Zuckerman of MASN.</p><p>The fact that Abrams is available to pinch hit means he isn’t dealing with a lingering long-term injury. However, Washington isn’t trying to risk anything at this point of the season. They want to see where Abrams fits in the lineup. But not if that means further injury to their shortstop’s shoulder.</p><p>Over the 138 games he has played in 2025, Abrams has hit .261 with 18 home runs, 58 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. He leads the team in stolen bases while ranking third in home runs and fifth in RBI. If everything goes to play, Abrams will remain a key leader towards the top of the lineup for the foreseeable future.</p><p>Since joining the Nationals in 2022, the infielder has hit .251 with 56 home runs, 197 RBIs and 115 stolen bases. He won’t have an opportunity to boost those numbers against the Mets on Sunday. But if the Nationals are going to be in contention any time soon, it seems likely that Abrams will be helping lead the offensive charge.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why CJ Abrams is being held out of Sunday lineup after injury scare

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-daylen-lile-rookie-milestone-last-seen-1963');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals’ Daylen Lile pulls off wild rookie milestone last seen in 1963');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Washington-Nationals-designated-hitter-Daylen-Lile.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals’ Daylen Lile pulls off wild rookie milestone last seen in 1963</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-20T17:36:20-07:00">September 20th, 5:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-20T17:36:20-07:00">September 20th, 5:36pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals were eliminated from playoff contention a few weeks ago. At this point in the season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/1-disappointing-player-nationals-must-trade-offseason">Nationals manager Mike Debartolo and the front office are preparing to make some tough choices</a> in the offseason. However, Washington stole a game from the New York Mets on Saturday night. Rookie Daylen Lile made history against Tyler Rodgers in the process.</p><p>Lile has been an electric presence in the Nationals’ lineup since the team called him up to the big leagues. Washington already has an ascending star in James Wood to leading the offense. However, DeBartolo and the team might have found another player to grow alongside him moving forward. According to OptaSTATS, the first month of his career has a <a href="https://x.com/OptaSTATS/status/1969549183809176029" rel="noopener">special place in league history</a>.</p><p>“Daylen Lile of the Nationals has 7 triples and 4 home runs so far this month,” OptaSTATS said. “He’s the first MLB rookie to reach those marks in a single calendar month since Cincinnati’s Vada Pinson (8 3B, 4 HR) in June 1963.”</p><p>Lile’s fourth home run of his career came in spectacular fashion. The Nationals took the Mets into extra innings in a road matchup on Saturday. The rookie designated hitter stepped in against <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-ny-trade-giants-pitcher-tyler-rodgers">Rodgers, one of New York’s trade deadline additions</a>, in the 11th inning. Lile hit an inside-the-park home run to score two runs that proved to be the deciding play in a 5-3 win.</p><p>According to Major League Baseball statistician Sarah Langs, Lile set a Nationals’ <a href="https://x.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1969542837571092652" rel="noopener">franchise record in the process</a>.</p><p>“14.86 seconds for Daylen Lile,” Langs said. “That’s the Nationals’ fastest home-to-home time under Statcast (2015)”</p><p>Washington has a bright future when it comes to its young talent. The Nationals have some intriguing pitching talent to pair with Wood, Lile, and the rest of their offensive talent. The first month of Lile’s career has been fantastic, a great sign for the team looking forward to 2026.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals’ Daylen Lile pulls off wild rookie milestone last seen in 1963

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-juan-soto-new-career-high-win-nationals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets’ Juan Soto hits new career high in win vs. Nationals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/New-York-Mets-right-fielder-Juan-Soto.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mets’ Juan Soto hits new career high in win vs. Nationals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-19T23:47:44-07:00">September 19th, 11:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-19T23:50:31-07:00">September 19th, 11:50pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Mets scored six runs in the fourth inning, during which <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-juan-soto-ties-career-high-big-hr-padres">Juan Soto set a new career high</a> as he hit his 42nd home run of 2025, helping New York defeat the Washington Nationals <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1969227926236192917" rel="noopener">12-6 at Citi Field</a> on Friday. The homer came off Nationals left-hander PJ Poulin and gave the Mets a lead they maintained for the rest of the game.</p><p>Soto went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs scored, two walks, and a stolen base in the game, extending his already remarkable season. His 42nd homer surpassed his previous career high of 41, set last year with the Yankees, and moved him past Todd Hundley (1996) and Carlos Beltran (2006) on the Mets’ single-season home run list. The blast, a 419-foot drive to dead center at 107 mph, was his first season under a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, making him the face of the franchise.</p><p>The homer also increased Soto’s RBI total to 103, seven shy of his personal best of 109 set in 2019 with the Nationals. Entering the game, Soto was slashing .265/.397/.534 with 119 walks, 34 stolen bases, and 116 runs scored, putting him in contention to set career highs in multiple offensive categories by the end of the season. Notably, Soto became the first Mets player to combine at least 40 home runs with 30 stolen bases in a single season.</p><p>The Mets trailed 4-1 after three innings, with rookie starter Brandon Sproat allowing four runs on four hits in four innings while striking out five. Mistakes in the field by Dylan Crews and James Wood allowed Francisco Lindor and Brett Baty to score. Brandon Sproat left with a no-decision as the Mets’ lineup answered back.</p><p>New York’s fourth-inning surge featured a two-run double from Francisco Alvarez, a go-ahead RBI single by Lindor, and Soto’s three-run homer. Lindor finished with three hits and three runs, while five Mets, Soto, Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Starling Marte, collected multi-hit games. Alonso drove in runs with a first-inning bloop single and a third-inning two-out single, helping set the stage for the comeback.</p><p>The bullpen stabilized the game after Huascar Brazoban allowed a two-run homer to CJ Abrams, combining for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Brooks Raley, Ryne Stanek, Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, and Chris Devenski each contributed to preserving the Mets’ lead. The offense added insurance in the seventh and eighth innings, with Nimmo and Luisangel Acuna driving in additional runs to push the final score to 12-6.</p><p>Soto’s season has been a symphony of talent and star power. After a tentative start in New York, he found his rhythm, earning National League Player of the Month in June and becoming the heartbeat of the Mets’ Wild Card push. Holding onto a razor-thin 1.5-game lead over the Reds, Soto’s bat could very well pen the tale <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-dream-scenario-for-2025-mlb-playoffs">that decides the Mets’ October fate.</a></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets’ Juan Soto hits new career high in win vs. Nationals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-strikeout-history-james-wood');   ga('set', 'title', 'The strikeout history James Wood is looking to avoid');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/James-Wood.jpg"><figcaption>Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>The strikeout history James Wood is looking to avoid</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-19T07:42:42-07:00">September 19th, 7:42am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-19T07:42:42-07:00">September 19th, 7:42am</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s been a history-making season for Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood. In June, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-james-wood-history-not-seen-since-barry-bonds">Wood became the first player since Barry Bonds</a> to be intentionally walked four times in a game.</p><p>Earlier this month, he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-james-wood-ronald-acuna-jr-mike-trout-rare-mlb-history">joined an elite group of players</a> 22 years or under to hit over 20 home runs, over 70 walks, and over 15 stolen bases. However, there is one tidbit of history he is trying to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6642943/2025/09/19/mlb-weird-records-history-september/" rel="noopener">steer clear of</a>, per Jayson Stark of The Athletic.</p><p>Currently, Wood has struck out 210 times this year. Not only is that the most in the MLB, but it is also more than Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes with 209.</p><p>Yes, a hitter has more strikeouts than a pitcher. It turns out, this wasn’t the first time.</p><p>In 1938, Cubs pitcher Clay Bryant edged out Vince DiMaggio, the older brother of Joe DiMaggio, in strikeouts 135-134. Additionally, Chris Sale missed his final two starts last year, allowing Elly De La Cruz to come within seven 225-218 later in the season.</p><p>Meanwhile, Wood may catch a break. On Thursday, SF Giants pitcher Logan Webb passed Skenes and Wood with his 211th strikeout in his start against the Dodgers. As a result, Webb is now the league leader in strikeouts.</p><p>Also, the Phillies’ Jesús Luzardo (206 K’s) and Dylan Cease of the Pirates (201) are not two far behind.</p><h2><b>The contributions of James Wood to the Nationals</b></h2><p>Strikeouts aside, Wood has put up some incredible numbers in his second season in DC. Currently, he is batting .257 with 145 hits, 27 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 82 runs scored.</p><p>Last year, Wood finished the year batting .264 with 78 hits, 9 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 43 runs scored. Also, he played in 78 games last season and this year has played in 149.</p><p>Furthermore, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-james-wood-makes-home-run-derby-decision">Wood represented the Nationals during the Home Run Derby</a> in July. In the first round, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-james-wood-home-run-derby-out-truist-park">Wood hit 16 home runs</a>, six of which managed to climb over 450 feet.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

PJ
Poulin

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