Washington Nationals starters James Wood, Keibert Ruiz and CJ Abrams were all honored after breaking out offensively through the month of May
After the Washington Nationals closed the book on a month where the team got back over .500 and went 16-12 through May, a trio of players were rewarded for their success after being named to the MLB Team of the Month.
Catcher Keibert Ruiz was honored after posting a .379/.383/.724 slash line through May, adding four home runs and 16 RBIs along the way. A big part of that production came during the 13-3 onslaught against the Baltimore Orioles back on May 16 after Ruiz accounted for five RBIs on a 3-for-5 day. But it was also an encouraging month offensively after posting two hits in each of his last three games. Ruiz notched seven multi-hit games including two games with three hits, while the Nationals went 12-5 in May with Ruiz in the lineup. For the returning starter, it's an impressive feat given all the offseason buzz around Harry Ford, who has yet to be called up to the majors since being acquired from Seattle.
Wood wasn't far behind Ruiz after posting a .311/.425/.557 slash line, but his six home runs and 15 RBIs were a big source of the Nationals catching fire over the final two weeks. The star outfielder enters the off day tied with Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker with 16 home runs in 2026, eighth-most across baseball, though he did close the month with 31 strikeouts. His 87 strikeouts this season ranks third across MLB, an encouraging trend given his near-record setting mark in 2025.
The third National, shortstop CJ Abrams was also included after posting a .292/.377/.528 slash line, notching 21 RBIs and four home runs along the way. The consistent production is reason why he's maintained his spot among the MLB's leaders in RBIs while Abrams also recorded at least one hit in five of his last six games in May. He also secured 11 multi-hit games through May, including a pair of 3-for-5 outings - both blowout wins against the Twins and Orioles - to become a consistent source of offense.
Yet fast forward not even a week, the tone has shifted. The Nationals aren't letting one series derail the season's overall progress despite dropping back under .500 overall, but they now enter a six-game west coast swing looking to break out of a mini-slump with all three players part of that.
Ruiz closed the series 1-for-7, Abrams went 2-for-12 with three strikeouts while Wood's strikeouts became an issue after finishing with six to just one hit in 11 at bats.
The Nationals will look to turn the page when they travel to Arizona to take on the Diamondbacks on Friday night, June 5, for a 9:40 PM first pitch.
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