Nationals Podcast: 2026 Season Recap + MVP, Takeaway, Early Debut

On the next episode of the DC Roundtable Podcast hosted by Tyler Lochte and Ahmed Ghafir diving into the Washington Nationals, year one of the Blake Butera and Paul Toboni era has officially come to an end.

The Nationals ended the regular season in the win column after securing wins in each of their last five series, including wins in four of their final five games, to close the 2026 regular season. It marked an encouraging ending as the Nationals finished eight games under .500, an encouraging sign of progress for an organization that entered the season with minimal expectations and a belief the team could ultimately contend for the league's worst record. Still, pitching proved to be a sore spot as the Nationals comfortably set the MLB record for the most blown saves in a regular season, a feat that makes manager Blake Butera uneasy. With that, we dive into our season grades.

The Nationals also featured a surprise appearance in their final series of the regular season after left handed pitcher Connelly Early, who was acquired by the organization ahead of the trade deadline, made his Nationals debut after allowing just one hit across three innings, an encouraging yet expected short lived performance before the bullpen saw the game slip away from their fingertips. But what did we see from Early in his first MLB appearance in three months? We also explain why it made sense for the Nationals to sneak in his debut before the end of the regular season despite shutting down Cade Cavalli for his final start and after inking his contract extension.

Plus, we dive into our biggest season takeaways with plenty of good and bad to sort through over the 162 game season. We also explain why we are split on who the season MVP should go to with Ahmed pointing to outfielder James Wood after another monster season, while Tyler pointed to Cade Cavalli after proving he can become a Cy Young candidate at his best.

With year one of the Blake Butera and Paul Toboni era officially complete and a chance for the offseason moves now able to address clear holes ahead of a hopeful 2027 season featuring elevated expectations, make sure you stay locked in on the DC Roundtable Podcast as we dive into everything you need to know through the winer. You can watch the full episode of the latest DC Roundtable Podcast on YouTube here.