Three Storylines as Nationals Begin Second Half of 2026 Season

The Washington Nationals are set to kick off the second half of the 2026 regular season on Friday, and after dishing out grades for the first half of the season, we dive into the three key storylines through the rest of the slate.

Does the smoke materialize into move(s)?

President of baseball operations Paul Toboni was quick to put out the smoke on possible trade interest surrounding James Wood -- both publicly and privately -- with the Nationals never viewed to be considering a move with the now back-to-back All Star selection. As for others, the questions remain.

Toboni admitted the Nationals have fielded interest for shortstop CJ Abrams, and in tradition with new management, have kept the two-time All Star in the loop on those ongoing discussions. It's also not the first time Abrams has popped up in trade rumors after becoming the immediate source of speculation very quickly after the organization traded MacKenzie Gore. In a season where the Nationals have outperformed expectations and enter the second half of the regular season with Abrams a key reason why, parting ways could be the biggest gut punch for the fanbase with the front office evaluating, not shopping, all interest.

Maybe the more realistic one to watch over the next month will be Foster Griffin, who was open about the fact that he has not evaluated his future given he arrived in Washington on a one-year deal. His lone inning against three batters faced in the All Star game only added to the growing trade value he built through the first half of a regular season initially viewed to be a bounceback opportunity for the former Nippon League starter. The Nationals could, of course, hang onto the ace who has been the clear star of the rotation to-date while a potential departure only adds to the obvious weakness through the final 65 regular season games.

Whether others like Luis Garcia Jr. or Curtis Mead also draw interest ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline will be another to watch.

Buy or sell

All the talk about the outlook on trade candidates leads to the question that may prevent outgoing moves -- how do the Nationals fare?

The sweep at Nationals Park pushed the Nationals back under .500 overall at 48-49 as Washington enters the second half in fourth place in the division, eight games ahead of the New York Mets from the last spot yet eight games out from the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves, who sit 55-40. The Nationals also sit four games back from the Miami Marlins for the last wild card spot, but they also enter the second half with the first six games against a pair of teams in the Athletics and Rockies who are combined 37 games under .500, comfortably sitting among the worst teams in 2026.

Washington has found success on the round in 2026, standing at 28-18 overall and 11-3-1 in road series, giving manager Blake Butera's squad a chance to build momentum before hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning Friday, July 24.

Pitching Concerns

If the Nationals do opt to trade Foster Griffin, then an already grim outlook of the Nationals' pitchers -- whether it be rotation or bullpen -- could challenge for the worst in all of baseball.

Washington enters the second half just ten blown saves away from the MLB record set by the Chicago White Sox in 2024 while the staff has allowed 137 home runs, tied for the third-most, while allowing opposing batters to hit .260. The two shutouts tossed are tied with the Orioles and Twins for the second-fewest behind none other than the Rockies, while the team has allowed the third-most hits by any team. The results have been far from ideal with Zack Littell and Miles Mikolas among ten pitchers who have allowed 20 home runs this season.

For a team that has produced the third-most total runs and home runs in baseball, it's a frustrating effort. While Mikolas will serve his suspension, Littell will have a chance to turn the page when he takes the mound in the weekend series, marking the first opportunity for Washington to change its fortune. Yet the continued struggles have only complicated the outlook of what Washington opts to do.

Nationals Roundtable also offers a fan community. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Nationals. Create an account, click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our free community and follow for all of our coverage, analysis and more!