The Nationals center fielder put on a lot of muscle this offseason. How will this effect his game?
A photo of Nationals center fielder Jacob Young looking absolutely jacked made waves yesterday. Looking at the size of his arms, you would think he is a 30 home run hitter. However, despite the new look, speed and defense are the name of the game for Young.
This added strength could either be a blessing or a curse for the 25 year old outfielder. Young only hit three home runs and had a .331 slugging percentage in 2024. His average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, and bat speed were all in the bottom 10 percentile.
If that strength can translate to more offensive juice, it would make Young an extremely valuable player. In 2024, he posted 2.6 fWAR despite having a wRC+ of only 85, or 15% below average. Young led all outfielders in outs above average in 2024, at 20. He also generated a lot of value on the base paths, with 33 steals.
It is pivotal for Young to maintain all of this value. Can he do that with all this added muscle. We saw the downside of adding muscle with Victor Robles in 2020. It did not help him add power and his stiffness sapped his speed and defensive ability. Added bulk also increases the chance of muscular injuries, especially for a guy like Young who is flying around the diamond.
This will be something to monitor as we enter the season. If Jacob Young could add power to his game while keeping his speed and defense, he could be an all-star level player. Even as a league average hitter, Young would compile a lot of WAR. This would also make the Nationals outfield picture crystal clear. Wood, a more powerful Young and Crews roaming the grass of Nationals Park would be a sight to behold.
However, this added mass also adds risk. Young needs flexibility, speed and twitchiness to be at his best. Adding too much muscle could take some of that away. It all depends on his body and how much mass it can handle. He knows that better than anyone else, so it is probably good weight. However, I can’t help but think back to Victor Robles. Will jacked Jacob take the league by storm, or will he be bogged down by his massive biceps?