Washington Nationals news & notes: James Wood and Dylan Crews lift Nats; Bullpen or rotation? + more…

Notes and quotes on the Nationals from Spring Training…

BULLPEN OR ROTATION?:

Start No. 3 for Trevor Williams this spring began with another leadoff home run, an issue which plagued him in 2023 and has continued early in the process this year.

“It’s become an unfortunate trend,” Williams acknowledged last July, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman.

“I should just give up one in the bullpen before the game and go from there,” he joked.

Williams, who’ll turn 32 this April, put up a 5.55 ERA, 5.98 FIP, 53 walks, and 111 strikeouts, with an NL-leading 34 homers allowed last year, and a .300/.359/.533 line against in 144 1⁄3 innings in his 30 starts in the first year of his 2-year/$13M free agent deal in Washington.

Ten of the 34 home runs he allowed were first inning home runs, and in back-to-back outings to start this spring, he gave up a blast to the first batter he faced.

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Williams gave up three more hits and a run in the first inning last week, but retired the next eight batters he faced, before an error put a runner on which he erased with a double play one out later, and he worked around three hits in his fifth and final inning in a 68-pitch, 48-strike appearance in what ended up a 7-3 win for the Nationals.

In start No. 4 for the eight-year veteran, Williams held the Minnesota Twins off the board in the first, working around a one-out single, retired the side in order in the second, and then stranded a leadoff single in the third.

After a 1-2-3 fourth, the starter was up to 44 pitches, but 15 pitches, a double, single, HBP, two-run, two-base hit, and two-run single later, Williams was lifted for a reliever, but under Spring Training rules, he returned to the mound in the sixth and gave up two hits and one more run, for five total on eight hits in 5(+) IP.

Through four starts, Williams has now given up 24 hits (3 HRs) and 12 runs (7.20 ERA), with no walks, 15 Ks, and a .348 BAA. Will he be back in the rotation this season, or will he go in the bullpen, as a potential swingman, the role he filled in New York with the Mets in 2022, putting up a 2.47 ERA and a .247 BAA in 21 games and 51 IP in relief.

Manager Davey Martinez talked recently about finding a middle reliever who could give the club multiple innings.

“It’s nice to have that bridge guy who you could put in and be able to get five outs, maybe go in there and pitch two innings,” he explained, noting that there are plenty of options in West Palm Beach, FL this spring, but some candidates (Williams, Zach Davies) are starting for the club in Grapefruit League action as they sort out the rotation mix.

“Right now, we’ve got to look at who will be our five starters and then we’ll work from there,” Martinez said, as quoted by MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato.

“We’re trying to get guys ready, and then we’ll fill the roles in as we go along.”

Where do you see Williams ending up coming out of Spring Training? Do you think he’ll stay in the rotation all year?

WALK OFF:

Davey Martinez’s club led 5-0 after three, and added two runs after the Twins scored four in the fifth, but Minnesota tied things up with seven runs between the 5th-7th, then went up 8-7 on Washington with a run in the top of the ninth inning, but 21-year-old outfielder James Wood homered to start the bottom of the ninth, then Alex Call singled in the next at-bat, and stole second before he scored on a two-out, walk-off hit by Dylan Crews, 9-8 Nationals.

It was Wood’s 4th home run of the spring, and for Crews, it was a big moment as he tries to establish himself and prepare for a future as part of the big league outfield.

“They’re not afraid of a big moment, and they stay in the moment,” Martinez said, as quoted on Nationals.com after the win.

“Both of them were very calm, understood what they needed to do up there and both did a great job.”

Martinez’s comments echoed what GM and President of Baseball Ops Mike Rizzo said in an MLB Network Radio interview this past weekend when asked about Wood and Crews trying to take the next step.

“They have absolutely no panic in their system at all, there’s nothing too big for them,” Rizzo said.

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