Nationals Notebook: Dylan’s Debut Is Dynamic. What’s Next?

Labor Day weekend isn’t just the time when many Washington, D.C.-area pools are closed. It’s also the final harbinger of the regular baseball season.

The start of September also means roster expansion, and while it’s not like the 40-man rosters of old, we’ll see even more youth arrive from the minor leagues before the season ends.

And while many pieces are either in place (from C.J. Abrams to James Wood), arriving (Dylan Crews lived up to the hype — at least in his first week while Darren Baker, son of former Nats manager Dusty Baker, played his MLB debut Saturday), or on the horizon (third baseman of the future Brady House, who is set to start 2024 in D.C.), how this franchise performs this offseason will help determine whether it’s a contender in 2025 or just pretending.

Because building a roster requires more than a solid farm system. And just as the Nats needed players like Jayson Werth to rise to the top, the 2025 Nationals need a power hitter (or two) if they want to be more than just a cute story.

Digesting the Division: Philadelphia (81-56) extended its NL East lead over Atlanta (74-63) to seven games by winning three of four against the Braves over the weekend.

Atlanta’s lead for the final playoff spot was reduced to one game over the New York Mets (73-64) who swept the Chicago White Sox, putting the Pale Hose (31-107) within three games of breaking the 1962 Mets’ record for most losses in a season (120).

Washington (61-76) could be eliminated from the NL East as early as Thursday, while Miami (51-86) has been eliminated from the division race and has a “tragic number” of three for the wild card.

Separate the birds: The sky isn’t falling for the Orioles (78-59), who are one game behind the New York Yankees in the American League East, but the sky is a bit cloudy after the team’s second straight month of losses (13-15). Fortunately, they can get back on their feet against the pitiful White Sox this week.

Diamonds Direct Diamond King: Dylan Crews, in his debut week, hit two home runs while driving in three runs. He also hit two doubles while showing a swagger in right field.

Last week’s heroes: Jacob Young hit .333 with a home run, three RBIs and four runs scored while Jose Tena hit .304 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. Patrick Corbin pitched six scoreless innings for his second straight win and MacKenzie Gore allowed two runs in six innings in his start. Jose Ferrer pitched 4.2 scoreless innings in four outings.

Last week I was humble: Jake Irvin gave up seven runs in 4.2 innings while DJ Herz gave up four in 4.2. Zach Brzykcy proved that not all major league debuts this year for the Nats are great, giving up five runs in two-thirds of an inning in his first career appearance.

James Wood hit .182 with 10 strikeouts in 22 at-bats while C.J. Abrams hit .111 and Keibert Ruiz went 0-19. Jose Tena’s bat may be a bonus, but he committed two errors in Sunday’s loss.

Match to watch: On Sunday, the Nats close out their series against Pittsburgh at 1:35 p.m., with rookie phenom Paul Skenes (8-2, 2.23 ERA) on the mound for the Pirates. The 1:35 p.m. kickoff allows you to pivot for the Commanders’ 4:25 p.m. kickoff.

Game not to be missed: On Thursday, the Nats open their series against the Pirates and while Jake Irvin pitches, all eyes will be on the start of a new NFL regular season. At least they won’t be playing that game in Brazil.

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