It’s officially 2026 and with it comes a new chapter for the Washington Nationals. 2025 was a disappointing year on the field, but a hugely important year off it. 2026 will be the first full year of the Paul Toboni era. Here are some New Year’s resolutions Toboni and the Nats should have.
Create a scouting and player development monster:
During Paul Toboni’s opening press conference, he made his vision very clear. He wanted to create what he called a “scouting and player development monster.” Now it’s time to make that goal a reality.
This is a concept that excites me, and many other Nats fans. In recent years, the development of the Nats player has lagged behind. Despite picking at the top of the draft and consistently selling at the deadline, Mike Rizzo left behind a subpar farm system. He brought in talented players, but those guys didn’t get the right development.
With a brand new front office and coaching staff at the MLB and Minor League levels, hopefully results can improve. There were some success stories like Brad Lord and Daylen Lile, but we need to see more of them. A resolution for this new regime should uncover hidden gems.
This Minor League season will be fascinating to follow because of the heavy emphasis placed on development. The 2026 draft will also be a very exciting time for the franchise. Paul Toboni has made a name for himself as a scout, so I’m curious to see how he handles that. Capturing the draft and player development will be critical to this new regime.
Honestly, I’d be a little disappointed if MacKenzie Gore makes the Opening Day roster. With two years of team control remaining, this offseason feels like the right time to trade him. He has been the top guy for the Washington Nationals for the past few seasons, but given the Nats’ timeline, a trade makes a lot of sense.
Gore’s swing and miss skills should earn him a strong market despite his inconsistencies. The Gore market has become quiet in recent weeks, but hopefully things will warm up in the new year.
The Nats have so many needs, and keeping Gore would be risky. They need a first baseman, pitching depth and just an overall infusion of talent. Trading Gore would help that cause.
Teams like the Giants, Rangers, Yankees, Mets and Cubs could all be interested in Gore. They all have pieces that would really help the Nats. Waiting until the trade deadline before Gore can build value is tempting, but risky due to injuries. Gore’s performance in the first half wouldn’t answer any of the biggest questions about him either. Now is the time to trade him.
Find more high-quality pitching:
Last season the Nats pitching staff was disastrous. The unity posted an ERA of 5.35 employees, the worst in team history. Their fastball-heavy approach just didn’t work last year. It doesn’t seem like the Nats will spend the money to pitch free agents, but the staff still needs to improve.
One man who could make a big move in 2026 is Cade Cavalli. In 2025, he was finally healthy and showing flashes. The 27-year-old still has some warts, but he has a lot to offer. Cavalli has prototypical dimensions and all. Despite that, he didn’t put up the strikeout totals you’d expect in the MLB.
However, he has done a good job limiting the barrels. If he can generate more swing and miss in 2026, he’ll be a real breakout candidate. Cavalli is the most obvious breakthrough candidate, but he is not the only one.
There are a few guys in the bullpen, like Jackson Rutledge, Cole Henry and Clayton Beeter, who haven’t tapped into their upside yet. I’m curious to see what Toboni can do in 2026 with guys like Brad Lord and Josiah Gray. The Nats need to unlock some of their pitching talent.
Find a way to limit James Wood’s strikeouts:
Don’t get it twisted, James Wood has the talent to be a star. However, his strikeout issues became concerning in the second half. He struck out 39% of the time after the All-Star break. Wood was in a prolonged slump, where he looked lost for long periods of time.
However, we still know the talent is there. He still hit 31 home runs last year and has more. His contact quality is exceptional and his opposing field strength is breathtaking. It’s easy to imagine Wood will be a 40+ home run hitter by next year.
We’ve seen him do it for half the season. He is capable of greatness, he just needs to be consistent. Wood was a borderline MVP-caliber player for three months. There’s no reason why he can’t do that for an entire season. As long as that strikeout rate stays under 30%, he should be a star slugger.
Unlock another gear in the stars:
This relates to the latest resolution regarding Wood, but also applies to other players. In recent years, the Nats’ best players have posted extremely high highs but very low lows. James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore are all examples of this.
They come out like a house on fire to start seasons. The first few months they look like superstars. However, the wheels come off in the second half. If that were the case for just one of these guys, it would be easy to blame the player. However, under the new regime this was a systemic problem.
A goal of the new regime should be to help create consistency. CJ Abrams is a perfect example. He makes adjustments to his winter facility every offseason. As the months go by, things seem to change and he begins to struggle. That’s a huge indictment on the previous coaching staff.
With three years of control, this makes me want to hold on to Abrams rather than trade him. I think there is more to unlock in his game. If he can just be who he is in the first half of the season, then that’s a star player. I don’t want him to reach that level with another team.
At MacKenzie Gore, the circumstances are slightly different. He has less control, has a greater risk of injury as a pitcher and is a client of Boras. This doesn’t apply to Abrams, so I think Toboni should retain and develop him.
2026 will be a year when the new regime plants the seeds for their project. It probably won’t result in an immediate playoff appearance, but it should lead to improvement. If we see the right steps, the pressure for ownership will increase.
Right now, Paul Toboni is clearly creating his scouting and player development monster. However, once those seeds are in place, it’s time to spend. Hopefully that will happen once this project gets off the ground.
I’m curious to see how this year goes. It’s certainly not a World Series or bust year, but for a baseball die-hard, it’s very exciting. This year will set the tone for what is to come. 2026 is the year the Nats will build a strong new foundation.
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