If you have not been paying attention, the Washington Nationals have been playing some really good baseball as of late. After a 2-1 win over the Yankees in the Bronx on Tuesday night thanks to six solid innings from Josiah Gray and solo homers from Carter Kieboom and CJ Abrams, the Nats are now 30-21 since June 24 and have won 13 of their last 18 ballgames. That's music to general manager Mike Rizzo's ears.
And with the Nats on track to finish with around 70 wins this season, "that's the progression we're looking for," Rizzo said on Wednesday during his weekly appearance with 106.7 The Fan's The Sports Junkies, which is presented exclusively by our partners at MainStreet Bank — Cheer Local. Bank Local. Put Our Team in Your Office.
"You go from 55 to 65 to 70 or 75 and then the year after that you progress from that and that's kinda been the formula we had in '09, '10, '11 and '12," Rizzo told The Junkies. "And that was the blueprint, the quote-unquote game plan to increase wins and improve like that. I think more importantly it's the way we've done it.
"The young players are the catalyst of this team and I think that's the most refreshing part of it. When you got Keibert [Ruiz] and CJ and Lane Thomas and those guys kind of jumpstarting the offense and then you've got Gray, [MacKenzie] Gore and [Jake] Irvin are really the pitchers that get you going and give you a chance to win every night, it's terrific. And that's to me, the most refreshing part of the increased win.
"And we're not gonna get a ring or a parade for increasing 10-15, 17 wins, but we're going in the right direction to have a parade somewhere down the road and that's what we're looking to do."
On the 2-1 win, Keiboom homered in his first at-bat back on the first pitch back in the majors since 2021 and Abrams' shot with two out in the top of the eighth, and Gray allowed just one run on one hit (a Ben Rortvedt homer) over six innings while four strikeouts. However, he did walk five batters on the night.
"You shut down those guys with only two hits, that's a remarkable night pitching," Rizzo said of Gray and the bullpen's night. "I think a lot of ingredients went into that game you had some timely hitting and we played great defense and we pitched really well and the bullpen came in and shut down a Yankee team at Yankee Stadium."
Kieboom, who was a big-time prospect for the Nationals, but injuries hurt his development including Tommy John surgery in 2022, but the 25-year-old infielder still still has plenty of time to reach his potential.
"I felt good for him [Tuesday]," Rizzo said. "I thought his mindset and his makeup was just what this team is all about... I'm rooting for him, he's a good kid, he works hard. And like I always say, prospects all develop at different rates and there's no timetable for him, there's no clear and concise path for prospects to big leagues and we're hoping he comes back and gets into a little bit of a flow and can finish the season out very positively going into the offseason and next year and spring training."
The Nationals and Yanks play again Wednesday and if Washington gets the win Bronx Bombers' nine game losing streak (already the organization's longest since 1982) will become their longest losing skid since 1913.
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