#baseball-performance

#baseball-performance

Matt Mervis is someone who I would absolutely love to see with the Nationals at the big league level because of his ability to create runs, be a consistent hitter, and has the potential, if given enough plate appearances, to hit 20+ home runs for the Nationals--his nickname is "Mash" for a reason.

In 2023, Casas, who made his MLB debut the prior season, was something of a revelation at first base. Over 132 games Casas hit .263/.367/.490 with 24 home runs. That's an .856 OPS and 2.2 bWAR and earned him a 3rd place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year race.

The objective of this exercise is to identify the best players for the 2026 season, not who might be best in five years or over their career. Who will be the best pitchers to take the mound this season? Who are the game's most powerful hitters in 2026? And how do marquee positions like shortstop and center field shake out?

Despite a recent rough stretch, Alex Vesia has been one of the Dodgers' top relievers with a 2.81 ERA over 41.1 innings. He has struck out nearly 12 hitters per nine innings while maintaining a career ERA of 2.89.

Cade Cavalli shines with 7 scoreless innings, but Nathaniel Lowe's release marks a significant shift for the Nationals as they move forward without him.

Sasaki started his outing with a walk and then allowed a stolen base and single that put the Albuquerque Isotopes up 1-0. Another stolen base and sacrifice fly led to another run scoring.

Chisholm has clearly turned the page on the 39-game drought that saw him go without a steal, achieving seven stolen bases in his last seven attempts.

Stewart had a 2.38 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 34 innings with the Twins before being traded to the Dodgers, but struggled initially.

Tanner Scott was moved to the injured list due to elbow inflammation, and initial imaging showed no ligament damage. Manager Dave Roberts believes it will be a short-term issue but admits clarity is lacking on the timeline.

Tommy Edman, who won National League Championship Series MVP after being traded to the Dodgers, is currently struggling with multiple ankle injuries this season.

Jurickson Profar has a 105 wRC+ against expectations of around 110 after returning from suspension, performing adequately despite worse walk and strikeout rates.

The cutter's spin rate has increased by 125 RPM to 2609 RPMs, contributing to a whiff rate of an astonishing 46.4 percent.

Francisco Alvarez has shown resilience after his Triple-A stint, returning to the major leagues and making a significant impact in the Mets' comeback game against the Angels.