Washington Nationals Looking to Start the Rebuilding Process: Analyst's Bets on the Upcoming Season
With the Washington Nationals' new leadership team in place, handicapper Tommy Lorenzo is taking an early swing at predicting their win total for the 2026 season. According to Lorenzo, the Nats are a low-expectation team looking to undergo a full organizational reset.
Lorenzo believes that the team's starting pitching will be the key factor in determining their success, citing the struggles of young starters like Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker. He also notes that the bullpen, which was already underwhelming last season with a -9.6 WAR rating, will be overworked due to the team's rebuilding efforts.
One area where Lorenzo sees potential for improvement is in the outfield, particularly with left fielder James Wood. However, he expects the young power hitter to regress, citing Wood's poor performance in the second half of last season.
Lorenzo has taken an under bet on Wood, as well as a low home run total for Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel, who had a disappointing season despite being a rookie. The analyst is looking for value elsewhere, particularly with the Cubs, whose projected win total Lorenzo believes will be inflated due to manager Craig Counsell's past successes.
Lorenzo has also taken bets on other teams, including the Giants and Orioles, but is keeping an eye on the market before making any final decisions. One notable favorite in the World Series exacta is the Dodgers over the Yankees, with odds of 12-to-1.
Overall, Lorenzo's bets suggest that the Nationals are a team to watch in the coming season, but one that will face significant challenges due to their rebuilding efforts.
With the Washington Nationals' new leadership team in place, handicapper Tommy Lorenzo is taking an early swing at predicting their win total for the 2026 season. According to Lorenzo, the Nats are a low-expectation team looking to undergo a full organizational reset.
Lorenzo believes that the team's starting pitching will be the key factor in determining their success, citing the struggles of young starters like Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker. He also notes that the bullpen, which was already underwhelming last season with a -9.6 WAR rating, will be overworked due to the team's rebuilding efforts.
One area where Lorenzo sees potential for improvement is in the outfield, particularly with left fielder James Wood. However, he expects the young power hitter to regress, citing Wood's poor performance in the second half of last season.
Lorenzo has taken an under bet on Wood, as well as a low home run total for Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel, who had a disappointing season despite being a rookie. The analyst is looking for value elsewhere, particularly with the Cubs, whose projected win total Lorenzo believes will be inflated due to manager Craig Counsell's past successes.
Lorenzo has also taken bets on other teams, including the Giants and Orioles, but is keeping an eye on the market before making any final decisions. One notable favorite in the World Series exacta is the Dodgers over the Yankees, with odds of 12-to-1.
Overall, Lorenzo's bets suggest that the Nationals are a team to watch in the coming season, but one that will face significant challenges due to their rebuilding efforts.
. I mean, they're gonna need some serious investments on the pitching front, and it's not just about replacing veteran starters, it's also about finding reliable depth. And don't even get me started on that bullpen - it's like they're trying to make up for their lack of talent by throwing more guys at the wall... meanwhile, the outfield is a mess 
. James Wood has potential, but he's got some work to do, and I'm not convinced he's gonna be the star we think he's gonna be just yet.
. And that exacta bet between the Dodgers and Yankees? I'm all about it 
. It's gonna be a long season, but with some savvy moves, maybe the Nats can surprise us... or at least make it to 70 wins 
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, always gets his teams to perform well despite being underdogs. But I think the Nationals are gonna be a wild card, all this rebuilding stuff can actually work out for them if they get some key pieces in place. Maybe Tommy Lorenzo's on to something with James Wood, but I'd still put my money on him having a breakout season 
Their starting pitching is gonna be a wild card this year... did you know the MLB average ERA is 4.13? 
That's like, a full run better than last season! 
And with Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker struggling, I'm thinking they'll need some big moves to turn it around.
Anyways, Tommy Lorenzo's taking the under on him, and I gotta agree... 
And don't even get me started on the Dodgers over Yankees exacta - 12-to-1? That's like, a long shot if I ever saw one! 
The Nationals are at 70.5 wins, which is way lower than some of the top teams... did you know the Yankees have a 93% chance of making the playoffs? 
, sounds like the Nats are in for another tough season ahead... all this talk about rebuilding is kinda harsh on Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker tho 
Still think the Cubs have a good shot though, Counsell's got some magic up his sleeve 
I mean, can't they just give us some actual hope for once? Tommy Lorenzo thinks Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker are gonna be a thing... please 
and what's up with James Wood regressing? I thought he was the future of that outfield spot 
. The Cubs' win total is already way overvalued in my book. And yeah, the Dodgers over Yankees in the WS exacta, that's a decent bet 
... think they need 2-3 yrs of tanking before they can even start competing 
. Their pitching staff is a mess 
, and bullpen is a lost cause 
. James Wood might have some pop 
. The Cubs are looking good tho 
, they've got some legit talent 
... and who knows maybe the Nats can learn from their coach Craig Counsell 
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. But, I think Lorenzo's onto something with the Nationals - they just need to get their mojo back 
, those guys are always contenders. And can we talk about how hyped we should be for the World Series? It's gonna be epic! 
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... I guess the outfield is one area where they might make some progress. Still not sure about Jhonkensy Noel though, poor kid had a rough debut season 
. but at the same time, james wood is a talented player and he could still make some noise in the outfield... hopefully the nats can find that sweet spot where they're not too overreliant on one or two guys