BREAKOUT: Why Washington Nationals' James Wood and CJ…

About this episode

Washington Nationals offense explodes in 2026—are they MLB’s next powerhouse? James Wood’s breakout season, combined with career-best performances from CJ Abrams, Curtis Mead, Luis Garcia Jr., and Keibert Ruiz, propels the Nationals to a top-three National League ranking in home runs, OPS, and total runs. Ryan Clary breaks down the impact of coaching, key trades, and the emergence of young talent, examining if this elite run production is sustainable heading into 2027. Clary discusses the stakes of replacing departed stars, rising expectations for Daylen Lile and Dylan Crews, and which free agent or trade moves could keep the offense among baseball’s best. Plus: why Nationals fans should root for the Atlanta Braves over the Philadelphia Phillies in the postseason—could a Philly collapse reshape the NL East? Don’t miss this sharp take on the Nationals’ offensive transformation and what’s next for D.C.'s baseball hopes.00:00 Where I Was Right With The 2026 Nats06:00 Nationals' offensive capabilities evaluation07:09 Nationals improve offensive performance15:49 Improving Nationals' Offensive Lineup17:22 Discussing Nationals' prospects and strategy24:02 Austin Riley's crucial home run25:56 Discussion on Dave Dombrowski's futureFollow Ryan Clary on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ryanclary11Follow Locked On Nationals on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LO_Nationals Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast.Dose Daily Ready to give your liver the support it deserves? Head to https://DoseDaily.co/LOCKEDONMLB or enter LOCKEDONMLB to get 35% off your first subscription. Aura Cybersecurity Start your free trial today at https://aura.com/aware. Protect yourself now. Gameday Mens Health Gameday Men’s Health is a real, in-person men’s health clinic that looks at the full picture before developing a treatment plan. Book your complimentary test and consult at https://join.gamedaymenshealth.com/reasons_to_choose_gameday-1201?utm_source=lockedon&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=MLB&utm_network=lockedon&utm_adgroup=corp&ghl_tag=national,corp5-Hour ENERGY Get candy-flavored chaos with Fruity Rainbow 5-hour ENERGY®️ Shots - available online at https://5hourENERGY.com or AmazonStance Check out the ICON collection from Stance—premium comfort, performance, and durability designed for whatever your day brings. Use promo Code LOCKEDON at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Learn more at https://Stance.com. Stance. The Official Sock Partner of Major League Baseball.KALSHI For a limited time, Download Kalshi and use code Locked On to get $25 when you trade $25. Kalshi. Trade what’s next. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. It’s time to put your knowledge to the test with College Football Pick’Em from FanDuel. Download the FanDuel app and play College Football Pick'Em for free. Only on FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.