Nationals' Offense Slumps in Spring Training

0:00It's March 18th, here's your Washington Nationals news in two minutes. Subscribe to stay locked in all season. Spring training games might not count in the standings, but Washington Nationals fans have reason to watch closely. The team's pitching has been sharp all spring, but the offense is ice cold. Key hitters are slumping together, raising early questions about the lineup heading into the regular season. James Wood stands out as a case of bad luck, more than bad swings. He's crushing the ball with high exit speeds, yet his stats show just the 0.156 batting average. That changed Monday, when he went three for five with a home run, all balls flying over 100 miles per hour. Dylan Cruz, the hype prospect, has struggled the most. His slash line sits at 0.107 over 0.188, over 0.107 for a tiny 0.295 OPS. With 10 strikeouts and 28 at bats, the Nationals might send him to AAA to start the year.

1:00Other young players like CJ Abrams, Robert Hassel III, and Luis Garcia Jr. have been average at best, all under a 700 OPS. It's not the breakout many hoped for from the group's core. On a brighter note, 22-year-old third baseman Brady House leads with a 1,400 OPS in three home runs. Ray Lipscomb and Keybert Ruiz have chipped in solid hits too. The real test comes soon with opening day. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor. See the episode description. Press play. Put your head down. The sound is already there. S-O-L-I-S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com