The Washington Nationals enter 2025 as one of baseball’s most intriguing rebuilding teams. While playoff contention remains unlikely, this isn’t the same pushover squad from recent seasons.
The Nationals now feature a promising core of young, developing talent that could evolve into a legitimate playoff contender within the next few years. The squad features:
- Dylan Crews: No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft
- James Wood: 22-year-old acquired in the Juan Soto trade from San Diego Padres who slashed .264/.354/.427 with nine home runs in 79 games in 2024
- Luis García Jr.: 24-year-old infielder who had the best season of his five-year career in 2024, hitting 18 home runs with a .762 OPS and 115 OPS+
- C.J. Abrams: 24-year-old shortstop acquired in the Soto trade who made his first All-Star team in 2024
- MacKenzie Gore: 26-year-old starter acquired in the Soto trade who posted a 3.90 ERA with 181 strikeouts in 166⅓ innings and a 103 ERA+ across 32 starts
MLB.com ranks Washington’s minor league system 13th in baseball, and the franchise holds the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
However, perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the Nationals’ 2025 roster is a player who spent his winter working at Home Depot.
Brad Lord: From hardware store to Nationals’ Opening Day roster
The Nationals added Brad Lord, an 18th-round pick from the 2022 MLB Draft, to their Opening Day roster as Washington begins their season at home against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 25-year-old right-handed reliever overcame tremendous odds to make the team out of camp. As The Washington Post’s Spencer Nusbaum reports, Lord’s fastball consistently hit the mid-90s this spring, topping out at 98 mph.
Lord impressed across three minor league levels in 2024, reaching Triple-A with a 2.43 ERA in 27 starts, striking out 135 batters in 129⅔ innings. Despite a challenging spring training where he allowed nine earned runs in 13⅓ innings for a 6.08 ERA, the Nationals saw enough potential to include him on their Opening Day roster.
Building the dream 🔨
— MLB (@MLB) March 26, 2025
Brad Lord, the @Nationals 18th-round pick in the 2022 Draft, worked at Home Depot last winter.
This spring, he made the Opening Day roster 🥹 pic.twitter.com/1w31tLkdWk
Lord worked at Home Depot during the offseason to supplement his minor league income. When asked how working at the hardware store chain prepared him for the upcoming baseball season, he offered a candid response to The Washington Post.
“I guess lifting Christmas trees, I got stronger,” he said. “Weird way to work out, but yeah.”
