Overview
- Washington leads Major League Baseball in runs scored through the first two months of the season, totaling 304 runs in early play.
- The offense is deep rather than concentrated, with six players posting a wRC+ above the league average and several others near that mark.
- Team leaders and coaches credit offseason changes, including expanded analytics and the use of new hitting machines reported in spring training, for sharpening preparation and swing work.
- Young outfielder James Wood has been on a pronounced hot streak, hitting .436 over a recent 10-game span and going 8-for-12 with two homers in the Cleveland series.
- Improved pitching performances, such as Cade Cavalli’s six innings and one run allowed in a key start, helped Washington win the Cleveland series, lift its record to 29-28, and raise short-term playoff odds to roughly 15 percent.