Outlook CJ Abrams
CJ Abrams looks to snap a cold slump against vulnerable Angels pitching
Abrams has endured a brutal cold snap, batting just .106 over his last 14 days with 22 strikeouts across 47 at-bats. His struggles have mirrored the fifth-place Nationals, who enter the weekend on a seven-game losing streak at 67-81. Despite recent minor injuries and settling primarily into the designated hitter role, his everyday lineup security remains completely unchallenged.
This late-season drought does not erase an incredible breakout year where he became the first shortstop in franchise history to hit 30 home runs, currently pairing 30 homers with 27 stolen bases to shatter our season projection of 15 long balls. A .122 average over his last 30 days indicates poor timing rather than a loss of talent. With a .257 season baseline, Abrams is due for positive regression.
Washington finishes the week with three home games against the Angels following Thursday's off day. Abrams draws very favorable matchups against Yusei Kikuchi (4.96 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) and Grayson Rodriguez (6.58 ERA, 1.63 WHIP), with only Walbert Urena (2.79 ERA) posing a tough test. Given his power-speed ceiling against a hittable pitching staff, keep trusting him. Start.
Updated 1 day ago
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Outlook Jordan Walker
Jordan Walker looks to snap a brief slump with favorable weekend home matchups
Walker has hit a brief cold spell over the past week, batting just .154 with 10 strikeouts in his last seven games, though he is hitting .250 over his last 14 contests. The 24-year-old recently reached the 100-RBI milestone and remains locked in as the everyday right fielder for a fourth-place Cardinals club (72-75) mired in a three-game losing skid.
Despite the quiet week, Walker's 2026 campaign has been a resounding breakout that blew past our pre-season projections, featuring 28 home runs, 100 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, and a strong .281 average. His strikeout totals have climbed lately with 20 punchouts across his last 13 games, but his elite raw power and near 20-20 production keep his rest-of-season floor very high.
Looking at the remaining matchups this week, St. Louis hosts the White Sox for a three-game weekend series at Busch Stadium. Walker gets favorable spots against hittable starters Erick Fedde (4.07 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) and Anthony Kay (4.69 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) before facing Sean Burke (3.63 ERA) on Sunday. Keep him locked in active lineups as a high-upside power source. Start.
Updated 1 day ago
