Nats enter crucial stretch as Phillies, Mets heat up
The Washington Nationals scored a much-needed series victory against the Minnesota Twins Thursday afternoon.
They didn't need the win because they've been playing particularly poorly lately (they're 6-4 over their last 10 and have won 2 in a row); rather, they needed it because all of a sudden, the NL East is competitive once again.
The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets have decided to start playing up to their payrolls and win games. The Phillies have been on an absolute tear ever since they fired former manager Rob Thomson. They are 8-2 over their last 10 games, making the 10-game losing streak they endured through April seem like a distant memory.
Meanwhile, the Mets have also seemingly righted the ship, going a respectable 5-5 over their last 10. They haven't quite made up for the franchise-worst-tying 12-game losing streak they stunk through last month, but their pitching has been a bright spot so far this season. The Mets' pitching staff is 2nd in strikeouts and 13th in ERA at 4.01. They've allowed the sixth fewest home runs in the league, according to Statmuse.
All of a sudden, the objects in the rearview are a lot closer than they appear.
The Nats are still a game ahead of the Phillies and Miami Marlins, who they start a weekend series against on Friday, and two and a half games ahead of the Mets, who they took two of three from last week.
More Nats news
- Washington Nationals need to bring the road magic back home
- Washington Nationals drop golden opportunity against the Mets
- Washington Nationals have no easy fix for their biggest problem
Unfortunately, the Atlanta Braves actually came into the season ready to play from day one, so they've built a sizeable 8-game lead over the Nats and are tied for the best record in the league at 26 - 12 as we approach the quarter mark of the 2026 season.
The NL East was supposed to be a gauntlet this year thanks to the perennially good Braves, and Mets and Phillies teams that have the first and fifth highest payrolls in the league, respectively, according to Spotrac. The Nats and Marlins, whose payrolls rank 26th and 30th, respectively, were expected to bring up the rear. And that may end up being the case by the time September and October roll around and the cream rises to the top.
But the young Nationals are as scrappy as they've ever been, and if the team wants to avoid yet another pre-All-Star break selloff, then they need to start playing better.
The offense has been potent, but also a bit inconsistent, so far this season. The Nats are 4th in the league in runs, 3rd in RBI, 12th in homers, 10th in slug, and 4th in stolen bases. It's been mostly the pitching that's holding them back, as they are bottom three in MLB in most major categories, including dead last in home runs given up (55 through just 38 games).
So its obvious where the improvement needs to happen. Meanwhile, the offense has to also keep producing for this thing to work.
Related: Washington Nationals bats stay hot in comeback home win
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 8:27 AM.