When the Washington Nationals made the tough decision to trade superstar outfielder Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres, they got back some of the top prospects in baseball. One of those players was CJ Abrams.
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft, Abrams quickly cemented himself as one of the most highly anticipated young players in the game. He was a top-33 prospect throughout his minor league career, reaching as high as No. 9 in the entire MLB.
The middle infielder made his MLB debut in April of the 2022 season and was traded just a few months later. Last season, he was the permanent starting shortstop for the Nationals and had his ups and downs as any young player does.
That experience and another offseason to hone his skills look to have paid major dividends. Thus far in the 2024 season, Abrams is looking like the star player evaluators thought he was capable of being.
In 25 games, he is hitting .291 with an on-base percentage of .377 while slugging .634. He has only 20 strikeouts in 115 plate appearances, as he is putting the ball in play consistently and making hard contact.
Out of his 30 hits, 16 of them have gone for extra bases. He has five doubles, an MLB-leading four triples and seven home runs. Along with the power numbers, he is a threat on the basepaths with six stolen bases.
Abrams is currently sixth in the National League in offensive WAR as one of the best players through April. In fact, his start is historic. According to Baseball Reference on X, Abrams is the first player in MLB history to record 7+ home runs, 6+ steals and 4+ triples in the first 25 games of a season.
The rebuilding Nationals have been more competitive than anyone could have guessed thus far this season, as they are 14-14. Abrams is a big reason for that, as Washington looks to have another star in the making for their lineup.
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