As season ends, Nationals focus on next steps

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In the moments after Game 162 — and the season — ended, Nationals players roamed the clubhouse handing out envelopes to attendants.

Tips, for a season of assistance.

Boxes sat near lockers, ready to be packed with gear to be shipped wherever players are headed for the offseason.

Sunday’s 6-4 win over the New York Mets capped a roller coaster of a season that proved to be the franchise’s most interesting since 2019. A lot has been made of next season, when the Nationals (77-85) hope improvements on the pitching front will merge with promising hitters to create a playoff-caliber team.

“Just really proud of the group that’s in there for the effort they’ve given us to being open-minded with a brand-new coaching staff, to put their trust in us,” manager Blake Butera said pregame. “I know that’s not easy. Just very thankful and grateful.”

Communication played a pivotal role in the franchise’s resurgence. There was a clear message from the top down that benefited players and coaches alike, they said. Although a lockout looms over next season, Nationals players and coaches are focusing on the connections they built this season.

That lockout could begin Dec. 1 and prevent front-office staff from interacting with players.

Keeping in touch with teammates, meanwhile, can also prove difficult because players scatter and live their lives. Over the course of the season, they bonded over chess and card games. They’ll find ways to keep in touch over the coming months, including through fantasy football.

“We fiend for those things as professional athletes. Whether it’s golf, fantasy football, anything. We just want anything that we can talk crap to the guys about,” center fielder Jacob Young said. “It’s really fun to just be competitive with guys inside the clubhouse. [The league] is something we look forward to every year, and it’s kind of just, I think, it brings us closer as a clubhouse, and you know, just as a team.”

For a young team, staying connected is important.

This season saw the Nationals win their most games since 2019. There was a surprising pursuit of the third wild-card spot before the trade deadline, too.

Even without an established veteran presence on the current roster heading into next season, the Nationals hope this season’s experience will help players such as Keibert Ruiz, CJ Abrams and Young grow as leaders.

Butera said Sunday the team expects multiple players to take leaps and that this “offseason is going to be so important for for our player group.”