CJ Abrams can ‘breathe a little bit’ after 30th homer, putting August struggles behind him

SAN DIEGO — CJ Abrams stared at his hands before crossing home plate.

The celebration is customary for Abrams, a nod to his elite hand quickness. But this homer Sunday against the Dodgers symbolized more. Yes, it’s meaningful because it’s his 30th of the season, tying him with James Wood for the team lead and cementing him as the first Nationals shortstop with a 30-homer season. But it’s more significant because it broke him out of his monthlong slump.

Abrams hadn’t homered since Aug. 11. He began August with an OPS of .925 and ended it with an .849 mark.

“Definitely good,” Abrams said Monday of ending his homer drought. “Just like a relief; breathe a little bit. You try to not think about stuff like that, but it’s always gonna be in the back of your mind.”

August was a busy month for the Nationals and Abrams. His best friend, Luis García Jr., was traded; the organization announced that he would move to second base; he suffered an ankle sprain that cost him four games; and then the Nationals decided he would instead split time between second base and shortstop.

Abrams’ slide coincided with an 11-18 month for the Nationals, their worst mark of the season, which effectively ended their surprising bid for a playoff spot.

With his defensive position settled and 30th homer out of the way, Abrams can maybe get back to the electric play that powered the lineup for most of this season.

Consistency defined Abrams’ first half, a trait that eluded him even during his 2024 All-Star campaign. Before his August swoon, his lowest OPS in a month was .708 in June — which also featured his highest chase rate (45%) and second-highest strikeout rate (27.5%).

“It’s awesome,” manager Blake Butera said of Abrams’ 30th home run. “Just speaks volumes to to the year that he’s had, how much he’s meant to our team. I even asked him after what it felt like, [and] he was all smiles and just couldn’t couldn’t be happier.”

Abrams’ fifth-inning walk off Blake Treinen in Sunday’s game showed the selectivity that allowed him to succeed for most of the season.

He got ahead 2-0 in the count and laid off a pitch on the edge for a strike. Treinen threw a fastball way out of the zone for ball three, and Abrams held off on a sweeper in the zone before drawing ball four.

For much of the season, he strolled to the plate looking for a certain pitch and was stubborn in his approach. Shrinking the zone paid dividends en route to a starting spot for the National League in the 2026 All-Star Game. When Abrams is in a rut, pitch selection is the first thing he looks at.

“First, I want to see if I’m swinging at good pitches,” he said. “If I am, it’s usually like a timing thing, or [I’m] trying to swing too hard.”

In August, Abrams’ strikeout rate spiked to an alarming 35.8% — his previous high in a month this season was 27.5% — and he batted .173.

His in-zone whiff rate doubled from 12.7% in June to 24.3% in August. Even if he got a ball he could do damage on and swung, his timing issues resulted in more swings and misses.

On Monday, Abrams failed to record a hit but was working deeper counts and making more solid contact rather than whiffing like he had for most of the past month.

High chase and strikeout rates indicate he’s “trying to do too much, getting me too antsy,” he said.

“Just relax, stay in the middle of the zone,” he said. “I was swinging and missing a lot because of the timing part. I have to simplify and get the ball in the middle of the zone.”

There’s the elephant in the room of Abrams’ sluggish second halves. In each of the last two seasons, his OPS has dropped off after the All-Star break — .633 in 2025 (down from .836 in the first half) and .586 in 2024 (down from .831).

Though the Nationals are out of the playoff race, they still have something worth playing for. Ending the season with positive results could serve as a springboard into next season. For Abrams, in particular, having a good September would give him a more complete season that would serve as a benchmark for his progress.

“Taking it game by game; I know there’s a home stretch coming up, but just have to finish strong,” he said.