Major changes are expected to take place for the Washington Nationals when it comes to their pitching staff.
Following years of underwhelming production from their rotation and bottom of the barrel output from their bullpen, new faces are expected to be brought in. Whether that’s through free agency or via some trades, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni should be aggressive when it comes to overhauling this unit.
However, there are internal candidates who will be in the mix for greater roles heading into the 2027 campaign, and after what right-hander Jack Sinclair showed down the stretch of this past season, don’t be surprised if he is a prominent member of this relief staff next year.
Jack Sinclair Impressed Blake Butera, Coaching Staff
Sinclair wasn’t really on the radar coming into the 2026 season. The 27-year-old wasn’t invited to big league spring training camp, and he began the campaign with Triple-A Rochester. Despite the continued struggles of the bullpen, it took until Sept. 4 for the Nationals to call him up.
Sinclair took full advantage of that opportunity, though.
The righty made 11 appearances for Washington to close out the season. He posted an ERA of 2.45 with five holds and a perfect one-for-one in his lone save opportunity. While he had some command issues with four walks and three hit batters across 11 innings, he also struck out eight and flashed some high-end velocity with his fastball averaging 96.6 mph.
Sinclair impressed manager Blake Butera and the coaching staff with his performance, as the skipper said, per MLB.com, “I think that you just get a good feeling when he takes the ball.”
That gives a little insight into how they might view the former 16th-round pick now, and with virtually every single role in the bullpen up for grabs — especially the ones in the later innings based on the record-setting number of saves the Nationals blew in 2026 — Sinclair could be firmly in the mix for one of them.
Jack Sinclair Could Be Nationals’ Setup Man
Washington needs a true closer. Trade deadline acquisition Yovanny Cruz profiles as one based on his wicked fastball-slider combination, but he has some command issues that might prevent him from ever stepping into that role. Sinclair likely doesn’t get considered for that position, but he could play a key part in getting the ball to the closer’s hand.
With five holds and a save across his 11 big league appearances this season, Sinclair proved that he can be effective in high-pressure situations. He also limited base runners with a .158 ERA against and a WHIP of 0.91. Combine that with his elite number of holding right-handed hitters to a .048 batting average, and Sinclair looks like a real back-end weapon for the Nationals.
“He’s just the same guy every time, and he’s not afraid of the moment,” Butera said about Sinclair. “I think that there’s a lot to be said for that when you pitch in the back of a bullpen.”
That quote is also telling when it comes to how Sinclair might be utilized next season. Of course, he’ll have to remain healthy and earn his place in the bullpen through strong winter and spring workouts. Then, from there, he’ll have to pitch well during Grapefruit League action. But, right now, it seems like Washington is preparing to utilize Sinclair in a much larger role next season.
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