It’s been a while since our last subscriber Q&A with a member of the Nationals. Apologies for skipping July; there were a few pressing matters going on around that time, you may remember. But we’re back strong for the August edition, thanks to a bunch of great questions submitted by Founding Members to Nats Journal.
This month’s subject: Nasim Nuñez. The 26-year-old infielder has been on quite the career trajectory since the Nationals acquired him from the Marlins in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft. He rode the bench throughout 2024, rarely seeing game action. Then, having fulfilled his Rule 5 requirement staying on the active MLB roster an entire season, he spent most of 2025 at Triple-A Rochester, appearing in only 39 big-league games.
Now, though, Nuñez has become virtually an everyday player for the Nats, not to mention their starting shortstop for now with CJ Abrams injured (and expected to shift to second base once healthy again). Despite minimal offensive production, he leads the majors in stolen bases. And because of his defensive prowess, he has amassed nearly 2.0 WAR for the season, which ranks sixth on the club.
I sat down with Nuñez on Thursday in Texas and asked him the following reader-submitted questions, which as you’ll see covered a wide range of subjects both serious and silly. He was game for everything, and answered them with his usual wide smile.
If you’d like to participate in a future Q&A, please consider upgrading your subscription to the Founding Member level. And if you happen to be one of our thousands of free subscribers who would like access to all articles and the comments section, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription for only $7.99 per month (or $5.99 per month if you sign up for a full-year subscription). As we inch closer to season’s end, keep in mind I’m planning to write near-daily articles throughout the offseason (and possible lockout), so your subscription will remain just as valuable all winter …
