Washington Nationals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Washington Nationals first baseman/outfielder Juan Yepez went 3-for-4 at the plate on Friday with one double, two singles, two runs, and three RBI. Even though his 15-game hitting streak was snapped on Thursday, he bounced right back on Friday with an impressive three-hit night. Since being promoted from Triple-A on July 5, Yepez has carried a dominant .375/.424/.609 line with two home runs, nine doubles, 10 RBI, and a 6:12 BB:K ratio and has run away with first base starting duties in Washington. Yepez should be rostered in all leagues going forward, as he could provide an elite batting average in the second half.

Despite a nice performance on Thursday, Washington Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin fell to 2-10 on the season. Corbin tossed seven innings, allowing four hits, three runs, three walks and striking out seven, but it would not come close to his opponent, Dylan Cease's no-hitter. Despite the loss, Corbin has been put together back-to-back quality starts and it will be interesting to see if the Nationals are able to move the veteran at the upcoming trade deadline. Regardless of where he is pitching, Corbin is nothing more than a streaming option in the most favorable matchups. Next up for Corbin will be a date on the road against his former team, the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

The Washington Nationals have called up pitcher DJ Herz from Triple-A Rochester, and he will pitch against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Herz made seven appearances with the Nationals earlier this season and went 1-2 with a 5.47 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. He recorded 41 strikeouts and nine walks over 31 1/3 innings before being sent down after a start on July 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Herz recorded his first win against the Miami Marlins on June 15. His strikeout potential makes him an intriguing play for daily fantasy managers, while those in standard leagues would be wise to keep him on the waiver wire.

Washington Nationals rookie outfielder James Wood is batting fifth in Tuesday's game versus San Diego Padres. Wood is hitting .246/.319/.354 with two homers, 12 RBI, seven runs scored, and two steals in four attempts in his first 17 games with the Nationals. He hit a go-ahead three-run homer in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds, giving him hits in seven of his last eight. He will face Padres hurler Randy Vasquez, which is good news since he is hitting .276/.364/.414 against right-handers. He will be a high-reward play for daily fantasy managers, while those in standard leagues will keep him in their lineup.

Washington Nationals first baseman Juan Yepez stayed red-hot in Friday night's win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park, clubbing his first home run of the season with three RBI. Yepez increased the Nationals' lead with a three-run homer off Reds right-hander Frankie Montas to left field in the fifth inning, extending his hitting streak to 11 games in Friday's victory. We've seen the 26-year-old former St. Louis Cardinal make plenty of noise upon being called up in the past, and he's replaced Joey Meneses at first base in Washington with a sizzling .390/.468/.610 triple-slash line, six doubles, six RBI, eight runs scored, and one stolen base through his first 47 trips to the plate in 2024. Yepez should be rostered in deep fantasy leagues while he's running hot, but he's going to cool down at some point.