The Nationals valued pitcher Zack Littell long before he capped a resurgent May with a win in Sunday’s 4-2, series-clinching victory over the San Diego Padres.
Even as the 30-year-old weathered a 7.85 ERA through the end of April, Washington’s decision-makers felt confident that Littell would be a key factor in the Nationals’ rebuild.
“There’s a lot more to Zack than just what you see out there on the mound,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said. “What he does in the clubhouse is awesome.”
Littell has been the player responsible for organizing team dinners and golf outings, even though he was a late signing. The journeyman missed the beginning of spring training before signing with the Nationals in March.
“He’s great for the guys in the clubhouse. He helps [fellow pitcher] Cade Cavalli a ton, just learn, in between starts. Just the soft skills that he has outside of seeing him on the mound every five or six days,” Butera said. “The ability to bring a team together to lead a clubhouse.”
In May, Littell’s on-field work has started to match his off-field bona fides. He struggled through the first month of the season, allowing three or more runs through five of his six starts. Littell racked up an ugly 0-4 record to match.
But a flip switched as the calendar turned. Littell has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last six starts. He opened Sunday’s start with six scoreless innings before allowing three batters to reach base in the top of the seventh inning.
Littell earned the win on Sunday after allowing just two runs and five hits. The decision was his fifth consecutive victory.
It was only a matter of time before Littell’s performance regressed to the mean, according to Butera.
“He’s been a good pitcher for a while, but we acquired him later. … He didn’t have the normal build-up he’s had in previous years,” Washington’s first-year manager said. “We wanted to give him a little bit of time to get his feet under him. Now he’s in a good spot physically, mentally, emotionally.”
He received an assist from Washington’s high-powered lineup on Sunday. Second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. opened the scoring with a solo home run in the fourth inning.
Outfielder James Wood provided more run support with a two-run homer — his 16th of the year — in the fifth.
Littell’s teammates in the bullpen combined to toss three scoreless innings as the Nationals secured their third consecutive series victory.
“The group is just more confident. You got a team full of young guys, taking series from teams that are really good, the Braves, the Padres,” Littell said. “It’s only going to continue to build confidence in these guys that they can go out and compete with anybody.”
The run of success hasn’t shocked Butera. The first month of the season was about laying a foundation and a culture, using veterans like Littell and a new coaching staff to introduce new standards.
May, which was Washington’s first 16-win month since August 2023, held the fruits of that early labor.
“It makes you feel good. I’m happy with the way things are trending right now,” Butera said, noting that the largest building blocks are in place. The rest of the season is about refinement. “Cleaning up some small things here and there will take us from a good team to a great team, and that’s the goal.”
Expectations were low for the rebuilding Nationals when they opened the season with a young squad. The franchise hadn’t posted a winning record since winning the World Series in 2019.
Now they’re entering June with a 31-29 record, nine games behind the division-leading Braves in the NL East.
The energy in Washington’s clubhouse matches the winning ways.
“It’s a lot of fun. You come to the field and you never really know who might be the hero that day,” Wood said. “It’s just fun rooting for these guys. Everyone’s playing at a really high level and it feels like everyone’s made big improvements. It’s cool to see.”
The Nationals’ homestand continues on Monday as they open a three-game series against the Miami Marlins.
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