3 weeks agoThe Washington Nationals previously named left-hander
MacKenzie Gore as the starter for their Grapefruit League opener on Saturday against the Houston Astros, but he's being pushed back because he wants to be able to go two innings in his debut. Instead, right-hander
Jake Irvin will make the start on Saturday. Gore and Irvin will be Washington's top two starting pitchers heading into the 2025 season, with Gore most likely getting the nod to pitch on Opening Day on March 27 at home against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. The 25-year-old southpaw will be looking to take the next step in his third year in D.C. after going 10-12 with a career-best 3.90 ERA (3.53 FIP) and 1.42 WHIP with a career-high 181 strikeouts and 65 walks in 166 1/3 innings over 32 starts. Opponents had a high .340 BABIP against him, but he also had the third-worst WHIP in baseball. Gore is RotoBaller's No. 69 fantasy starting pitcher.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
3 weeks agoWashington Nationals left-hander
MacKenzie Gore will start the team's Grapefruit League opener on Saturday against the Houston Astros. Gore and right-hander
Jake Irvin figure to be the top candidates to start on Opening Day of the regular season as well. The 25-year-old southpaw was a bit better for the Nats in his second season with the team in 2024, going 10-12 with a career-best 3.90 ERA (3.53 FIP) and 1.42 WHIP with a career-high 181 strikeouts and 65 walks in 166 1/3 innings over 32 starts. He continues to refine his repertoire and could be even better for Washington in 2025, considering hitters had a very high .340 BABIP against him. In order to take the next step, though, Gore will need to show better control of all of his pitches. At the start of spring training games this week, RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 69 fantasy starting pitcher.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
6 months agoWashington Nationals starting pitcher
MacKenzie Gore was solid on Saturday afternoon as he struck out nine Cubs in the Nationals' 5-1 win over Chicago. Gore went seven deep and allowed just one hit as he improved his record to 10-12 on the season. The young lefty now has five straight starts in a row allowing two earned runs or fewer. Gore has been a solid arm for the Nationals as Washington works to continue their rebuild in the NL East. His 160.1 innings pitched mark a career high for him. He's also posted a career best mark with a 3.62 FIP, suggesting that his 4.04 ERA could be even better going forward. Fantasy managers that need starting pitching help in the last week of the season may want to ensure Gore's in their lineups. Dynasty managers need to ensure Gore stays on their roster as the dynamic lefty will have plenty of value going forward. His final start of the 2024 season will come on Saturday when the Nationals host the Philadelphia Phillies.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 months agoWashington Nationals starting pitcher
MacKenzie Gore tossed six innings of one-hit ball in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Marlins, allowing just one run and one walk while striking out nine batters, but did not factor into the decision. It marked the third consecutive quality start for the 25-year-old after collecting just five quality starts over his first 25 games. The southpaw lowered his ERA on the season to 4.32, although his FIP (3.56) and xFIP (3.90) suggest he's been better than that. The former third-overall draft pick also has a 1.50 WHIP and 15.4% K-BB% for the year. His next start will come at home against Atlanta next Tuesday. He's faced the Braves three times this year, dominating them for a 1.65 ERA over three starts, allowing three earned runs on 19 hits and one walk while striking out 21 in 16 1/3 innings pitched.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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