It’s not a surprise to many the Washington Nationals are going to miss the playoffs again.
The current state they’re in as a franchise has been self-imposed, opting to start a rebuild when they couldn’t defend their World Series title and failed to lock up Juan Soto to a massive contract extension.
That has caused the organization, and fans, to exercise patience when it comes to the future state of this franchise, something that has been difficult to do when watching the Atlanta Braves dominate the regular season and the Philadelphia Phillies make deep playoff runs after spending large sums of money.
So, with under three weeks until this campaign comes to an end, the Nationals will be sitting at home watching the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
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During the offseason, Washington’s ownership group and front office will have some important decisions to make.
They can decided to speed up this process by bringing in some high-profile free agents to boost this roster, or they can continue to let things ride and see how their multiple star prospects develop at the Major League level.
One thing seems certain, though, CJ Abrams will be a building block of the future.
Acquired as a center piece of the Soto deal with the San Diego Padres, the Nationals have allowed him to mature in the MLB where many of his flaws and struggles have been on full display the past three season.
However, the 23-year-old has put together the best campaign of his career by earning his first All-Star Game selection and slashing .239/.306/.426 with 20 homers, 65 RBI and an OPS of 107 entering Thursday’s game that’s above the league average for the first time.
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Abrams has certainly struggled at times, but his talent is clearly there.
And with his 420-foot blast to center field on Wednesday, the young shortstop also became only the fifth member in franchise history to record a 20/20 season.
Alfonso Soriano was the first player to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in a singular campaign with Washington back in 2006 when he actually joined the rare 40/40 club, but Abrams did this at an age that only phenom Bryce Harper had previously done in a Nationals jersey.
“That’s a heck of an accomplishment for a young player. I’m really proud of him. He’s been battling every day. To get that out of the way, maybe he can relax a little bit and finish the season up strong,” manager Dave Martinez said per Mark Zuckerman of MASN.
Much of the credit has to be given to the skipper and his staff, as they have worked with the young hitter whenever he is in a slump to help him get his swing right again.
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“He’s really trying to stay behind the ball a little better, use his hands and use his legs more. That swing [Wednesday] was awesome. I told him if you had to take a picture of a swing, take the picture of that and instill it in your memory. Because that was a good swing,” Martinez added.
With 28 stolen bases on the year, Abrams is already eyeing the next step to putting his name in the Major League history books by becoming a 30/30 player at some point in his career.
Ideally for him and Washington, that comes in 2025.
WASHINGTON — The Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., is featuring Georgia among its participating states. The fair had to close for several hours Friday because of the heat, but reopened to visitors.
Georgia’s booth showcases the state’s No. 1 industry: agriculture. The display focuses on peaches, peanuts, Vidalia onions and poultry.
One fairgoer said Georgia’s agricultural offerings were a surprise.
“I was not aware that you did eggs in Georgia. I should have figured that out since Waffle House is pretty much in every town, but that was a learning, and then, of course going along with eggs is chickens,” the attendee said.
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All states are represented at the fair, though not all are participating directly.
Storm Team4 is tracking severe thunderstorms, flood watches and flash flood warnings. See all weather alerts here.
4 things to know about the weather:
Strong storms and downpours taper off as a cooler pattern settles into the DMV
Temperatures fall back below normal for early July with highs mainly in the 80s
Periods of clouds and scattered showers/storms remain possible through midweek
Humidity stays up there, but the dangerous heat is taking a break (thank goodness)
After a heat wave and some strong thunderstorms, the weather pattern across Washington and the DMV turns noticeably less hot this week.
A frontal boundary settling south of the region will bring cooler temperatures, more clouds, and periodic chances for showers through midweek. While it won’t be a washout, keep the umbrella nearby as unsettled conditions linger. Temperatures remain much more comfortable compared to the recent heat wave.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
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QuickCast
MONDAY Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and storms possible A few pockets of heavier rain cannot be ruled out Humid, but significantly cooler. Heat Index and low 90s Wind: East to northeast 5–10 mph Chance of rain: 50% Highs: 85° to 89°
MONDAY NIGHT Mostly cloudy with a few lingering showers Mild and humid Wind: Light Lows: 71°–74°
TUESDAY Mostly cloudy and cooler Showers still possible Less intense humidity compared to previous days Highs: 82°–86°
WEDNESDAY Mostly cloudy with a few breaks of sun; highs in the lower 80s A few showers possible
THURSDAY Warmer and more humid as sunshine returns Scattered afternoon storms possible
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Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are searching for incarcerated person Miguel Banuelos, who walked away from Washington Ridge Conservation Camp in Nevada County on July 4, 2026.
Banuelos was last seen at approximately 12:35 p.m. During a 2 p.m. count, staff discovered he was missing and immediately began searching the camp grounds. After staff were unable to locate him, escape procedures were initiated and local law enforcement was notified.
Banuelos, 49, was received from San Diego County on July 23, 2025. He was sentenced to seven years for transportation or sale of a controlled substance and possession or purchase of heroin/cocaine exceeding four kilograms. He was scheduled to be released on April 20, 2028.
Banuelos is 49 years old, five feet, seven inches, weighs approximately 189 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair.
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Anyone who sees Banuelos or has information about his whereabouts should contact 911 or the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information may also contact Lt. Wayland Hanks at (916) 200-6127 or OCS Special Agent Tim Keeney at (916) 210-9159.
Since 1977, 99 percent of the people who have escaped or walked away from an adult institution, camp, in-state contract bed, or community-based program placement have been apprehended.
