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Andrew Alvarez pitched his way into the Washington Nationals future plans this year

The Washington Nationals’ 2026 season was marked by a standout performance from left-handed pitcher Andrew Alvarez, who quietly carved out a key role in the rotation despite entering the year with little fanfare. Alvarez, a 26-year-old rookie in 2025, flashed promise late in his debut campaign with a 2.31 ERA and 20 strikeouts over five starts and 23.1 innings, though his minor-league track record and modest velocity made his success seem like a fleeting burst.

This year, however, he silenced doubters with a 3.43 ERA and 114 strikeouts across 112.2 innings, culminating in a dominant post-deadline stretch where his ERA dropped to 2.15, his WHIP to 0.974, and his strikeout rate to 8.8 per nine innings. His ability to limit hard contact—posting a league-leading 6.2% barrel rate and a 49.8% ground-ball percentage—kept opposing hitters off balance, as evidenced by just seven home runs allowed all season, a testament to his disciplined approach of avoiding pitches in the heart of the zone despite a 10.8% walk rate.

Alvarez’s weapon has been his curveball, a deceptively hard 83–86 mph offering with sharp drop that accounted for 71 of his 114 strikeouts, proving that his success wasn’t just about limiting damage but generating swing-and-miss opportunities. With one final start remaining, his 3.17 ERA over 108 innings has firmly locked him into the 2027 rotation, offering the Nationals a reliable arm built on a mix of craftiness and a standout secondary pitch.

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