CJ Abrams gave the Nationals the kind of production that had been missing from their lineup for years, driving in all three runs Tuesday night in a 3-1 victory over the Tigers at Comerica Park.
The Washington shortstop entered the night on the edge of a milestone and left with 102 RBIs, becoming the first Nationals player to reach 100 in a season since the club’s 2019 championship run. Abrams now has 33 home runs, putting together one of the strongest offensive seasons ever by a Nationals shortstop.
A milestone night in Detroit
- In the second inning, Abrams jumped on a Drew Anderson fastball and drove it 418 feet into the right-center-field seats for a solo homer.
- He came back against Anderson in the seventh with a runner aboard and Washington trailing, turning another pitch into a go-ahead two-run shot to right field. That drive was projected at 404 feet.
- The two-homer game gave Abrams three RBIs and carried the Nationals to the 3-1 final.
It was a clean, decisive night from the leadoff shortstop: two swings, three runs, and a place in club history. Abrams is the 12th player in Nationals history, dating to 2005, to produce at least 100 RBIs in a season.
Joining the 2019 standard
Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto were the last Washington hitters to clear the 100-RBI line, doing so in 2019. Rendon finished that season with 126, while Soto drove in 110.
Abrams has also become part of a much smaller major league group this year. Cubs standout Pete Crow-Armstrong is the only other player with at least 30 homers and more than 100 RBIs this season. Soto reached those same thresholds a year ago.
Setting the pace at shortstop
Among National League shortstops, Abrams leads the position in home runs, RBIs and extra-base hits. His season has moved well beyond a promising power-speed profile and into the middle-of-the-order production clubs count on when games tighten late.
Tuesday in Detroit was another reminder of that change. Abrams did not merely reach a round number; he supplied every run Washington needed, then sent the Nationals home with a win behind him.
