Just when we thought we figured out who Nasim Nunez was, he threw us a curveball. The light hitting shortstop was a heavy hitter in September, slugging four home runs in what was a massive month for him. Was that a fluke, or will we see more power from the slick 5’8 shortstop?
That is a question worth finding the answer to in 2026 because if Nunez can be serviceable with the bat, he would be a very valuable player. Nunez’s secondary tools have never been a question. He has always been a great defender and base runner. That is why the Nationals took a chance on him in the Rule 5 draft despite posting a .627 OPS in Double-A the previous season.
Nasim Nunez has been an elite defender his whole life, and nothing changed in 2025. Despite only playing 39 games, Nunez had 4 outs above average. He did that while playing shortstop, second base and even a couple games in center field. His athleticism, range and throwing arm are all exceptional.
Watching Nunez at shortstop is especially jarring due to the defensive limitations of CJ Abrams. It is just an occasional reminder of what a true defensive wizard looks like at shortstop. For a small guy, his throwing arm is also insane. He can make some crazy plays in the hole due to his cannon of an arm.
Nunez is also a great base runner. In a small sample size, Nunez had 1.8 BsR and +2 base running value on Statcast. Nasim stole 9 bases this season while only being caught once. In the Minor Leagues, Nunez ran wild, stealing 36 bags in 63 games. That is a big part of his game, and he does a solid job of getting on base due to a good batting eye.
Despite all of those strengths, his upside was limited by his lack of impact. Nunez has always had a noodle of a bat. In 414 Minor League games, he only hit 9 homers. Only 57 of his 355 hits went for extra bases. He also does not have the kind of elite bat to ball skills to make up for that lack of juice.
So despite walking a good amount, his OPS was always very low. He hit for no power and not much average either. Nunez is only a .236 career hitter in the minors, though he does have a .355 career OBP. However, with better pitchers in the MLB, those walk numbers will come down. Pitchers would just pound the zone against Nunez.
However, something weird happened in September. Nasim Nunez started jacking home runs. It was one of the most unexpected developments of the season for me. I was not sure he would ever hit an MLB homer, but he smacked four in a month.
So what changed and can this be sustainable? If you look at his history, the answer is no. Nothing in his past would suggest he could hit for any power. This must just be some crazy fluke. However, there are some interesting numbers that suggest he is making more impact on the ball.
His batted ball data was way up this year. He only had 78 plate appearances last year and 92 this year, so the sample size is small. However, the changes in exit velocity and bat speed are significant.
In 2024, Nunez had an average exit velocity of just 83.3 MPH and a bat speed of 66.4 MPH. Both of those are very poor numbers and suggest a total lack of power. They are numbers that make sense for a guy with 9 career minor league homers.
This season, Nunez’s average exit velocity was 88.6 MPH and the bat speed was up to 69.4 MPH. Neither of those are great numbers, in fact they are both below average. However, they are massive improvements and give Nunez a fighting chance in the box. He is not swinging a pool noodle up there anymore.
While Nunez was not a great hitter in AAA, some of the data was promising. His average exit velocity in AAA was 88.2 MPH, so right in line with what he did in the big leagues. With his speed and defense, that added impact can make him a serious player. Nunez has been working with Coach G, James Wood’s private hitting coach. That could be the cause of this improved power. It is possible that an improvement in his mechanics is the cause of this.
Even if he is a slightly below average hitter, Nunez will be a valuable player. This season his OPS was only .699, but he still managed to put up 0.8 fWAR in a small sample. He actually had more fWAR than Luis Garcia Jr., who played 139 games this year. That is the kind of impact Nunez can have if he is even a mediocre hitter.
Nunez is also a great character in the locker room. His charisma and charm seems to brighten the mood, especially for his good buddy James Wood. It is clear that Wood and Nunez have a great relationship. Hey, being friends with the best player on the team is helpful for a guy on the fringes of the roster.
So what will Nunez’s role on the 2026 team be? Well, that is very much up in the air. It really depends on what Paul Toboni thinks about the situation. If Luis Garcia Jr. is brought back, Nunez will likely be in the same sort of bench role. However, if Toboni wants to prioritize defense, there is a path to Nunez being the starting shortstop.
CJ Abrams is a poor defender at shortstop, so a move to second base could be on the cards. Second base would be a better position for Abrams, whose arm and instincts are limited. That could open the door for Nunez to be given a shot. With his speed and defense, he can be a valuable player if the bat doesn’t turn into a pumpkin.
Nasim Nunez is one of the most interesting players to watch next Spring Training. I am very interested to see how he looks with the bat. If he can be a respectable MLB hitter, there is a path to a lot of playing time for him.