Jake Alu

Alu has defied the odds as a former 24th-round pick out of Boston College who was added to the Nationals' 40-man roster last offseason following a breakout year in the minors. He began the 2023 campaign on Triple-A Rochester's injured list with a knee issue but nonetheless found himself in the big leagues by early May. Alu was with the Nationals for good in the second half but never found his footing at the plate, ultimately finishing with just a .571 OPS, two home runs and five stolen bases over 51 contests. The 26-year-old saw action at second and third base and in left field with the Nats and is a candidate to garner some playing time at all three of those spots against right-handers in 2024. The 20 homers Alu hit in the minors in 2022 look like an outlier, and his 33.3 percent hard-hit rate in the majors and 28.3 percent hard-hit rate in the minors in 2023 are very underwhelming. He can run a little, though, and could wind up playing quite a bit for the Nationals this season. Read Past Outlooks