Washington Nationals agree to terms with Jacob Young
The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a four-year contract, including one club option, with outfielder Jacob Young on Wednesday. The contract begins in 2027 and runs through the 2030 season with a club option for the 2031 season. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcement.
Young, 27, is coming off his most productive offensive season in 2026 while remaining one of the top defensive outfielders in all of Major League Baseball. He established career marks in doubles (22), triples (3), home runs (10), RBI (50) and walks (33). From July 1 through the end of the season, Young hit .301/.390/.428 with 13 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 20 RBI, 21 walks, 10 stolen bases and 25 runs scored.
“We are incredibly thrilled to make this commitment to Jacob,” said Toboni. “Already one of the top defenders in Major League Baseball, we all saw the significant step forward Jacob took offensively in 2026 and we anticipate continued development in the years to come. On top of being a leader in our clubhouse, he and his wife, Caroline, have made a strong impact in the community in just a short time. He is a tremendous representative of the organization and we are excited to have him in the fold for the next several years.”
Defensively, Young finished third among National League center fielders in both outs above average (11) and runs prevented (10), according to MLB Statcast. Over the last three seasons, Young ranks second among Major League outfielders with 46 outs above average, 41 runs prevented and has made 41 four-star plays (outs with less than a 50% catch probability) according to Statcast. He was a finalist for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2024 and 2025.
Young entered the season with five home runs in 1,006 career plate appearances across his first three Major League seasons before hitting 10 homers in 471 plate appearances in 2026. His flyball rate increased to 39.8% in 2026 (25.7% in 2025) and his groundball rate decreased to 38.6% in 2026 (53.8% in 2025). Young ranked second in Major League Baseball hitting .405 (17-for-42) with four doubles, two homers, 22 RBI, six walks and four strikeouts with two outs and runners in scoring position.
Selected in the seventh round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Florida, Young moved quickly through Washington’s Minor League system to make his Major League debut in 2023. He was named “Good Guy” by D.C. Media in 2026, earned three MLB Play of the Week Awards in 2025. As a Minor Leaguer he was the recipient of the “Nationals Way” Award (2023) and Baserunner of the Year (2022). In four Major League seasons, Young has hit .248/.312/.339 with 63 doubles, six triples, 15 home runs, 129 RBI, 100 walks, 79 stolen bases and 175 runs scored in 443 games.