This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato's Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
WASHINGTON -- The irony surrounding the league’s top basestealer is that he has one of the slowest animals as a pet.
Introducing Nasim Nuñez and his turtle, George.
The story began about 15 years ago in South Carolina -- long before Nuñez led the Majors in stolen bases (with 14 entering Wednesday) -- when a young Nuñez stumbled upon a group of the reptiles with his family.
“My cousins found a whole bunch of snapping turtles in the backyard, and I wanted to keep one,” Nuñez, now 25, said. “I was crying and throwing a fit. Then my cousin said if I stopped crying and we’d get in the car to leave, he'd get me a turtle.”
Nuñez obliged. His parents were on board, too. But before his mother’s cousin, Kevin, took him to the pet store, there was another caveat.
“He made me go to the library to do all my homework,” Nuñez recounted. “And then we went to go get it.”
Once at the store, Nuñez was prepared. He selected his turtle and promptly named him.
“Curious George was pretty big back then,” he explained.
Nuñez grew up with George living in a tank in the dining area and now in the living room. Nuñez gave credit to his father for taking the lead on cleaning the tank all these years, while Nuñez prefers to help with feedings (shrimp is George’s favorite treat). George still resides at Nuñez’s parents’ house, and Nuñez visits during the offseason.
“I learned that they grow based on their environment,” Nuñez said. “It’s kind of a life lesson. If you stay in a small environment, you’ll stay small. If you get into a bigger environment, you’ll grow.”
Nuñez has applied that outlook to baseball this season.
A 2023 Rule 5 Draft pick from the Marlins’ organization, he earned a consistent spot in the Nationals’ starting lineup for the first time in his career. He’s embraced that larger role and has done damage on the basepaths in that increased playing time.
“He's been great,” said president of baseball operations Paul Toboni. “I think what I've loved is, he plays so free out there, and clear-minded. Oftentimes, I think when you see folks trying to steal bags, they can hesitate a little bit, they maybe overthink it. He's exceptionally clear-minded when he's on the basepaths, and I think it allows his athleticism and his instincts to really play. Hopefully that can continue going forward.”
Along with his league-high 14 stolen bases, Nuñez ranks in the 99th percentile in sprint speed (29.8 feet per second). He leads all players in stolen bases of second base vs. average with 10, has two runs via a stolen base and he is second in stolen-base advance attempts with 12.
Manager Blake Butera credited first-base coach Corey Ray for the work he has put in with Nuñez since Spring Training to pick his spots. Nuñez stole his first base of the season on Opening Day.
“Teams are aware that he's going to run every time he gets on base, so they might pick once, they might pitch out, they might pick back-to-back [and] then pitch out,” Butera said. “I think [Ray’s] done a really good job of making sure Nas isn't getting too aggressive over there, and being a little bit more mindful of, ‘They know you’re on base. You're not sneak attacking anybody here.’ So just being a lot more thoughtful in times to run.”
Ray was impressed with Nuñez’s natural baserunning abilities when they began working together. Nuñez had stolen a total of 17 bases in 90 games across his first two seasons. He has already nabbed 14 in his first 33 games this year.
“You can overanalyze and talk yourself into not stealing base, or you can overanalyze and talk yourself into getting picked off or getting caught stealing,” said Ray. “I just try to put Nas in positions where all he's got to do is be athletic and be himself.”