WASHINGTON – CJ Abrams has a way of welcoming pitchers to the big leagues.
Over his five-year career, Abrams has faced 10 starting pitchers who were making their Major League debut. Unfortunately for those opposing arms, Abrams has homered off of four of them.
In the first inning of the Nationals’ 8-4 win over the Mets on Wednesday night, Abrams crushed a three-run home run off lefty Zach Thornton.
He has done the same to the Braves’ JR Ritchie (April 23), the Dodgers’ Landon Knack (April 17, 2024) and the Reds’ Lyon Richardson (Aug. 6, 2023).
With four such home runs since the start of the 2022 season, Abrams is tied for the most in baseball with the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, the Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández and the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh, per Elias Sports Bureau.
Against debuting starting pitchers, Abrams is 6-for-23 (.261) with four home runs, seven RBIs and two walks.
Abrams went 2-for-4 on the night with two runs scored. He is tied for the league lead with 42 RBIs through 49 games; has never driven in more than 65 in a season.
“To be one of the best players in baseball, which I think CJ has the potential to do – and he’s shown it offensively this year with the names that he's right up there with in terms of offensive success this year – it takes a concerted effort daily to be the best version of yourself,” manager Blake Butera said.
“When you look in the clubhouse at the end of the game, CJ is one of the last people to leave. Today, when I was here, he was one of the first people to the field. He's taking care of his body; he's doing the right things; he's put himself in a position to not only play every day, but feel good every day and set himself up to have success every day.”