CHICAGO -- From the first day of Spring Training, the Nationals emphasized accountability as a core belief this season.
As it turns out, the first game of the season presented an opportunity for that.
“On Thursday, [CJ Abrams] crushed that ball to right field and gets thrown out at second base, of course, which isn't like CJ,” manager Blake Butera said Saturday. “But he came in right away and just owned up to it and knew he made a mistake not getting out of the box quick. [He] said that it can't happen and wanted to fully own that mistake he made.”
During the Nationals’ six-run fourth inning on Opening Day at Wrigley Field on Thursday, Abrams stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. He lifted a deep fly ball a Statcast-projected 361 feet to right field at 110.8 mph off Matthew Boyd. It would have been a home run in 28 out of 30 Major League ballparks, but not at Wrigley Field.
Abrams paused to watch the ball before getting out of the box. Despite dashing around the basepaths at 30.5 feet per second (which is considered “elite” by Statcast), he was thrown out at second base on an outfield relay. A challenge upheld the call.
Abrams approached Butera about his hustle as soon as he entered the Nationals’ dugout.
“He knows the culture we're trying to create here, the accountability piece,” Butera said. “I think any time that a player like CJ is able to recognize their own mistake and gets caught up in a big moment -- understandably so, it's Wrigley Field on Opening Day with bases loaded, and he hits the ball like that -- but to come in on his own and then say, ‘Hey, my mistake, that won't happen,’ [that] just goes a long way to make us feel good about the culture we're creating here where players are holding each other accountable.
“And he's holding himself accountable to the fact that none of us even had to go up to CJ. He came up to us on his own and felt horrible about it and said it won’t happen again.”
The Nats are looking to their young players to step into leadership roles this season, and the 25-year-old Abrams is one of them.
“I think it speaks to what the coaching staff is creating where no one has to tell CJ that he's got to run out of the box -- he’s coming into the dugout and he’s coming up to Blake and saying, ‘Hey, that’s on me,’” said president of baseball operations Paul Toboni. “To us, that's what accountability is. CJ is a really smart player and smart guy, and he knows it.
“I think some of the best in Blake’s position, they understand when you have to say something and when you don’t. And I don’t think anyone has to say anything to CJ. He knows, he’s smart, he’s competitive and he gets those things.”
Abrams played the remainder on Thursday, and the Nationals had a scheduled off-day on Friday. He was away from the team on Saturday because of a death in the family. Abrams is expected to return for the series finale on Sunday.
“We have CJ’s back,” said Butera.