The Washington Nationals are coming off a below-average 2023 that saw them miss the playoffs with a record of 71-91 -- good for a last-place finish in the NL East and tied for the second-worst record in the NL.

The Nationals are at the start of a rebuild, but not many steps were taken in free agency to accelerate that process and support their exciting young prospects. What does that mean for 2024? An uphill battle in a very competitive NL East.

What are the Nationals’ odds to win the World Series, per the World Series odds at FanDuel Sportsbook?

The Washington Nationals are listed at +25000 to win the World Series, tied for the 27th-best odds.

Let's look at what we can expect from the Nationals in 2024.

All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Nationals World Series Odds

• Odds to Win the World Series: +25000 (27th)

Nationals Betting Odds

• Win Total: 66.5
• Odds to Make the Playoffs: +1700
• Odds to Win the NL East: +12000 (5th)
• Odds to Reach NLCS: +9500 (9th)
• Odds to Win the National League: +12000 (14th)

Nationals Projections

nERD from numberFire. Projections via FanGraphs.

• nERD: -1.14 (24th)
• Wins: 66 (29th)
• Runs Per Game: 4.30 (28th)
• Runs Allowed Per Game: 5.23 (29th)
• Run Differential: -152 (29th)

Nationals Analysis

There were very few bright spots for Washington in 2023. They struggled on both sides of the ball and finished with the fifth-worst record in baseball.

They were a slightly better team at the plate than on the mound. Their 4.32 runs per game ranked 21st, ahead of both the New York Yankees (4.15) and Miami Marlins (4.11). Their 151 home runs were the second-lowest total in baseball, behind only the Cleveland Guardians (124). Their 9.5 WAR was fourth-worst in the league, and they were a bottom-10 side in SLG (.396), OBP (.314), and RBI (665).

Still, the Nationals' offense was decent enough that, with better pitching, they might have been closer to a .500 team -- but they had the opposite of better pitching.

Their 5.22 runs allowed per game was the fourth-most in the majors. They gave up the most HR/9 (1.54), and their 5.5 WAR was second-worst, ahead of only the historically bad Oakland Athletics. They were also a bottom-five side in K/9 (7.72) and home run to fly ball ratio (14.9%).

When you generate the second-fewest home runs and allow the most home runs, winning games is a challenging task. The result was a -145 run differential, the fifth-worst in baseball.

After a relatively quiet offseason, the results aren't expected to change much in 2024.

FanGraphs’ projections expect Washington to score 4.30 runs per game this season, tied for second-fewest ahead of only Oakland and down 0.02 from last season. On the mound, they expect a similar decline, with the Nationals’ runs allowed per game sitting at 5.23, the second-most in the majors and up 0.01 from last season.

The projected result? A –152 run differential and a 66-96 record, second-worst in both categories and ahead of only the Colorado Rockies in both.

There may be brighter days ahead of Washington, but those days look unlikely to come in 2024. They are a long shot to even reach the NLCS (+9500). Winning the World Series will be an even more difficult task.

Every Team's Odds to Win the World Series

• Los Angeles Dodgers (+320)
• Atlanta Braves (+450)
• Houston Astros (+700)
• New York Yankees (+800)
• Texas Rangers (+1400)
• Philadelphia Phillies (+1500)
• Baltimore Orioles (+1500)
• Minnesota Twins (+2000)
• Toronto Blue Jays (+2000)
• Seattle Mariners (+2000)
• St. Louis Cardinals (+3200)
• Tampa Bay Rays (+3300)
• Chicago Cubs (+3500)
• Arizona Diamondbacks (+4000)
• New York Mets (+5000)
• Boston Red Sox (+5000)
• Cincinnati Reds (+5500)
• San Diego Padres (+6000)
• San Francisco Giants (+6000)
• Detroit Tigers (+6000)
• Cleveland Guardians (+7500)
• Milwaukee Brewers (+8500)
• Miami Marlins (+9000)
• Kansas City Royals (+15000)
• Los Angeles Angels (+18000)
• Pittsburgh Pirates (+20000)
• Washington Nationals +25000)
• Chicago White Sox (+25000)
• Oakland Athletics (+50000)
• Colorado Rockies (+50000)

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.