CJ Abrams was the starting shortstop for the National League All-Star team this year. But the Washington Nationals will be transitioning him to second base during the rest of the season, manager Blake Butera announced on Friday.
In Abrams’ place, Nasim Nuñez will eventually become the Nationals’ starting shortstop. But those who follow the team — and its minor-league prospects — wonder if Seaver King, ranked No. 4 in the Washington system by MLB.com, could soon take over at that position.
Abrams, 25, has had an outstanding offensive season for the Nationals with a slash line of .284/.357/.541 with 29 home runs, 23 doubles, 23 stolen bases and an MLB-leading 91 RBI.
CJ Abrams nailing the throw here to keep the Braves off the board and preserving the tie for Washington
— Lindsay Crosby, big baseball guy (@CrosbyBaseball) August 2, 2026
(That's his third error of the series and leads all shortstops in errors this season) pic.twitter.com/5qe0sW2MON
However, he has not been an All-Star in the field. Among traditional statistics, Abrams leads MLB shortstops with 19 errors in 113 games (112 starts).
Advanced metrics credit Abrams with -5 Defensive Runs Saved this season and -17 Outs Above Average. His DRS total ranks fourth-worst and his OAA figure is last among MLB shortstops with enough innings to qualify for consideration (700 or more) this season. For his career, Abrams is tagged with -11 DRS and -63 OAA.
By comparison, Nuñez is credited with 3 DRS and 2 OAA in 447 1/3 innings at shortstop for his career. The third-year major-leaguer, 23, has mostly played second base this season, where he has 13 DRS and 9 OAA in 812 1/3 innings at the position. At the plate, he has a .230/.315/.267 slash average and leads MLB with 40 stolen bases.
This story will be updated with more information.