CJ Abrams Joins 30-30 Club as Nationals Rout Cardinals 9-1

CJ Abrams joined one of baseball’s most exclusive power-speed groups Friday night, stealing his 30th base of the season as the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-1 at Busch Stadium.

The milestone made Abrams the 52nd player in AL/NL history to produce a 30-homer, 30-steal season. He is only the second player in Nationals history to reach 30-30, following Alfonso Soriano in 2006, and joins Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong as the only players to reach the mark in 2026.

Abrams reaches 30 steals in a three-run first inning

Washington wasted little time putting the game in its control. Abrams lined an RBI single to right field in the first inning to score Daylen Lile, then stole second base for No. 30 of the season. Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal’s throwing error on the play allowed Dylan Crews to score, before Brady House added an RBI groundout for a 3-0 lead.

Abrams had already reached 30 home runs earlier in the season. Adding the stolen-base milestone completes a season that has further established the 25-year-old as one of the National League’s most productive combinations of power and speed.

Cavalli reaches 200 strikeouts after signing extension

The Nationals’ night included another major individual milestone. Cade Cavalli worked five scoreless innings, allowing four hits while striking out six. His final pitch produced strikeout No. 200 of the season.

Cavalli became the fifth Nationals pitcher to record a 200-strikeout season, joining Patrick Corbin, Gio González, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. The performance came only hours after the right-hander agreed to a four-year, $47 million contract extension with Washington, with incentives that could increase its total value.

Crews added a two-run homer in the third inning and Yohandy Morales followed with a two-run double as Washington broke the game open. The Nationals ultimately scored nine runs while holding St. Louis to one.

A rare Nationals milestone

Soriano’s 2006 season had stood alone in Nationals history for two decades. Abrams now gives Washington a second 30-30 season and adds another milestone to a 2026 campaign in which he was also selected to his second career All-Star Game.

The combination is especially notable after Abrams entered the year with a career high of 25 home runs. His jump to the 30-homer threshold, paired with his established speed, turned Friday’s steal in St. Louis into one of the defining statistical moments of his season.