When is it appropriate for the Washington Nationals to start thinking about October?The trade deadline is in seven weeks. There are real concerns about how the roster might hold up if it went untouched from here on out, with bullpen issues that were amplified by Wednesday’s stunning 11-10 walk-off loss to the Giants. Optimism and charm have still won out as the prevailing emotions, as these Gen Z Nationals (35-34) play their best baseball since this long rebuild began. Somewhere on this spectrum, there is the healthy middle, a space for this organization to wade between idealistic hopes and realistic plans.The idealists on this team have suggested that they are more than a fascinating curiosity. Earlier this week, manager Blake Butera talked about the need for left-handed pitching on October-bound rosters. Hours later, Brad Lord admitted that games have more gravity in a postseason race.Then there is president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, whose successful early tenure has been defined in part by his realistic evaluation of the roster. How much does October baseball enter his consciousness — and how has this start shaped what seems possible on a team that refuses to decelerate?“Obviously, it’s all in the back of our minds,” Toboni told The Athletic before Wednesday’s game. “But at the same time, we don’t want to take this stretch for granted. We also don’t want to get too high, because the game has a way of humbling you pretty quick.”Considering Bryce Eldridge’s walk-off grand slam four hours later, that perspective proved prescient.“So it sounds cliche, but we’re really just focused on, like, ‘Hey, let’s win today,’ … and then the cards are going to fall where they will at the end of July, and we’ll make a decision,” Toboni said.In early May, you all figured the window would probably open in 2028. When you look at the way their offense has produced despite its youth, or the way the pitching staff has fared despite an awful April, does history suggest that the Nationals are a nice story, a fascinating narrative arc … or are they something more?Does it matter that they have struggled to stop other teams from scoring?Only 155 teams in the wild-card era have allowed at least 360 runs over their first 69 games. Only 12 of those 155 made the postseason. The last team to do it was the 2017 Minnesota Twins, who leaned on the likes of Ervin Santana and José Berríos down the stretch.While there isn’t much precedent, it’s worth noting two significant changes since a brutal April. After pitching to an 8.04 ERA through the end of April, Zack Littell got his feel for the zone back and Miles Mikolas found an extra gear in his fastball. Since May 1, they have a 3.12 ERA.Zack Littell has bounced back after a tough April. (Norm Hall / Getty Images)The accompanying defensive turnaround has been even more impressive. On May 6, the Nationals had committed more errors than any other team in baseball and ranked 25th in fielding run value. Since that date, they are fifth in fielding run value.