The Washington Nationals won the World Series in 2019. However, the team ran into difficult times since then. They went from the top team to the league’s worst record. Many people who bet on baseball thought the Nationals rebuilding process would be long.
Baseball forum users were surprised to see becoming a contender ahead of schedule. Last season, the team lost 107 games. However, its young roster is responding well to the process.
They are already certain of finishing with a better record than they did in 2017 with a month to go. They might tie for the lead with a good finish. They are looking forward to October, months before the organization’s calendar. The year 2025 or 2026 used to be mentioned by team officials as completing the rebuilding process. However, it seemed like the team might qualify for the postseason as early as next year.
Nationals Rebuilding Process
Starting this week, they face the Dodgers in a series that is not expected to improve their record. But even those games are fun for Martinez. First and foremost, he is a teacher and relishes the opportunity to help young players grow in the majors while still leading his team to victory. He suggested that the rookies go to Monument Park a month before the Yankees series to take in the atmosphere and learn from the history. He recognizes that the Stadium presents a formidable challenge even in a Yankees down year and wants his young guys acclimated to it as soon as possible.
According to baseball betting tutorial and news sites, Washington baseball fans have been subjected to many bad games over the past several years. Only the Pirates were worse than the Nationals in the three years following their 2019 World Series victory. The decline was swift and severe. The ’20 version of the championship squad was plagued by injuries to its top players and started poorly, losing eight of its first 12 games. They started the dismantling in ’21, when they were seven games shy of the playoffs, and sent Scherzer and Turner to the Dodgers for Gray and catcher Keibert Ruiz. Despite being offered a 15-year worth $440 million, star right fielder Juan Soto rejected it. Thus, the team traded him to the Padres last year for MacKenzie Gore, Abrams, and two outfield prospects who would likely make their debuts in the 2020 season.
Surprisingly, the Nationals came quite close. Gore and Gray have the potential to lead a rotation if they can reduce their walk rates and increase their game durations. This year, Ruiz has been below average defensively but about average at the plate. The team’s top performer is outfielder Lane Thomas, who was acquired from the Cardinals at the 2021 trade deadline in exchange for starting pitcher Jon Lester. The other prospects acquired in the Soto trade have star potential: outfielders James Wood and Robert Hassell III and ’23 No. 2 selection Dylan Crews. Next year, everyone may be in the nation’s capital. Not bad for a squad that appeared to have lost its mojo a year after winning the World Series four years ago.
