After 50 years of letdowns and disappointment, Nationals fans are finally experiencing the season they deserve. In spite of losing stud outfielder Bryce Harper, the team managed to make it all the way to their first World Series appearance from the wild card spot, a rare feat seen among the major league teams. Losing Bryce Harper was a blessing in disguise. The ridiculous amount of money that Harper wanted from the Nationals lead to them putting money in different areas. The Nationals spent their money on Patrick Corbin and Anthony Rendon instead of chasing the superstar. The approach made by the Nationals was to have a complete team. Baseball is a sport where nine guys hit every night, you cannot expect to win games in the postseason with just one star, but instead, you need a team.
But this road to victory has seemed to come easily after they clinched the National League pennant after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in their first-ever National League Championship Series. Moving into the World Series against the Houston Astros, we have seen an outstanding performance on both sides. The Nats, having a fairly experienced team laced with younger players has been able to keep their composure together, helping them win the first two games of the series. We see players such as 20-year-old (21 as of Friday) Juan Soto thriving with the support of his team behind him and older players such as Ryan Wallace Zimmerman, an infielder who has played his entire career with the Nats, have a resurgence in recent years.
Courtesy: IMGflip
Honestly, the team as a whole has had its fair share of ups and downs to get to the place they are now. After years and years of former manager and Hall of Famer, Dusty Baker, managing to get the team to the postseason only to choke at the most crucial moments in their careers, maligned rookie manager David Martinez has managed to put the team in a winning position. At the start of the season, it seemed that the team was off to a rough start, hence the scrutiny surrounding Martinez’s decisions. But, as the season went on, things clicked and the team quickly became a powerful force in the National League, clinching the wild card spot and making it all the way to their first World Series.
In their first World Series game ever, the Nationals managed to take home a 5-4 win, after Juan Soto homered to tie the game at the top of the fourth. Soto finished the night 3 for 4 with a double, homer, and three RBIs (runs batted in), an extremely impressive start to the series. The following night, the Nationals beat the Astros 12-3, putting them at up 2-0 in the series. Although they lost the past two games at home, the Nats still have a chance to win it all. As of right now, the series is tied 2-2.
Regardless of if they win it all, the 2019 Nationals team has already made franchise history.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!