Sports Illustrated - USA (2020 - Spring)

64

A WORLD SERIES title has a way of

conjuring up only happy images, so let’s

remember that the Nationals were 19–31 in

late May, and that after the All-Star break

they were never within four games of the

Braves in the NL East. They trailed late in

the wild-card game, then were down 2–1 in

the Division Series and 3–2 to the Astros

before stringing together comebacks that

D.C. denizens will be talking about for

decades. Flags fly forever.

They just don’t count for much six months

later. The Nats enter this season without

one of baseball’s best players, third baseman

Anthony Rendon, who signed with the

Angels as a free agent for seven years and

$245 million. Playing alongside 26-year-old

shortstop Trea Turner will be a flotilla of

veterans that includes holdovers Asdrúbal

Cabrera (age 34), Howie Kendrick (36) and

Ryan Zimmerman (35), and newcomers

Starlin Castro (30) and Eric Thames (33).

Washington will have one of the creakiest

rosters in baseball surrounding one of the

sport’s youngest superstars.

Yes, Juan Soto is back, and you can

finally buy him a beer. The leftfielder with

the glorious lefty swing and preternatural

plate discipline belted 34 homers with a

.401 OBP in 2019—yet he and 22-year-old

centerfielder Víctor Robles (.255/.326/.419)

are the only Nats likely to have better stats

in ’20. The club will be hard-pressed to

match last year’s 873 runs scored, which

ranked sixth in MLB.

Fortunately, the rotation still breathes

fire. By re-signing righty Stephen Strasburg

to a seven-year, $245 million deal after the

reigning World Series MVP opted out, the

Nats return four pitchers who made 123

starts, racked up 749 innings and struck out

866 with a 3.33 ERA. Washington needs a

comparable performance from that group to

make more postseason magic.

They might not win back-to-back titles after losing Anthony Rendon to the Angels, but

the Nationals did enough to upgrade their roster to make a return trip to the playoffs.

OVER

UNDER 89.5

| JUAN SOTO | LF |The question persisted: Would he remain

Childish Bambino into adulthood? Turns out the answer was

never in doubt. Soto continues to hack at 31 with the same vigor

_\[`[Xk)(%P\k_`jfe$Ó\c[gcXp_XjY\\ek_\c\Xjk`ek\i\jk`e^

thing about him in the last few years: He became mayor of

Washington in 2026 for three days after a write-in campaign

organized by fans. Soto ultimately decided he didn’t want the

second gig, but remains a fan favorite in the nation’s capital.

2030 PREDICTION

MOVING UP

CARTER

KIEBOOM

| -1.0 WAR

debut, the

power and

MOVING DOWN

RYAN

86 OPS+ | -0.2 WAR

Of the many

Nats veteran

infielders,

Zimmerman,

with one

good, healthy

season since

2013, is

most likely

to end up on

the bench.

NATIONALS

ROBERT BECK

The club will be hard-pressed

to match last year’s 873 runs

scored. Fortunately, the

rotation still breathes fire.