Posted by Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals
Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 4:05 PM
Before you know it, Baseball will be upon us! Please join us for a refreshing Saturday of national pastime with, who else, the Nationals.
Bring along your family, a friend, or many to our annual Spring Baseball fun as we root root root for our home team.
Seats: 25 Baseline-Box seats at a group discount, Section 111, Rows T/U/V (Seating view on the left)
Sales end on March 29th.
Cosponsored by Yale and Penn Clubs of Washington DC
As Nationals fans look back on their improbable 2019 World Series Championship, perhaps overlooked is their shocking start: 19 losses in its first 31 games. By late May, injuries had depleted their outfield. Desperate for fill-ins they picked up a veteran outfielder from the scrap heap and a 19-year-old prospect who started the 2019 season in A ball. Gerardo Parra and Juan Soto ignited the turn-around in the season. At the trade deadline, the Nats landed reliever Daniel Hudson who had been let go in March by the Dodgers and in 45 games with the Blue Jays had a 6-3 W-L record, 2 saves, and a 3.00 ERA, hardly an auspicious record for a bullpen savior. With the Nats, Hudson became the closer, with a 3- 0 W-L and a dazzling 1.44 ERA in 24 relief appearances. He closed the 9th inning of the 7th game of the Nats’ series win. In early August, the Nats signed veteran infielder Asdrubal Cabrera who had been dropped by the Texas Rangers. With his strong bat and solid fielding, Cabrera became the Nats starting 2nd baseman and an impactful contributor. The moral of the Nats’ 2019 season: “Expect the unexpected.”
Fast forward to 2024, the fifth anniversary of the 2019 Championship. From 2020 through 2023, the Nats have finished last in their Division. Fans are asking, ”When will we be competitive again? Judging by the 2023 World Series, the answer could be “SOON.” Two years earlier, both the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks were last in their Divisions. In 2023, Arizona reached the Series with a mix of veterans, a rookie MVP outfielder, traded for its closer, leftfielder, and catcher, and promoted a pitcher or two who spent a good part of the season bouncing between AAA and Arizona. Texas won with spending sprees, two unexpected all-stars, a rookie 3rd baseman, and a previously undistinguished catcher acquired by trade, promoted a good-hitting rookie outfielder late in the season, and got a star pitcher at the trade deadline. The moral of the 2023 World Series: “Expect the unexpected.”
While there are many open questions, the Nats have built a respectable bullpen, often with relievers from the waiver line. They recently added Marlins‘ reliever Daniel Florio and Reds infielder-outfielder Nick Senzel. Their Farm System includes highly touted outfielders, top draft pick Dylan Crews and prospects James Wood and Robert Hassell III, and at least two highly rated infield prospects, Yohandy Morales and Brady House. Speedster shortstop C.J. Abrams has shown promise in all aspects of the game. Top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli, recovering from Tommy John surgery, is expected to join starters Josiah Gray, Mackenzie Gore, Jackson Rutledge, and Jake Irwin, any of whom could fulfill his potential as a top starter. Join us on April 6, as the new Nats take on the Phillies. Expect the Unexpected.
Metro: Green line at the Navy Yard station (half a block away); Orange, Blue or Silver lines at the Capitol South station (15min walk)
Note: Here you can find information about the Washington Nationals Bag Policy.