by Grant Cole
by Drew Scott
by DonH
by Grant Cole
The hot dog, a culinary staple of American cuisine, has found its perfect partner in the grand spectacle of baseball. The pairing is so iconic that it’s difficult to imagine one without the other. But how did this unlikely duo become so intertwined? Let’s delve into the history of hot dogs at baseball parks.
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The Washington Nationals finished 2024 with some surprise reinforcements at Starting Pitcher. Going into 2024, the Nats were reasonably sure MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin and Josiah Gray were going to be a part of the rotation going forward. They had veterans Patrick Corbin and Trevor Williams to lean on to share advice to the young core of pitchers but knew they would need to find at least 2 others to fill out a 5-man rotation.
Then one of their young core, Gray, struggled out of the gate and then was placed in the IL due to a flexor strain (a precursor to Tommy John). Looking back, it makes perfect sense he struggled early on if there were structural issues with the arm that later necessitated surgery.
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Another year; another MLB Draft Lottery. Just as we did for the 2023 and 2024 lotteries, a million simulations were run to see the probabilities for all the picks and not just the first pick.
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The seventh-inning stretch, a beloved tradition in baseball, involves fans standing up and stretching their legs during the seventh inning of a game. While this practice seems commonplace today, its origins are shrouded in a bit of mystery.
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Baseball isn’t just a sport; it’s a feeling. The Washington Nationals will soon win more games than not. Walking into that ballpark with a feeling you can win is important for fans. But it is more than that. When I step into a ballpark, I’m hit by the smell of fresh popcorn and hot dogs. The sound of a bat cracking against the ball is music to my ears. Every game unfolds like a story, full of excitement, tension, and unforgettable moments. Whether it’s a home run that sends the crowd into a frenzy or an incredible catch that leaves everyone breathless, every pitch creates a new opportunity for magic. Isn’t there something special about watching your favorite team battle it out on the field?
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Obviously, Juan Soto‘s +8.1 WAR would be a big plus if the Washington Nationals acquired him. He would almost transform the team from 71-wins to 80-wins by himself. The Nationals purged a lot of “addition by subtraction” off of the roster also. Certainly, -4.0 WAR will not be on next year’s roster, and that alone could take this team from 71-wins to 75-wins. That is where we should begin before we roll the dice on Soto signing with the Nationals in the next 3-months.
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As we discussed a few days ago, if the Washington Nationals pitched to their Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) as their ERA, they would be in the postseason. That did not happen, so let’s talk reality. What we know is that WAR and other statistics tell us that you also need the right amount of balance between your offense and defense. This isn’t pro football where you either play offense or you play defense. Okay, yes, baseball added the designated hitters so you have your one offense-only player, and pitchers are solely for defense. The point is you need position players that can drive in runs too. The name of the game is you win by scoring more runs than you give up.
The Nats finished the season with the 9th best FIP in baseball at 3.94 which is very impressive considering they carried Patrick Corbin all season and his 4.41 FIP, and that certainly sent that average up in the wrong direction. Just by replacing Corbin with a better pitcher should make that 3.94 better in theory. But the Nats MUST focus on improving their defense to have a legitimate shot at making their FIP nearly equal to their ERA.
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As an American living thousands of miles away in Alexandria, Virginia, my heart has found an unexpected home in the Australian Baseball League (ABL). It’s a love affair that began with a simple curiosity — and has blossomed into a deep-rooted passion.
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The Washington Nationals knew they were getting some much-needed payroll relief with Patrick Corbin‘s contract coming off of the books as of this offseason. The team has $70 million remaining on Stephen Strasburg‘s retirement deal that is a hit of $35 million per year for the next two years. And Strasburg is the only 8-digit obligation the team has on the books. Get beyond those two years remaining on Strasburg — and the coast is clear.
The highest projected active contract going into the offseason is the arbitration number of approximately $8.6 million for Kyle Finnegan‘s final contractual year. The only long-term contract is with Keibert Ruiz at $6.25 million a year through 2030.
MLB Trade Rumors published their offseason arbitration projections for players with at least 3.0 years of service time. They did not include potential Super-Two players like CJ Abrams. If we include Abrams in the numbers at a $3.3 million projected salary, the Nationals would have an AAV (average annual value) for the CBT (Competitive Balance Tax) payroll at approximately $85 (including Strasburg) for just team-controlled salary players. That is exactly $50 million for active players.
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If the Washington Nationals pitched to their FIP as their ERA, they would be in the postseason. The Nats finished the season with the 9th best FIP in baseball at 3.94 while turning in an horrific season as a defensive team. FIP is directly affected by defense, and the Nats were the 5th worst defensive team in baseball. Suffice it to say that all playoff teams this year had positive defense except for San Diego, and they were just a -4 runs while the Nats were -22 runs.
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"Opening Day should be a National holiday"
