by Andrew Lang
by Andrew Lang
The Washington Nationals looked so crisp for most of Spring Training. But for starting shortstop CJ Abrams, he did not have nerves of steel on Opening Day. His manager, Dave Martinez, said he was nervous, and that led to three errors that opened up the floodgates for the Braves to trounce the Nats 5-2 in the opener. As they say, today is a new day. It is also April 1. Be sure to guard yourself against April Fool’s pranks.
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Be seen and not heard is a mantra that many sports team owners follow. Mark Lerner has not spoken publicly for over a year. Instead he has used the written words to get his messages out to the fans. The last two written pieces were very optimistic, and his interview with Dan Kolko was a lot of optimism if you allowed yourself to really understand what was said.
There were not a lot of specifics in the five minute interview. But it really takes a few listens to make your own opinions. On selling the team, Lerner would not give a direct answer except to say they have not made any decisions, and they would look at all of their options. Sure, if someone offers him $3 billion to buy the team with no contingencies, then maybe he sells. Otherwise it sounds like it is business as usual.
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Welcome to Opening Day 2023. When you don’t make the postseason, the offseason gets real long, and Washington Nationals’ fans have real baseball today after nearly six months without baseball that counts. This Opening Day is historic with all of the new rule changes. The Nats have the Braves in town just like 15 years ago to the day when Ryan Zimmerman hit the walk-off home run against Atlanta for the first game ever at Nationals Park. In 15 years since, some things have not changed, the stadium, despite some efforts, is still called Nationals Park. There is a scheduled day-off tomorrow and then these two teams play on Saturday and Sunday to wrap up the first series of the season. Expect full sunshine today but some chilly weather and 47ºF at first pitch at 1:05 pm. The game should see temps rise as the afternoon moves forward.
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Last week’s Nationals and Yankees starting lineups; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
We have noon-time exhibition baseball in the nation’s capital today! This will be the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees final warmup before Opening Day on Thursday. Expect some sunshine through the clouds and 51ºF at first pitch at 12:05 pm. Yes, this game will be broadcast on MASN and on the 106.7 The Fan radio. Continue reading
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
Welcome to the 2023 Talk Nats season positional preview! Between now and Opening Day, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about a particular position, eventually covering every spot on the diamond. Below is a deep dive into the third base position. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section, and as always, Go Nats!
Jeimer Candelario signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals early in the offseason and will start his 2023 campaign as the team’s third basemen. The 29-year-old started his career in Chicago before being traded to Detroit. Candelario has also played 60 games at first base with a .989 fielding percentage. The veteran is a switch hitter who has constantly been able to produce numbers. I believe Canderlario will earn the cleanup spot in the lineup this spring. Candelario was an above-average hitter in Detroit and looked sharp early in his career. He ranked third with Detroit in WAR in 2020 and got himself on-base often. Continue reading
Photo by Andy Ward for TalkNats
We have our final game of the Grapefruit League schedule today, and then the Washington Nationals head to their charter jet for their trek to Washington, D.C. There could be some question as to who is on the plane after the most recent cuts. While Matt Adams was not cut, he was told that he would not make the team leaving Michael Chavis only competing for the spot against possible waiver claims or trades before Opening Day. Continue reading
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
This is Patrick Corbins’ final tune-up before Opening Day in five days on regular rest. You would have thought they would have aligned Corbin to get that extra day of rest, and maybe they go easier on him today on his pitch count. The Nats record in Grapefruit League play this year as the 12-11-2 as the Washington Nationals take on the Astros in their shared stadium complex at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Continue reading
Open Day graphic by Steve Mears
The Washington Nationals 2023 season officially kicks off in five days. The Nationals are building from the ground up in what general manager Mike Rizzo has called a quick rebuild or a reboot. He has shipped away three stars from the 2019 World Series team and, by doing that, restocked his farm system. Enough of rehashing the past; the future has been teased before us in the form of top prospects, and the next few years should make most people happy. I compiled my thoughts surrounding the start of the Nationals season. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments, and Go, Nats!
"Opening Day should be a National holiday"
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