One Minor Leaguer Not Getting Enough Love for the Nats is Jake Alu

Posted on September 24, 2022 by Garren Ouellette

Photo by Andrew Lang for TalkNats

After the big trades that the Washington Nationals have made over the past couple of years, it is easy to look at just the big names in the farm system that is now loaded with six players in the Top-150 of all of the Minor Leagues. However, we must look for the possible hidden gems in the Nats organization. This player was drafted in 2019, in round 24. This would make him the 723rd overall pick in that year’s draft. His name is Jake Alu, and Nats fans, he is not playing like a 723rd overall pick. Alu can possibly be that hidden gem. Continue reading →

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Game #150 Gray in Miami

Posted on September 23, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

Tonight on the mound for the Washington Nationals is RHP Josiah Gray. against the Marlins in Miami. This starts this weekend’s series and the final one south of DC this season. Continue reading →

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Meneses, Abrams, and Vargas have changed the dynamics for the Washington Nationals!

Posted on September 22, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The date was August 14 when Luis Garcia was placed on the IL with a groin injury, which then opened the door for rookie CJ Abrams at shortstop. Abrams would join a group of mostly career minor leaguers plus veterans like Nelson Cruz, Cesar Hernandez, Victor Robles, and Luke Voit in the lineup. Abrams joined call-up Joey Meneses who arrived two weeks earlier before the trade deadline with Ildemaro Vargas.  Continue reading →

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Game #149 Finale in Atlanta

Posted on September 21, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

We have early afternoon baseball in Atlanta leading into a day-off in Miami tomorrow. This is another salvage game in a series for the Washington Nationals. A sentence that has been repeated too many times since the end of the 2019 season. But don’t fret, this was expected this year, although most would agree that it was not expected to be this bad of a showing in 2022. Continue reading →

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Game #148 Two veteran starters on the mound tonight!

Posted on September 20, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The Nats have about four more starts for Patrick Corbin remaining this season, and he has a tall task tonight against the Atlanta Braves. In his three starts in September, Corbin has pitched to a 3.20 ERA and averaging over 6 1/3 innings per start.

Ever since shortstop CJ Abrams took over at shortstop, Corbin has looked like a new pitcher. He is relying much more on contact than strikeouts. His K rate is down to 5.0 in the month of September while it was more than doubled that at 10.5 in April. You would expect a K rate that changed like that to spell doom and gloom for the pitcher, but for Corbin, pitching to his defense is working well. He’s almost ditched his 4-seamer and replaced it with a sinker, and counting on his defense. When the sinker is working the bottom of the plate, Corbin has been effective. Continue reading →

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Game #147 Fifteen to go!

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves
Stadium: Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia
1st Pitch:  7:20 pm EDT
TV: MASN, Bally Sports Southeast, MLB app (out-of-market only)
Nats Radio: 106.7 The Fan and via the MLB app

Lineups (subject to change without notice):

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Game #146 Nats finish this series with the Marlins

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

Try to explain the unexplainable in baseball? The Washington Nationals were 1-12 before the trade deadline against the Marlins and since then have now gone 2-0 before today’s tough matchup against Sandy Alcantara. Continue reading →

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Game #145 Nats just reached the 50 mark!

Posted on September 17, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The Washington Nationals enter this game with a 50-94 record, and with 18-games remaining, it is just time to concentrate on evaluating players for next season. While the bullpen is in the best shape for next season, the starting rotation and the lineup need upgrades. Continue reading →

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CJ Abrams keeps flashing 4-tools!

Posted on September 17, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

Two weeks ago, there were some Washington Nationals fans who wanted to send CJ Abrams packing to some farm, far away. He was hitting just .207 and looked kind of lost out there. Then all of a sudden he had some hits drop in, and his defense stepped up too, to an elite level.  There was a reason why the minor league analysts rated CJ Abrams as one of the best prospects in all of baseball. He ranked in Baseball America as high as the № 9 prospect in 2022, and he was a Top-10 prospect in the 2019 draft, and went 6th overall to the Padres. Continue reading →

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Game #144 Josiah Gray’s start

Posted on September 16, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

The Washington Nationals begin a weekend series with the Miami Marlins. They will pitch former Nats’ top prospect Jesus Luzardo. Continue reading →

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