Click to Read an Important Member Update Regarding Our Comment System
We recently upgraded our comment system to improve reliability, performance, and long-term control, and we’re currently running both systems during the transition. This shift moves us away from an external service to a system we run and control directly—meaning we own the content and can continue improving it over time. We’ve also reduced the comment refresh delay from about 30 seconds to 10 seconds, making it much closer to real-time.
We understand there have been frustrations and increased feedback, and we’re actively working to improve things. What we ask is simple: use the system and give it a fair shot. If you run into issues, please submit them through the support form so we can track and fix them properly. Repeated complaints without details don’t help us solve problems—we appreciate your patience as we continue refining the experience.
If you’d like a full side-by-side comparison of the platforms and the reasons behind this decision, please refer to the chart below. This change is being made with the long-term benefit of the entire community in mind.
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Today wraps up the 2021 Grapefruit League schedule for the Washington Nationals. After the game, they will head to the airport aboard their charter flight back to Washington, D.C. This finale will be with their Ballpark of the Palm Beaches’ neighbor, Houston Astros. It was reported after this game the Astros will head back to Houston where they will all receive COVID-19 vaccinations. There has been no word when the Nats players, and coaches will be vaccinated. Continue reading →
Outfields are made up of a trio of players. AJ Pollock, Mookie Betts, and Cody Bellinger. Marcell Ozuna, Cristian Pache, and Ronald Acuna Jr. Those names may come to mind when prompted with the question, what team has the best outfield in MLB? A new set has arrived however, one that has been sneaky good in Spring Training and may continue to do well in the regular season. Today I’ll break down the Nationals’ outfield and tell you why they may be the best in the league. Continue reading →
With only two games remaining on the Grapefruit League schedule, the Nationals monopolistic television provider, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), has finally shown up to broadcast a game. Well, better late than never as they say. With the Nats ownership of just over 20 percent of the network, they do not possess enough voting rights to force MASN to broadcast more games during Spring Training as the Angelos controlled network continues to frustrate the Nats and their fans. These words are nothing personal in our support of the on-air duo of Bob Carpenter and F.P. Santangelo and the on-site employees, this is a rant at the controlling Angelos family.
Well, we have a game today and that’s the good news.. As Spring Training wraps up tomorrow, the Nats made several cuts on Saturday to give us a good look at what the Opening Day roster could look like. As Edgar Allan Poe wrote, “Believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear.”Continue reading →
The cherry blossoms are blooming at Nationals Park; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
While Nationals Park is ready for the 5,000 fans who are allowed to attend on Opening Day, the Washington Nationals’ roster is not ready. It still feels like a work in progress. What general manager Mike Rizzo envisioned back in the offseason has changed. Today, the Nationals pared the roster down to 26 healthy players in what we could see on Opening Day. One player, who will not be on that roster, is the struggling Carter Kieboom.
The Nats made a sizable gamble to bet on Kieboom as their starting third baseman, and he subsequently fell well below the “Mendoza” line in these 2021 Spring Training games. Rizzo tipped his hand early on and doubled down on Kieboom. This team could have made a hot corner or second base upgrade in the offseason, but only made some mediocre moves on minor league deals for Jordy Mercer and Hernan Perez. The third base spot was there for Kieboom’s taking. Today he was optioned to Triple-A. Continue reading →
Clover Park in Port St. Lucie; Photo from Stan for TalkNats
One last trip to Port St. Lucie for the 2021 Grapefruit League season for the Washington Nationals against the Mets, and these teams will face each other in six days in a much different setting for Opening Day. The Nats will go to an opener again in this game and will send Kyle McGowin to the mound. The Mets will pitch LHP David Peterson in this one, and Nats manager Dave Martinez will counter with his right-handed lineup. Continue reading →
There’s just three Grapefruit League games remaining on the Washington Nationals’ schedule before they head north. Opening Day is less than a week away.
We’ve talked a lot about spring training stats, but we know that on Opening Day, everyone starts out 0-for-0 and without an ERA. What matters is what players do when the games actually count.
Still, for players on the roster bubble, spring stats can be very important. And the Nats still have some decisions to make and questions that will have to be answered. Especially with Juan Soto exiting Thursday night’s game against the Miami Marlins with a calf cramp, at the forefront of those questions is health. Continue reading →
Photo of the front gates of Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter by Sol Tucker for TalkNats.com
Once again the Washington Nationals are traveling that 14-mile road trip to the north to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium which is the Spring Training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals jointly. They are part of the four team configuration along with the Nats and Astros that call Palm Beach County home. This time the Nats face the Marlins for the sixth and final time of the Grapefruit League games. But don’t fret, the Nats and Marlins will play each other 19 more times in this regular season.
The last time these two teams met, the Nats got to face Gio Gonzalez as a pitcher for the Marlins. The Nats absolutely smoked Gio in the game, and was not going to make their team. He decided to retire and posted a beautiful letter on his Instagram account.
” … unfortunately my body wasn’t keeping up with my mind,” Gio wrote. It is something I wrote unfortunately too many times about aging athletes when their bodies will no longer do what the brain asks of it. Continue reading →
WEST PALM BEACH, FL; Josh Bell batting; Photo by Tom Sileo for TalkNats
On February 28, the Nats opened their 2021 Spring Training with a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Calling the game on KMOX was former Cardinals’ centerfielder Jim Edmonds. He was particularly critical of Josh Bell‘s swing which he said was a long swing and pointed to the holes in his swing. Seconds later, Bell shot a single away from the shift into leftfield against starting pitcher Jack Flaherty. Of course Edmonds downplayed the single with the luck factor that Bell swung late, giving no credit. Since that point, Bell has been en fuego and is now batting .385 with a 1.354 OPS. Continue reading →
As Spring Training wraps up in 5 days, the Washington Nationals neighbors in the complex at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches are the opponent once again in their six game “A” schedule. The Astros have their big offseason acquisition, Jake Odorizzi, starting in the one and he will face Stephen Strasburg. Continue reading →
Ten days ago, we had an update on the current state of Washington Nationals injuries after Stephen Strasburg injured his calf muscle. He is set to pitch today and says that he is good to go. Jon Lester had surgery on his thyroid, and he had a very encouraging start yesterday as he readies himself for the season.
“I feel good physically so now I think it’s just a matter of getting those reps and getting my feet under me and building,” Lester said. “I think that the big thing is I feel like I’m a little bit behind the eight-ball on some things, and I think [velocity] is one of them.”
“I’m hoping that with … a little bit of adrenaline in regular games that my [velo] will go up a tick. But even if it doesn’t, I feel like I can still do the things I need to do.”
As you saw, Tanner Rainey finally appeared in a game after he was dealing with soreness in his collarbone area. The results from his first outing were not good as you would expect when batters are at full speed and Rainey is just getting going. Continue reading →
We recently upgraded our comment system to improve reliability, performance, and long-term control, and we’re currently running both systems during the transition. This shift moves us away from an external service to a system we run and control directly—meaning we own the content and can continue improving it over time. We’ve also reduced the comment refresh delay from about 30 seconds to 10 seconds, making it much closer to real-time.
We understand there have been frustrations and increased feedback, and we’re actively working to improve things. What we ask is simple: use the system and give it a fair shot. If you run into issues, please submit them through the support form so we can track and fix them properly. Repeated complaints without details don’t help us solve problems—we appreciate your patience as we continue refining the experience.
If you’d like a full side-by-side comparison of the platforms and the reasons behind this decision, please refer to the chart below. This change is being made with the long-term benefit of the entire community in mind.