WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The first few weeks of spring training are like the first few weeks of school. Coaches and players are excited to reunite with longtime teammates and meet some new ones. The early assignments aren’t too hard, but everyone knows bigger tests are coming soon. There’s excitement and nervousness in the air. For the Nationals’ st

SARASOTA, Fla. – The next wave of Tomoyuki Sugano hysteria crashes on the shore today with his Grapefruit League debut against the Pirates. Protect yourselves at all times. The first game of catch, first bullpen session and first live batting practice session were recorded and plastered all over social media. The Japanese media that tracks his ever

JUPITER, Fla. – Kyle Finnegan will be closing for the Nationals in 2025 after all. Finnegan and the Nats have agreed on a one-year, $6 million contract, three months after the club chose to non-tender its All-Star closer, a source familiar with the deal confirmed. It’s a modest raise from his $5.1 million salary last year, but significantly less th

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad knows that he’s getting a legitimate chance to make the club and to play on a much more regular basis. The rest is up to him. End the shuttling between the majors and Triple-A Norfolk. Be used as the front office envisioned when it made him the second overall draft pick in 2020. Lots of right fiel

JUPITER, Fla. – MacKenzie Gore arguably is the Nationals’ No. 1 starter. Michael Soroka is the Nats’ highest-paid starter. So why hasn’t either pitched in a game yet this spring, and why isn’t either scheduled to start any of the next four days? “They’ll pitch here soon,” manager Davey Martinez said this morning. “We’ve still got time. We figured i

SARASOTA, Fla. – Chayce McDermott still hasn’t been cleared to begin activities. However, he said earlier today that he feels “really good” after reporting to camp with a mild lat/teres strain. “Can’t complain where I’m at,” he said, “so we’ll keep going and keep following the plan.” McDermott is restricted to performing strength exercises and does

JUPITER, Fla. – After a much needed day off – given how much it rained here Monday, they wouldn’t have been able to play a game anyway – the Nationals are back in action this afternoon with their first true road game of the spring. It’s only a 15-minute drive to Roger Dean Stadium to face the Marlins, but this is the first time they’ve played this

Location, location, location.  Important in real estate, shooting a "The Lord of the Rings" movie and throwing a slider.    I’m pretty sure that’s what people say. Glancing at Andrew Kittredge’s 2024 Statcast page, you’ll find that the reliever only had one advanced metric that ranked in the 75th percentile or better: chase rate.  In fact, Kittredg

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals’ third game of the Grapefruit League season today will feature a new wrinkle that wasn’t a part of their first two games: The ABS challenge system. ABS, which stands for “Automated Balls and Strikes,” is the so-called “robot ump” that calls pitches based on a group of camera angles and predetermined measurement

SARASOTA, Fla. – Brandon Young will get noticed in any clubhouse for his height and long brown hair. He isn’t a lock to make the team, but man, those locks … Young is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Norfolk, but his first outing Sunday in his first major league camp teased just how good he can be in 2025. He tossed two scoreless innings ag