Nationals first baseman Eric Thames did not play Major League Baseball from 2013 to 2016. In 2013, he worked his way through the minor leagues and played in the Venezuelan Winter League. Then, from 2014 to 2016, he took a chance and accepted a contract to play in the Korea Baseball Organization for the NC Dinos. The move paid off. Thames rediscovered his game with the Dinos, crushing 124 homers with 382 RBIs in 390 games. With the KBO games being televised for audiences in the United States,...

While the fight over compensation for a potential 2020 season draws most of the headlines, the matter of health and safety appears to be taking priority in early negotiations between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association. There are countless issues that must be worked out before a season can officially begin, but the question on most players' minds right now is a simple one: What happens if somebody tests positive for the coronavirus? MLB hadn't publicly said much of anything...

When you are pro baseball player that lives in Florida, you can probably often find other pro players to work out with and train with. That is true for Orioles prospect Ryan Mountcastle, who lives near Orlando. In an interview yesterday, he told me he is spending his days right now working out, playing ball and hanging out by the pool. Sounds like a pretty good day, right? So when Mountcastle looks to take part in some baseball activities these days, he is doing that with other accomplished...

The proposal for finding a way to start the baseball season around the July All-Star break carried with it the potential of 80 or so games, or half a season. One solution that has been brought forth is three 10-team divisions across both leagues, based on geography. From the Nationals' point of view, that would mean playing all teams in the National League East and the American League East, plus Pittsburgh. MASN broadcaster Bo Porter, a former big league manager, coach and player, likes the...

It's time for another round of Nats trivia! If you didn't play along in our three previous installments, be sure to check out the quizzes on opening days, the postseason and club highs and lows. This quiz is all about uniform numbers. How well do you know your Nationals based not on names or stats but the number on the back of their jerseys? This will test both your simple and your deep-cut knowledge. Just to make one thing clear: Unless otherwise stated, all questions refer only to numbers...

If the Orioles are able to play baseball in 2020, no one else on the active roster is going to have more home runs or RBIs from the previous season than designated hitter Renato Núñez. Trey Mancini ranked first in both categories, but is unable to play this year while recovering from colon cancer surgery. His goal is 2021. It was a breakout season for Núñez, who earned the opportunity to appear in 151 games and accumulated 599 plate appearances. His 132 hits, 24 doubles, 31 home...

Like other minor league players right now, Orioles top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez is spending time at home while trying to stay ready for a season that might not be played. While fans are hoping, maybe even expecting to see some version of Major League Baseball in 2020, play on the farm is less certain. But the O's No. 2 ranked prospect, behind only Adley Rutschman, is doing his best to prepare, he told me during a video interview this week. Rodriguez said he has a small baseball...

The spring training shutdown did more than stop the workouts and exhibition games. It also led to the shredding of mock rosters, destroying all of the hard work put into choosing the 26 players who would head north for opening day. If there is a 2020 season, it's going to come with an expansion that might allow teams to carry 30 players and a hefty taxi squad. Those camp competitions that held our interest seem so insignificant under these revisions. The idea of carrying a third catcher seemed...

The Zoom conference calls have allowed Orioles catcher Austin Wynns to feel more connected to his family, friends and teammates. The club set up a promotion where he could speak with Birdland Members deprived of a season. The images on his screen have been personal in some ways and linked more to his profession on others days. But they touch his heart just the same. Wynns spent last Friday night talking baseball in a manner he hadn't experienced. A catcher-turned-lecturer of sorts, the virtual...

Taking a deep dive into catching prospects in the Nationals system, I reached out to catching coordinator Michael Barrett, who has been coaching for the organization since 2013 and caught in the majors for 12 seasons. Barrett told me of the sheer numbers he has to work with: The Nats had five catchers in short-season Single-A Auburn last year and as many as 17 catchers from low Single-A Hagerstown on down in the system. The highest rated of the group is Israel Pineda, at No. 14 on the current...