The finalists for the 2019 Gold Glove Awards were announced by Rawlings today. Three Nationals - third baseman Anthony Rendon, left fielder Juan Soto and center fielder Victor Robles - made the top three at their position in the National League. The Rockies' Nolan Arenado and the Braves' Josh Donaldson made the list with Rendon. Arenado has won the Gold Glove in all six of his major league campaigns. Soto, whose 21st birthday is tomorrow, is looking for his first Gold Glove. He is in the...

HOUSTON - So much has been asked, answered and written about the evolution of Stephen Strasburg. Here, though, is the perfect encapsulation of it all, viewed entirely through the prism of the final batter he faced in Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday night. Embroiled in a tense, 2-2 game in the bottom of the sixth, Strasburg was facing Astros pinch-hitter Kyle Tucker with two on and two out. He fell behind in the count 2-0, and as the sellout crowd of 43,357 at Minute Maid Park rose and...

HOUSTON - The late-inning implosion came not from the Nationals but from the Astros. The relievers who gave up six runs in the seventh wore a block H on their caps, not a curly W. The fielders who kicked the ball around the infield to prolong the inning and turn a once-tense ballgame into a rout played for Houston, not Washington. If you've watched this season from start to finish, you know the narrative that has surrounded the Nationals all along. But if you've watched this postseason at...

This comes up a lot here when we talk about prospect rankings. Some fans say that "the rankings don't mean much." I can't agree with that. Although we can certainly find misses. But without a specific study or stat to prove my point, I took note of an article yesterday by Jim Callis on MLBPipeline.com. In this story, he pointed out that 24 of the 50 players on the World Series rosters - 12 on each team - were once ranked on a top 100 list. That seems like a pretty high percentage to me,...

Let's take another shot this morning at addressing one of the litany of questions facing the Orioles before opening day 2020. Funny how so many of them lead to the pitching staff, whether it's the rotation or bullpen. What should the Orioles do with Aaron Brooks? The numbers make the decision appear to be simple. He's been much more effective as a reliever than as a starter, and the Orioles need to improve in both areas. The Orioles claimed Brooks off waivers from the Athletics on July 6,...

HOUSTON - Aníbal Sánchez will start Game 3 of the World Series, a reflection not only of the Nationals' confidence in the veteran right-hander but also evidence of their continued willingness to use Patrick Corbin out of the bullpen if the opportunity arises. Manager Davey Martinez had been holding off naming a Game 3 starter, in part because he wanted to see if Corbin was needed in relief in the first portion of this series against the Astros. The left-hander indeed entered from the...

HOUSTON - And we're back. If Game 1 of the World Series wasn't thrilling and/or nerve-racking enough for you, you're in luck because the Nationals and Astros are right back at it tonight for Game 2, with no shortage of storylines to consume. The most significant, of course, is the overall state of the series following the Nats' 5-4 win last night. All of a sudden, they're sending Stephen Strasburg to the mound with a chance to head home up two games to none in the best-of-seven series. How...

HOUSTON - When he arrived at Minute Maid Park Monday evening for the first time in his life, Juan Soto couldn't help but be tantalized by the tall, out-of-town scoreboard wall that sits a mere 315 feet away down the left field line. The young outfielder, who turns 21 on Friday, started attacking the wall during batting practice, hitting balls off and over the scoreboard, recognizing this ballpark might just be a perfect fit for his offensive approach. "Last couple of days, we've been working...

Why are stars of Major League Baseball not quite as popular as those of other sports? This was an interesting question discussed in a New York Times story published yesterday with the headline "How Popular is Baseball, Really?" While this article (subscription may be required) points out that baseball blows away the National Football League and National Basketball Association in ticket sales, of course baseball has so many more games in which to sell tickets. The article also notes how well...

HOUSTON - It's been his mantra all season long, certainly since May 24 and most definitely throughout October. Davey Martinez gets mocked at times for insisting his Nationals simply try to "go 1-0 today," but there's a method to his madness. And you can't dispute the results. And just because they were in the World Series for the first time in franchise history tonight, the Nationals and their manager weren't about to start changing philosophies now. When the opportunity presented itself...