On Tuesday night, they celebrated like they'd never celebrated before. Which was appropriate, considering they'd never won the National League pennant before. So what did the Nationals do on Wednesday? "Nothing," reliever Sean Doolittle said. "Nothing. I woke up at like 11, I took the dogs for a walk and grabbed some bagels from Bethesda Bagels, and then realized that I didn't have anything to do. So I went back to bed and slept until 5:30." Suffice it to say, the Nats happily took a day...

One of the rules that the Orioles need to implement by spring training goes something like this: No surprises. Hard-throwing reliever Zach Pop, a favorite of the previous regime, experienced such a pronounced loss of velocity that the Orioles immediately shut him down after one appearance. Retiring all three batters, with one strikeout, didn't ease the concerns. Pop made eight appearances with Double-A Bowie, none of them after April 30, and allowed only one run with 11 strikeouts in 10 2/3...

The competition for outfield jobs with the Orioles next spring has taken an unexpected twist. The team announced that DJ Stewart underwent a "successful" microfracture procedure on his right ankle yesterday in Los Angeles. Dr. Kenneth Jung from the Kerlan-Jobe Institute performed the surgery. Stewart is expected to return to baseball activities toward the end of spring training, according to a tweet from the Orioles, which seemingly prevents him from heading north for opening day on March 26...

After sweeping the Cardinals to win the National League pennant, the Nationals are a team hot to play in the World Series. There's only one problem: The Nationals aren't sure if they going to start the World Series in Houston or New York. While the Astros and Yankees play for the American League pennant, the Nationals return to spring training mode in the quiet of Nationals Park, hoping to maintain the sharpness that helped them sweep the Cardinals in the National League Championship...

So, traditionally we've run this feature right after the Nationals' season ends. But until now, that's always happened by this point of the year. Obviously, the season isn't over yet. But since all but one of the prediction categories from opening day has already been settled, and since we're still trying to fill this long gap between National League Championship Series and World Series, this feels like a good time to revisit our annual media predictions. In case you don't remember, a...

Who doesn't love The Oriole Bird? Well, if you're fond of the feathered one's antics and undying love for his namesake Orioles, you need to flex your fingers and exercise your right to vote. The Oriole Bird is one of 10 finalists for this year's voting for the Mascot Hall of Fame, and between Oct. 20-26, you can vote once a day to send him to the 2020 induction class. Really, casting a ballot for The Oriole Bird is a no-brainer. While there are some really strong nominees among the...

An important part of the Nationals' run to the 2019 World Series has been their depth. During the season, Howie Kendrick, Asdrúbal Cabrera and Gerardo Parra were valuable substitutes for Ryan Zimmerman or other infield/outfield days off due to workload or a nagging injury. That seamless transition for a game, a week or longer helped the Nats maintain their run of 82-40 since their four-game sweep at the hands of the Mets in late May. In the postseason, outfielder Victor Robles went down...

There was just one position this year where the Orioles used only two players for the entire 2019 season, and that position was shortstop. Rule 5 pick Richie Martin made 90 starts at short and Jonathan Villar made 72. For Martin, that was the third-most shortstop starts by a rookie in Orioles history behind Cal Ripken Jr. with 91 in 1982 and Ron Hansen with 149 in 1960. But the immediate future of the position in Baltimore is uncertain. Villar could be retained, offered arbitration and wind up...

Cody Carroll notched his third spring training save on March 16, was told the following day that he'd been optioned to minor league camp and seemed to fall off the map. He must have landed on his back. An entire summer was spent getting Carroll back on his feet. Carroll didn't throw a single pitch with Triple-A Norfolk, undergoing disc surgery and rehabbing before making two appearances in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. The Orioles assigned him to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona...

We're in uncharted waters here, folks. Everything from here on out is brand new, and there's no road map to show us the way. The Nationals are going to the World Series for the first time ... but they're now in Day 2 of a six-day layoff before they take the field again at either Minute Maid Park or Yankee Stadium. What do we do to fill all this free time? We answer your questions, that's what we do! I know you've got plenty of them stored up, whether looking back on the regular season or...