It's been a dreary winter. Not as long as most offseasons, given the fact that the Nationals won the World Series, delaying until Halloween the beginning of the dearth of the national pastime. But months on end without baseball has a way of dragging you down. But a new season began this week when pitchers and catchers reported to spring training in West Palm Beach, Fla. In no time, the exhibition games will be replaced by meaningful battles as other teams take aim at the Nats, baseball's new...

After capturing the franchise's first World Series championship, the Nationals are preparing to defend their crown. Fans coming to Nationals Park during this special season will be treated to several World Series-themed promotions and another exciting National League East Division race. The Washington Nationals are thrilled to announce the team's full 2020 promotional calendar, which can be found online at nationals.com/Promotions! Single game tickets for all 2020 regular season games,...

We've reached the final countdown to spring training, so we're counting down the most important storylines surrounding the Nationals this spring. We continue today with the lineup decisions Davey Martinez must make ... It's surprise quiz time, folks. Do you remember who batted leadoff for the Nationals on opening day last season? Who hit sixth? Who hit eighth? (No peeking allowed.) Do you know the answer? You'll be forgiven if you forgot that Adam Eaton was the Nats' first batter of 2019,...

FREDERICK, Md. - Orioles vice president and assistant general manager of analytics Sig Mejdal, said it was a fair observation. That is, there was more technology for pitchers than for hitters in the Orioles farm system last season. The hitters were not without some data and technology to help them try to get better. But pitchers had more. That showed in some of the results. Of the Orioles' top six farm teams, four clubs led their leagues in ERA in 2019. That was at Double-A Bowie, Single-A...

MASN announced today that seven Nationals exhibition games will be televised this spring, including next week's highly anticipated Grapefruit League opener against the Astros and new manager Dusty Baker. The first six televised games will all come from FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The seventh broadcast game will come from Nationals Park, where the defending World Series champions will face a team made up of organizational prospects in a just-announced 4 p.m. exhibition finale dubbed...

The Orioles are one day away from having their pitchers and catchers report to spring training, though the number of early arrivals since they moved to Sarasota makes the official date seem insignificant. Players start trickling into the facility in January. They've already been throwing. It's become more of a report date for the media. My life is broken down into thirds. I have my spring training, regular season and offseason routines - and family and friends learn to adapt. Manager Brandon...

This should be the year Nationals fans can track the progress on the field of the No. 7 prospect in the system, according to Baseball America, right-hander Andry Lara. Lara just turned 17 on Jan. 6)and is a hard-throwing starter who is not afraid to go after hitters. The Coro, Venezuela, native is expected to get some work in the Nats' Rookie-level system. Baseball America's Nats correspondent, Lacy Lusk, said Lara appears in the Nats Top 10 because the right-hander is versatile for his...

We've reached the final countdown to spring training, so we're counting down the most important storylines surrounding the Nationals this spring. We continue today with the battle for the No. 5 starter's job ... It's not unusual for a club to hold an open competition for at least one spot in its opening day rotation. It is unusual, however, for a club to have four elite starters already locked in and three relatively experienced competitors in the running for that final job, with all three...

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - The bus has been rolling throughout Maryland. The Orioles have been coming to their fans during two days of the Birdland Caravan that continues with more stops today in Westminster and Frederick. Over two days, O's players, coaches and staff have made their way to Aberdeen, Fallston, Timonium, White Marsh, York, Pa., Annapolis, Bowie, Ellicott City and Fort Meade. I've watched fans cheering on the Orioles at the Green Turtle in White Marsh on Friday and yesterday at...

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - It seems for most teams in baseball, acquiring pitching is a never-ending process. The same applies to the Orioles. Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias talked pitching and other topics today during the second day of the Birdland Caravan. The last stop today for players and club officials was at a packed Calvert Brewing Company here. It's just a few miles from Prince George's Stadium, home of the club's Double-A Bowie affiliate. And many...