There was a time earlier this year when Davey Martinez would go out of his way to avoid having Stone Garrett face a right-hander. Garrett was one-half of the Nationals’ left field platoon, and he was only going to match up against those opposing pitchers he figured to have the most success against. How far he’s come. These days, it doesn’t matter w

BOWIE, Md. – Jackson Holliday, shortstop at Double-A Bowie and the No. 1 ranked prospect in baseball, is working hard in the hours leading up to game time so that when first pitch arrives every night, he is ready to unleash his considerable talent and skills on opponent pitchers. In a recent interview at Prince George’s Stadium, Holliday said he co

OAKLAND – An analytics department that’s grown exponentially since the Orioles revamped their front office, and the entire operation, following the 2018 season can’t measure every aspect of a young player. What’s inside isn’t as easy to decipher, dissect and quantify as the tools. Advanced data and modernized techniques – gasp - have their limits.

There are far loftier goals on the Nationals’ checklist, certainly once the calendar flips to 2024. This is a franchise that won’t consider the rebuild it embarked on two years ago a true success until it’s playing in October again. But it takes steps to get there, and today the Nats took a meaningful step on their projected path back to contention

Victor Robles wandered through the Nationals clubhouse Wednesday afternoon, a familiar face but in many ways a forgotten one. It’s been nearly two months since Robles last played, and he has appeared in only five games since early May, a persistent back injury having sidelined him for the better part of the season now. And given the lack of progres

The Nationals have already gone 4-1 on this homestand. They’ve got a chance to add to that today and reach a significant milepost for the season. Their next win will be No. 55, which would match their 2022 total. Yeah, there are still 40 games to go after today. That would be quite the accomplishment by mid-August. It’s a couple of veteran left-han

When catcher Samuel Basallo of the Dominican Republic, who just turned 19, recently moved into the top 50 of a couple of top 100 prospects lists, it was an important milestone for the Orioles’ international program. He is the first player from the international program since Mike Elias and his front office took over to make a top 100 and now a top

CJ Abrams has been better lately. Lane Thomas has been better over the course of the entire season. Joey Meneses has been better with runners in scoring position. But there may be nobody the Nationals would rather see at the plate in a big spot late in a close game right now than Keibert Ruiz. The proof is there for everyone to see, and it was agai

SAN DIEGO – No team is going to keep an Opening Day roster intact for 162 games. The first month is dicey. The first half is virtually impossible. The Orioles have used 47 players this season and are 121 games into their schedule. They are expected to reinstate left-hander John Means from the 60-day injured list next month. They’d likely provide ma

SAN DIEGO – Be careful with the soft spots in the schedule. The footing can get slippery. The Orioles are playing teams below .500 in four out of the next five series, beginning with the Padres and including a trip to Oakland. A reprieve on paper. A trap on the field the past two nights. Left-hander Blake Snell held the Orioles to two runs over six