Washington Nationals Will Impact Playoff Race Despite Being Eliminated
The Washington Nationals have officially been eliminated from the 2024 MLB postseason. It is the fifth consecutive year since they will not be playing baseball in October, as they haven’t made the playoffs since taking home the World Series in 2019.
Alas, they are going to have a major impact on how the brackets play out in each league.
For the final 13 games of the season, the Nationals are only playing against teams with winning records who still have postseason aspirations. This daunting stretch begins with three games against the New York Mets, who are battling things out with the Atlanta Braves for the final National League wild card race.
These are games that manager Dave Martinez is looking forward to his team participating in.
“Hey, look, we got a chance to do some special things still, right? The biggest thing that I want them to learn is the mindset of playing in September and getting into October. That's going to be (it). I tell these guys, we talked about this before, physically, you guys are all strong enough to do it. It's the mental game right now. There are a lot of things you play for at the end of the year. Let's focus on just staying where your feet are and staying in the moment," the manager said via Bobby Blanco of NESN.
“And there is still something to play for right now. We could be the spoilers, which does mean a lot to not only us, but other teams. And put wins on the board. Try to go 1-0 every day from here on out. That's the ultimate goal for us right now, is to understand that winning is important. If we're going to do what we want to do, and that's to get to another championship, we got to learn how to win and win every day.”
A lot of people are going to be paying attention to what Washington does on the field over the last two weeks. Every game is going to have an impact on a team in one way or another.
Ample opportunities for growth and development will be presented to Martinez’s squad. But, it will be challenging.
The Mets are 8-2 against the Nationals this season, as are the Philadelphia Phillies. Just two weeks ago, the Chicago Cubs swept them in a three-game series at Nationals Park.
No games have been played against the American League’s Kansas City Royals, who are currently the No. 2 wild card team.
While success has been fleeting against these playoff contenders, Washington does have something to play for. Improving upon the 71 victories they had in 2023 is an attainable and worthwhile achievement.
“Absolutely. From here, every win matters,” Martinez said. “And every step that they take matters. We talk a lot about situational baseball right now with them because mentally that's a big part of the game. … So it's good that they're playing and they continue to play hard. I love it.”
With so much young talent littering the roster, a strong finish will create plenty of positive momentum for 2025. Ending the season on a high note would do wonders for this franchise heading into the offseason.
KENNETH TEAPE