Nats Chat

The Nats extended their strong start with a 13-2 victory in Philadelphia on Monday night.  Mark (From Citizens Bank Park) & Al note how this is the first time that the franchise has been two games over .500 since.... the summer of 2021!

(06:00) Joey Wiemer's streak of reaching base made it to ten consecutive plate appearances. Wiemer had two hits in the victory, part of the 17 hits that the offense collected.

(08:40) The Nationals properly pulled off the steal attempt in order to bring the runner home from 3rd (!)

(14:20) Seven Washington starters had multiple hits and Luis G...

The Nats beat the Cubs 6-3 on Sunday afternoon to take the series in Chicago.  Mark (From Wrigley Field) & Al have a lot of praise for Joey Wiemer, who is having a dream start to the season.  Wiemer has homered in both games he has played so far and has reached base in all eight plate appearances. Wiemer bounced around a bit th roster transactions this offseason, but ultimately Washington claimed him off of waivers in early January.

(07:00) CJ Abrams was back in the lineup on Sunday after missing the previous game due a death in the fa...

The Nats were trounced 10-2 on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field for their first loss of the season. Mark (From Chicago) & Al discuss a sloppy affair for the visitors. One of the runs came courtesy of James Wood, after connecting on his first homer of the season, while hitting in the leadoff spot.

(10:15) Drew Millas was a very surprising choice to bat 2nd in the lineup.  It is expected that Millas and Ruiz will split catching duties to begin the year.

(14:00) Nasim Nunez made an incredible defensive play at SS late in the game.  Nunez go...

The Nats began their season in style with a 10-4 road victory over the Cubs on a chilly Thursday afternoon. Mark (From Wrigley Field) & Al discuss the strong start for the offense, as a trio of Nationals went deep.  Joey Wiemer got things going with a solo shot in the 2nd while getting the nod in RF. The other homers came courtesy of Jacob Young and Brady House in the 9th for some welcomed insurance.

(12:00) The first lineup card under Blake Butera had a few surprises, including Andres Chpparo hitting 2nd.

(16:30) The bullpen had a b...

Al & Mark convene just a few days before the Nationals open the season at Wrigley Field on Thursday afternoon. There has been a flurry of roster activity in the past few days as Spring Training is finished and the Paul Toboni Era is underway.

(04:45) Josiah Gray was surprisingly placed on the 60- Day IL on Monday evening (Right flexor strain). Gray has not pitched for the Nats since April 2024 due to injury.

(14:35) Why was Dylan Crews demoted to AAA?  Crews was sent down on Friday afternoon to the surprise of many.

(28:30) Harry Ford, a...

Quick update by Tim Shovers regarding Friday afternoon's news that Dylan Crews will not be on the Nationals Opening Day roster. **Audio Courtesy of natsjournal.com** Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Opening Day is just one week away and the roster is starting to come into focus.  Mark (From West Palm) & Al dive into what players are expected to head north with the Big League team as Spring Training is wrapping up soon. Many positions still have question marks and catcher is atop the list.

(05:45) Zack Littell is on track to start the Nats 2nd game of the season in Chicago despite not having signed with the team until March.

(08:00) Where does Jake Irvin fit into the starting rotation as he has impressed this exhibition season o...

It is a busy time in Baseball as Spring Training continues alongside the popularity of the World Baseball Classic. Team USA is onto the quarterfinals amid very strong TV ratings.

(04:30) The Nats just signed veteran starter Zack Littell, who surprisingly was available into March.  The 30-year-old has a 3.88 career ERA and will immediately fit into the starting rotation, which has more experience than previously expected.  Washington also inked Foster Griffin and Miles Mikolas after camp began in Florida.

(15:00) Will Jake Irvin be in the rotation?

(18:15) Cade Cavalli this week was given the ball fo...

The Nats will be in Wrigley Field in under three weeks, but before then the sport is focused on Spring Training & the World Baseball Classic.  Al & Mark begin with looking at how the new Front Office has made its impact on the club while down in Florida thus far.

(09:00) Jacob Young is dealing with a wrist contusion and has been out of the lineup for an extended time.

(22:20) Harry Ford, the catcher who the Nationals acquired from Seattle in exchange for Jose A. Ferrer, is playing for Great Britain in the WBC. Ford is expected t...

The Nats have had a strong start to exhibition play in Florida; for whatever that is worth. Mark & Al begin with James Wood seeing a lot of action in RF so far this Spring Training. Wood has a lot of CF experience in the minors and LF duty in the majors, but has not found a permanent spot in the outfield.  There is also conjecture that Wood could switch to 1B within the next few seasons.

(14:30) Brady House homered twice in the Spring Training opener vs. Miami.  House struggled mightily in his rookie season at the plate, bu...

Grapefruit League play is just days away. Mark (From West Palm) & Al open with Dylan Crews, who is looking to bounce back after an injury filled rookie season. Crews showed signs of power last year with 10 homers, but his average was barely over the "Mendoza Line".

(10:10) Blake Butera was singing the praises of CJ Abrams and expects him to return to All-Star form.  The hosts also dive into the notion of him not returning to the trade market until this summer despite many expecting Abramsto be dealt at the same time as MacKenzie Gore.

(19:00) The n...

"Pitchers & Catchers" (and a lot more) have reported to West Palm Beach to begin the 2026 Nationals campaign.  Mark (Live from Florida) & Al discuss the initial impressions of a camp run by Paul Toboni & Blake Butera.  Hear what the reaction has been to the upgrade in technology and infrastructure behind the scenes.

(14:00) Washington signed veteran starting pitcher Miles Mikolas to a one-year deal around $2M.  Mikolas has not had a ERA below 4.00 since 2022, but consistently starts over 30 games a year.

(18:30) An early look at the potential starting rotation and if Cade Cavalli will take the mound on...

For all of those wondering what Mark's next step would be after MASN, here is your answer! Mark tells Al about natsjournal.com and how to subscribe in this quick episode before "Pitchers & Catchers" get going this week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Just one day after making his first big move as Nationals President of Baseball Operations, Paul Toboni joins the podcast for a wide ranging conversation.  Mark & Al begin by asking him about trading MacKenzie Gore to Texas in exchange for five prospects.  The discussion then touches upon Free Agency, 1B, building a bullpen, CJ Abrams' future, working with ownership, and more. Stay tuned after the 25 minute interview to hear the hosts give their thoughts on the Gore deal and other observations from interviewing Toboni.

(01:00) Gore traded to Texas

(08:00) Competitive timeline

(14:30) Approach in Free Ag...

Tim Shovers with a quick reaction to the news that MacKenzie Gore has been traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for 5 prospects. Mark & Al will have a full episode out Saturday morning. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nationals announced on Wednesday that the era of games airing on MASN is over and that the next chapter of local broadcasts will be on the newly formed "Nationals TV". Al & Tim explain what this means and how this will align with some other MLB team's broadcast situation.

(06:00) A refresher on the decade plus litigation between the Orioles & Nats over MASN that suddenly ended last year.

(12:15) How will the new broadcast compare to its predecessor?

(21:15) Alexa Datt has reportedly been hired as the team's new sideline reporter and she comes from the...

The new era of Nationals leadership just completed their first time representing the franchise at the annual MLB Winter Meetings. Mark (After returning from Orlando) & Al begin with the results of the Draft, where they were not allowed to end up with a top 10 pick.  The Nationals had the ping pong balls bounce their way initially, but due to the leagues rules they will settle for #11 overall.

(06:00) Evaluating the chances that MacKenzie Gore and/or CJ Abrams get traded this off-season.

(15:00) Parsing through Toboni's recent note to fans that could be interpreted as a heads-up t...

Quick recap of the Nationals trade over the weekend with Seattle by Tim Shovers.  Closer Jose. A Ferrer was sent to the Mariners in exchange for catcher Harry Ford & RHP Isaac Lyon.  Get up to speed on the first trade executed by Paul Toboni.

**Next full episode with Mark & Al will be Friday morning December 12th after the MLB Winter Meetings take place in Orlando, FL.

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The Nationals introduced their new 33-year-old Manager Blake Butera on Monday afternoon to the local media.  Mark & Al react to the press conference where Butera was joined on stage by Paul Toboni and fielded questions about becoming the youngest MLB Manager in a half century.  

(17:00) An early look at Butera's coaching staff, which will include Sean Doolittle.

(24:35) Luis Garcia Jr., Jake Irvin, and Riley Adams are among the non-tender candidates as it relates to upcoming Arbitration eligibility.

(32:00) Brief commentary on some potential big names that will be floated this off-season in trade rumors.

Tim Shovers provides a short recap of Paul Toboni's Conference Call on Tuesday to address the hiring of Blake Butera as new manager.  Butera and his wife welcomed a child the same day he accepted the job and his intro press conference is expected to be held later this month in D.C. 

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According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Nationals hired the youngest Manager in over 50 years. Mark & Al discuss the news that Washington will soon name 33-year-old Blake Butera as the team's next skipper.  The surprising hire comes from the Rays organization and his only previous managerial experience was in Low-A. Butera was drafted in the 35th Round out of Boston College but became a minor league manager at age 25.

(14:10) A look at some of the other candidates in the interview process.

(22:00) Going over Butera's resume in MLB, who was Tampa Bay's Director of Player Development in 2025. 

Tim Shovers with a quick reminder about the end of season Podcast Party.  This Friday night, October 10th, at 7pm at Walter's Sports Bar in Navy Yard.  

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The Nationals began a new era on Wednesday morning as Paul Toboni was officially introduced as the new President of Baseball Operations.  Mark & Al react to Toboni's first time meeting with the D.C. media in the press room at the ballpark.  Toboni was joined on the podium by three members of ownership in Mark Lerner, Ed Cohen, and Robert Tanenbaum.

(07:00) Spending by ownership was brought up multiple times during the press conference.  

(15:35) Toboni's answer on if he will hire a General Manager beneath him.  Mike DeBartolo was in attendance at the press conference.

(2...

The Nats closed their last place season on a sour note as they were shutout 8-0 on Sunday afternoon by the visiting White Sox. Mark & Al put the 66 win campaign under a wide-angle lens on the heels of their 14th shutout defeat. It should be a more active October than the past few years as they remake the front office and likely will make a change at manager.

(13:20) Hear what Dylan Crews said afterwards as he seems to be gearing up for more of a leadership role on the team.

(21:15) James Wood went 0 for 3 and...

The Nats overcame an early four-run deficit to edge the White Sox 6-5 on Saturday afternoon. Mark & Al begin with an ode to Bob Carpenter, who is calling his final Nats games this weekend for MASN. Carpenter was honored prior to the game after 20 years of being the TV voice of the team.

(10:00) James Wood hit his 31st homer to take the lead for good in the bottom of the 7th. Wood has four homers this week to end his season on a high note.

(15:00) "Mr. September" was at again as Daylen Lile bolstered his...

The Nats rallied all the way back from a seven run deficit, but Jose A. Ferrer could not close the door in the 10-9 loss to the White Sox. Mark & Al gather after maybe the craziest game of the season that saw the Nationals hit six homers, but also commit four errors.

(06:00) Luis Garcia Jr. hit a trio of homers for the first time in his career.  Garcia's third homer of the night briefly put them up 9-8 in the bottom of the 8th.  The last time Washington lost when a player hit three homers in a ga...

The Nats won 4-3 in Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon, but the major news came from ESPN's Jeff Passan.  Mark & Al spend plenty of time reacting to the report that Paul Toboni, Red Sox Asst. GM, will take over as Washington's new head of Baseball Operations. Toboni is 35 years old and has spent the last decade working in the Red Sox Front Office.

(21:10) James Wood homered twice to reach the 30 home run milestone.  Wood homered as many times this series (three) as he had in the past two months.  Wood also did not strike out all series and rem...

The Nats fell short 3-2 on Tuesday night as the Braves have now won ten games in a row.  Al & Tim begin with James Wood's 28th homer of the season, just his 4th since the All-Star Break.  Wood did not strikeout and remains eight Ks shy of Mark Reynolds' single season record.

(08:00) Luis Garcia Jr. played 1B on Tuesday as it seems like his days at 2B are coming to an end. Daylen Lile was also in the lineup just a few days after exiting Sunday's game early due to a knee contusion.

(15:10) The Nationals ye...

The Nats were no match for the Braves in Monday's 11-5 loss. Al & Tim convene after the Nationals pitching staff needed six pitchers just to make it through six innings and combined for nine issued walks.

(06:00) MacKenzie Gore was pulled in the top of the 3rd after having already thrown 71 pitches.  The Braves lineup fouled off 24 of them and now Gore's ERA is up to 4.17.

(09:00) The bullpen really struggled until Shinnosuke Ogasawara stabilzed the final few innings.  Jackson Rutledge was the first reliever out of the 'pen, but gave up three runs while only recording on...

The Nats took the weekend series in Queens as they held off the Mets 3-2 on Sunday afternoon.  Before we get to Mark & Al's analysis, Executive Producer Tim Shovers comes on to deliver an annual end of season message.  If you would like to donate to the podcast, visit natschatpodcast.com and click on Merch to get directed to our Donation page.

(04:30) Daylen Lile exited the game early after crashing into the side wall on a sliding catch in the bottom of the 3rd.  Mark was at the game in New York and relays what he saw and...

The Nats handed the Mets a crucial defeat on Saturday afternoon in Queens.  Mark (From NYC) & Al meet after the Nationals blew an early 3-0 lead, but Daylen Lile's exciting 2-run Inside-the-Park-Home run put them ahead for good 5-3.

(05:00) It looked initially that Lile's big hit would be a triple as he is one away from setting a franchise record. Lile's OPS is now ahead of James Wood (.814 vs. .807).

(08:45) CJ Abrams made a brutal TOOTBLAN in the top of the 11th just before Lile's homer. Abrams was then mysteriously replaced in the field in the b...

The Nats dropped their 5th straight on Friday night as they were beaten by the Mets 12-6.  Mark (From NYC) & Al gather after Washington guaranteed itself of having more losses this season than the previous two years.

(04:30) The pattern of sloppy defense continued on Friday as the outfield combined for three errors; two of which were on Dylan Crews.

(07:15) James Wood struck out two more times and committed a fielding error himself. Wood is now up to 212 Ks on the year; 21 more than AL leader Riley Greene.

(09:20) Daylen Lile tripled for the 11th t...

The Nats lost 9-4 on Wednesday and dropped all four games this week against the Braves. Mark & Al evaluate the team's tired legs as they have shown recent signs of fatigue.  It has been a busy stretch for the team as they have played 14 games in the past 13 days.

(07:30) James Wood had a RBI double and a single on his 23rd birthday. Wood did strikeout for the 210th time this season, extending his own franchise record.

(13:10) Brad Lord had a shutout through five innings, but it all came apart in the top of the 6th.  Lo...

Tuesday was a long one on South Capitol Street and neither game went the home team's way. Al & Tim convene following a day/night doubleheader where the Braves won 6-3 in the afternoon and then took the evening session 5-0 in extras.

(05:45) James Wood struck out four times in the Game 1 loss. Wood sat out Game 2 and is now up to 209 strikeouts this season, 23 more than Riley Greene who leads the American League.

(10:30) Daylen Lile tripled for the 10th time while only having played in 82 games.  Lile set a franchise record for a rookie in t...

The Nats were pounded 11-3 by the Braves on Monday night in Navy Yard. Mark & Al begin with Daylen Lile yet again impressing as he homered and lifted his OPS to .816, just six points behind James Wood.  Lile has the highest OPS of any NL Rookie with 300+ at-bats.

(05:45) Dylan Crews went 0 for 3 and his batting average is now down to .202.

(08:00) Mitchell Parker was pushed into the the top of the 6th and ended with a grisly line of allowing six runs off of ten hits.

(15:45) Jarlin Susana recently had surgery on his right l...

The Nats took the series rubber match in Sunday afternoon's 4-3 win over the Pirates. Mark & Al note that the Nationals are 9-4 to start September and need only one more victory to avoid a 100 loss season.

(04:35) Daylen Lile was the offensive hero as his 8th inning RBI double put Washington ahead for good.  Lile reached base four times and his OPS is now up to .796 on the season.

(09:00) CJ Abrams made his 20th error of the season, the 2nd most of any short stop in Baseball.

(17:45) Cade Cavalli struggled in the opening i...

The Nats lost 5-1 on Saturday afternoon to the visiting Pirates.  Al & Mark convene after the offense was only able to muster one run in the defeat.

(06:00) Dylan Crews had multiple instances of aggressive and heads up base running in the bottom of the 6th. His play that inning is emblematic of the kind of player Crews wants to be.

(13:10) Andrew Alvarez was superb on Saturday as he tossed six shutout innings in his third Big League start.

(22:40) Washington's 1-0 lead evaporated in the top of the 8th and the Pirates off score f...

The Nats opened the homestand with a 6-5 victory over Pittsburgh despite an early three run deficit.  Mark & Al begin with the defensive exploits by James Wood in the top of the 9th as his perfect throw nailed the tying run at the plate.  It was an up and down evening for Wood as he doubled twice, but also struck out twice, thus setting a single season franchise record with 200Ks.

(10:15) Brady House & Dylan Crews each went deep in the victory. Crews is now at nine homers on the season.

(15:00) Brad Lord had a decent ou...

The Nats had to settle for a series split in Miami after dropping Thursday night's finale 5-0. Al & Tim gather after Washington was shutout for the 12th time this season to conclude their otherwise winning road trip.

(04:00) MacKenzie Gore returned from the 15-Day IL to toss five innings in the loss.  Gore allowed two runs in the first inning and struck out four Marlins in the outing.

(08:05) CJ Abrams had a throwing error and it was his 18th of the season. Abrams has the 3rd most errors in Baseball and his defense is called into q...

The Nats led 3-0 entering the bottom of the 6th, but an ensuing comedy of errors tilted the evening in the Marlins direction for an 8-3 loss on Wednesday. Mark (From Miami) & Al though begin with the very encouraging news that MacKenzie Gore not only is coming off the IL, but will take the mound on Thursday night in South Florida.

(08:00) Jake Irvin tossed five scoreless innings, but it all came apart in the four run bottom of the 6th.  The defense made a pair of errors, Miguel Cairo was ejected after a replay didn't go Washington's w...