Nats = Watchable?
Indeed, that’s what WaPo’s Barry Svrluga Tweeted recently, and in the Junks’ eyes, the Nationals are “not as bad as people think and a palatable product to watch on TV.” Svrluga joined the guys Thursday morning ahead of a Nats Thursday matinee to give his take on how the team is still going to lose 100 but won’t be unwatchable doing it, as you can see the future being built before your eyes - both up the middle and on the mound.
“They’re mostly not losing 9-1, and I think that matters. At this point last year, it felt like someone was getting thrown out on the basepaths or making an error every night, and there was nothing to sink your teeth into,” Svrluga said. “And, it was people who weren’t going to be here, that didn’t matter from the past or weren’t part of the future. But this year, the style they play matters, and so does who is making the plays. The records might not be that different from last year to this year, but the way it matters for the future, and the palatable way they play, seems like light years ahead of where they were a year ago.”
For example, a month ago, Bish would’ve said you’re crazy if you told him they’d be 12-18 after 30 games, but here they are – and on Thursday, the biggest link to the Nationals’ past is on the mound in Patrick Corbin, a man Svrluga thinks will be an interesting case study in the future.
“I think it’s an interesting discussion: is six years, $140 million for Corbin an awful contract because he’s been the worst starter in baseball since 2020, or does it not matter as much because those teams weren’t very good and someone had to bridge the gap between Scherzer and Hudson in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series, which he did,” Svrluga said. “The contract stinks now and it has another year on it, so it’s hard to watch, but he’s a big part of why they have a World Series trophy, and that matters a lot to a lot of people.”
Check out Svrluga’s entire convo with the Junkies about Nats baseball, as well as a parallel between the sales of the Nats and Commanders, above!
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