Spring training, though, annually and universally brings some measure of hope. The thought here would be to watch young players — pitchers Cade Cavalli, MacKenzie Gore and Josiah Gray; shortstop CJ Abrams; etc. — grow. Someone can see a half-full glass, right?
As workouts get going, maybe it’s worth thinking about the history of this team’s time in Washington — still scant by baseball standards — and ranking the seasons not in terms of their ultimate success but in how much anticipation and excitement they generated before they began.
Here’s a shot at listing the Nats’ 19 spring trainings in order of preseason buzz and vibes. Disagree? Don’t get angry. Grab a beer and join the discussion.
2005
To me, this is unarguable. Baseball had been absent for 33 straight Washington summers. It was returning. The on-field product almost didn’t matter. However good or bad the team was, there would be 81 opportunities to take in a big league ballgame in the District. What could be better than that? The total attendance of 2,731,993 remains the highest in franchise history.
What actually happened: The inaugural Nats went 81-81 and finished last in the National League East, nine games behind the Atlanta Braves.
2013
In December 2012, two months after the Nationals’ first playoff appearance and immediately after the club signed free agent pitcher Dan Haren, then-manager Davey Johnson said the following: “World Series or bust. That’s probably the slogan this year.” They were the defending NL East champs. The season ahead would be the first to both start and end with Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. They had a new center fielder in Denard Span. Why not think big?
What actually happened: 86-76, second in the NL East, 10 games behind the Braves.
2015
The Nationals signed pitcher Max Scherzer to a seven-year, $210 million contract. So a rotation that led the NL in ERA and walks and hits per inning pitched added a Cy Young winner. Upon arrival at spring training, Harper was asked his reaction to the move. “I just started laughing,” the star outfielder said. “I was like, ‘Where’s my ring?’ ”
What actually happened: 83-79, second, seven games behind the New York Mets.
2017
Dusty Baker’s second Nationals team was coming off a 95-win campaign. Scherzer and Strasburg were at full strength to front a rotation that still included Gio Gonzalez. Harper was in his prime. They had pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers to the precipice in a five-game division series the previous fall. All systems were go.
What actually happened: 97-65, first, lost division series to Chicago Cubs in five games.
2012
There was a sense that the previous year’s 80-81 finish represented real progress. Johnson, a World Series-winning manager, was at the helm. General Manager Mike Rizzo traded for lefty Gonzalez in the offseason, strengthening a rotation that already included burgeoning bulldog Jordan Zimmermann and Strasburg, who was healthy but would have his innings limited following recovery from Tommy John surgery — which, in the spring, didn’t seem like a massive issue.
What actually happened: 98-64, first, lost division series to St. Louis Cardinals in five games.
2016
Baker took over for the fired Matt Williams, who had butchered a playoff series in 2014 and lost the clubhouse the following year. Baker brought proven leadership to a roster that was capable of anything. Harper was coming off an MVP campaign. The Nats filled a void at second base with hitting machine Daniel Murphy.
What actually happened: 95-67, first, lost division series to Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
2008
The team was going to be lousy. Odalis Perez was the Opening Day starter, for goodness’ sake. But the christening of a new ballpark brought the sense that this was a real major league franchise that was here to stay.
What actually happened: 59-102, last, 32½ games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.
2020
Going into spring training — before the coronavirus pandemic shut down camp and disrupted the season — the Nationals essentially had the band back together from a World Series-winning club, minus all-star third baseman Anthony Rendon. And who wouldn’t want to be there when a banner was raised on Opening Day?
What actually happened: 26-34, tied for last, nine games behind the Braves.
2014
After Johnson’s final team fizzled, the disciplinarian Williams was hailed as what the talented Nats needed. Rizzo traded for right-hander Doug Fister to deepen the rotation, and Rendon would slide to his natural position of third base after a promising debut in 2013.
What actually happened: 96-66, first, lost division series to San Francisco Giants in four games.
2018
Yes, they were coming off back-to-back division titles. But the failure to get past the division series was starting to wear thin. The team replaced Baker with Dave Martinez, which didn’t exactly inspire. Nationals Park would host the All-Star Game, but Harper’s impending free agency loomed over the season.
What actually happened: 82-80, second, eight games behind the Braves.
2006
The Nats followed their second-half collapse of 2005 by trading for all-star second baseman Alfonso Soriano — and moving him to left field. First-round pick Ryan Zimmerman was set to become entrenched at third base.
What actually happened: 71-91, last, 26 games behind the Mets.
2010
Yeah, they were coming off 103 losses. But they signed Hall-of-Famer-to-be Ivan Rodriguez with the idea that he would shepherd Strasburg to the big leagues. And the promise of Strasburg’s arrival was enough to sustain interest.
What actually happened: 69-93, last, 28 games behind the Phillies.
2021
The core of a World Series champion was still on board, and the pandemic-throttled 2020 season could be seen as a blip. Trading for first baseman Josh Bell and signing slugger Kyle Schwarber indicated the front office was still trying to win.
What actually happened: 65-97, last, 23½ games behind the Braves.
2019
The talent was enough to be good. But the weight of unfulfilled promises wore on people, and Martinez’s debut season didn’t breed confidence. Harper had signed with Philadelphia. What, exactly, provided hope that this year would be different?
What actually happened: 93-69, second, four games behind the Braves, won wild-card spot, won World Series.
2022
Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner had been traded — as had almost every useful piece of the World Series champs. They still had Juan Soto. But …
What actually happened: 55-107, last, 46 games behind the Braves.
2007
Manny Acta was the energetic new manager, but spring training felt like the island of misfit toys. None of the 20 or so candidates for the rotation had spent the previous season healthy and in the big leagues for the whole year. Soriano was gone.
What actually happened: 73-89, fourth, 16 games behind the Phillies.
2009
Coming off a 102-loss season, the shine of a new ballpark had worn off. In spring training, the Smiley Gonzalez scandal led to the ouster of GM Jim Bowden. Rizzo was an interim, and his track record hadn’t been established.
What actually happened: 59-103, last, 34 games behind the Phillies.
2011
Strasburg blew out his elbow during his electrifying rookie season, and though signing outfielder Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million deal indicated the club was serious about trying to contend, actual contention felt far off.
What actually happened: 80-81, third, 21½ games behind the Phillies.
2023
Soto has been traded. The best prospects received for him are still a year or more away from the majors. Strasburg, due $35 million, might never pitch again. Patrick Corbin, due $24 million, has the highest ERA of any pitcher with at least 200 innings between 2020 and 2022. For buzz and hope, this is the low point.