World Series Champs Washington Nationals:

3 Key Numbers to Always Remember About “The Run”

By: Michael A. Chase Jr.

10/31/2019

          Many observers and fans who took part in watching the Nationals run to a World Series Title will remember many key numbers from this season. Whether it be their 19-31 record going into May 24th they recovered from to make the postseason. 14 being the number of postseason wins it took to achieve championship status. Or even the 5-0 record they had this postseason in elimination games which is an incredible feat itself. All these numbers are worth mentioning, when celebrating how great this team and the run they went on was. They’re a few other numbers/statistics of significance that are worth highlighting. Numbers that truly put into perspective the obstacles this team had to go through, along with the key areas they improved to finally break through with this core.

            The first major number/stat to recognize about this postseason journey is .262. This number represents the batting average with runners in scoring position the Nationals finished their postseason run with. This number is significant because in the regular season their team batting average in this area was .279. Showing the Nats did a great job carrying over their success in this area from the regular season into the playoffs which they had not done in previous postseason runs. The problem for the Nationals coming into previous postseasons was never about them pitching well. It was always about would they be able to hit well enough to support their staff and win a series. This year they finally eradicated this issue, it was not always pretty in this aspect of their offensive attack, but it was the best it has been in their postseason history. Even when they had an 0-10 night against Zack Greinke in Game 3 of the World Series. Or Game 4 of the World Series when they went 1-9, or 2-12 in Game 1 against the Cardinals in the NLCS. They found a way to put up strong performances like their 5-12 in Game 2 of the World Series, or 4-5 game in the closeout Game 4 of the NLCS against St. Louis. This team had much success this season hitting in this spot because of a stronger commitment and execution of a team wide approach. This being better with 2 strikes and putting the ball in play more consistently. Washington this year had one of the best 2 strike batting averages in the sport and were the 4th best team when it came to putting the ball in play. With their opponent in the World Series being the best in these two categories the similarities with these offenses were more apparent than on a just a surface level view. From Trea Turner to Victor Robles 1-8 the Nationals committed to this much improved hitting strategy and it paid off in many ways, from one of their best offensive seasons in the franchise’s history to becoming World Champs.

            The second number many people should remember to put this championship run in perspective is 213. This number is representative of the number of wins the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros combined for that the Nats defeated this postseason. It is extraordinary that the Nats had to beat the two best records in baseball to reach the mountain top. With the Dodgers having 106 wins and the Astros 107 these are two incredible teams the Nationals just bested to become the Champs. These two franchises were both significant favorites in their series against the Nats and understandably so. With LA owning a 3.37 ERA and Houston a 3.66 ERA which were 1st and 3rd ranked in the sport respectively. While both teams were also top ten offenses, including Houston having the best team average in all the majors. To add more to the challenge the Nats may have beaten a team that will have the Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Manager of the year in the AL in Houston. While LA boasted an MVP candidate, and one of the best pitching staff in recent MLB history. This further depicts the Nats went up against and took down two juggernauts to get this Championship which should not go overlooked. The Nationals had to fight for their postseason lives all the way through and do it against the two best teams in the sports on their journey.

            The third and final number/stat that should be celebrated about this postseason run is 8-1. This being the record they accumulated as the road team in the postseason which is an incredible feat to accomplish. From closing out the Dodgers with a 10-inning Howie Kendrick Grand Slam in Dodger Stadium in Game 5 of the NLDS, to taking the first two games on the road in the NCLS from St. Louis, to then sweeping all 4 games on the road against Houston. Now this does mean they had very little success at home in the postseason, but it shows the mental fortitude and toughness to go into their opponent’s home turf and beat them consistently. The most impressive thing about this amount of road success is how lopsided the scores were during this 8-1 roll. Washington outscored their opponents 46-23 in their 9 road games this postseason. Having a +23-run differential on the road in the playoffs is historic and shows the type of ‘road warriors’ the Nationals were. All the teams most memorable moments occurred on the road as well. From Kendrick’s Grand Slam, to Anibal Sanchez’s near no-no in Game 1 of the NLCS. Even the Back to Back homers off Kershaw by Rendon in Soto in the 8th inning of Game 5, and clutch homers by Kurt Suzuki and Kendrick in Games 2 and 7 of the World Series. The road brought many special memories for the Nationals which will be forever etched into Nationals history.

            In the end these three statistics perfectly encapsulate how unreal the Nationals postseason run was. They tell not only how difficult the road was, but how great the Nats were in the areas of the game they had previously struggled with in past postseasons. These Washington Nationals now sit as World Champions of baseball, and it is much deserved. Whether they can repeat next year is uncertain and there are many big roster decisions to address this offseason. For now, we as Nationals supporters and baseball fans must spend the next few weeks, and for some maybe months celebrating a great team. A team that overcame great obstacles and made history in many ways to etch their names in the history books as the 2019 World Series Champions.