Lots of good teams in MLB are off to disappointing starts in 2022.
The Toronto Blue Jays, for example, are barely over .500, the reigning World Series champions Atlanta Braves are 16-19, the same record as the once red-hot Seattle Mariners.
But it’s still too early to wave the white flag: it’s still mid-May, and there is a lot of baseball left to play.
Just ask the 2019 Washington Nationals.
“Remember that the Washington Nationals started out the 2019 season with a 19-31 record but ended up winning the World Series. Hang in there!” Codify Baseball tweeted on Monday.
Remember that the Washington Nationals started out the 2019 season with a 19-31 record but ended up winning the World Series. Hang in there!
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) May 16, 2022
No 2022 MLB team is in a situation as precarious as the 2019 Nats.
That squad was lousy for weeks, even months.
But talent eventually wins out, and that team was extremely talented.
The 2019 Washington Nationals Were A Special Bunch
Thanks to enormous contributions from Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, Anibal Sanchez, Ryan Zimmerman, Howie Kendrick, Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, and Juan Soto, among many others, they had a furious surge in the second half and ended the regular season with an excellent 93-69 record, enough to secure a Wild Card spot.
From there, their amazing pitching staff, and their excellent offense took over.
Soto and Rendon were monsters during the whole postseason and delivered the Nats its first World Series title.
Who knows if the Mariners, the Braves, the Blue Jays, or even an unexpected team can be the 2019 Nationals?
It’s still too early in the regular season calendar to rule anyone out.
The season has 162 games for a reason: it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and those who fight from start to finish will see the benefits and earn the ultimate reward.
