Once a consistent postseason participant, the Washington Nationals are currently fighting to return to the same level of consistency. Just under six years removed from their 2019 World Series title, the Nats have yet to eclipse 71 wins in a season. The 2024 season has brought many fans a glimpse of the future with prospects Dylan Crews and James Wood making their anticipated debuts, but it's clear that the club still needs to make some moves in order to get back to the postseason. Washington has two potential cornerstone players with hopefully more on the way within the next couple of seasons in the minor leagues to replicate the consistency shown by previous teams. Let's take a quick look back at the Nationals previous playoff appearances.
2005 was the inaugural season for the Nationals in D.C., and it took many years for a competitive team to hit the field. 2011 was the season where many fans anticipated a progression unlike any other. The team was led by Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse, and newly signed outfielder Jayson Werth from the division rival Philadelphia Phillies. A veteran presence paired with a middle infield of 25-year-old Ian Desmond and 24-year-old Danny Espinosa was good enough to win 81 games that season. It was the first time the Nationals eclipsed 73 wins in their new home field, "Nationals Park." It was the start of a special run for Nats fans and players.
Nationals' Playoff Appearances
- 2012, Lost in NLDS to Cardinals in five games
This one was a heartbreaker, as the Nationals' collapse in Game 5 is something that still haunts us fans to this day...especially Pete Kozma.
- 2014, Lost in NLDS to Giants in four games
A series that saw the beginnings of the Bryce Harper and Hunter Strickland beef, and one of the longest postseason games in MLB history in which the Nats lost in 18 innings, the club endured more heartbreak.
- 2016, Lost in NLDS to Dodgers in five games
This series featured pitching matchups that included Max Scherzer vs. Clayton Kershaw, and the Nats ultimately fell in Game 5 for the second time in club history, as Kershaw earned his first career save to put the Nats to bed.
- 2017, Lost in NLDS to Cubs in five games
Game 4 featured a vintage Stephen Strasburg postseason masterclass, as he saved the season for the Nats while feeling under the weather, tossing 7 scoreless and striking out 12. However, the Nats would endure a familiar feeling by dropping Game 5.
- 2019, World Series Champions
Where to even begin? From barely surviving the Wild Card game against Milwaukee to finally getting rid of the NLDS curse against the Dodgers by winning a Game 5, this year had it all. The Nats went on to sweep the NLCS against the Cardinals before ultimately winning all 4 road games in the World Series against the Houston Astros, capped off by a dramatic Game 7 Victory.
Nationals Postseason Record
The Nats have made the playoffs five times as a franchise located in Washington, D.C., winning 21 out of 45 games. In the historical 2019 playoff run, the Nats won 12 out of 17 games to claim their first World Series title. Did I mention the Nats were over ten games below .500 near the beginning of the 2019 season? I have now. While first-round exits were the theme of the 2010s for the Nats, they reversed the trend and claimed the title in 2019. It was one of the most exciting stories of recent memory, as the team overcame a putrid start to the season.
Dare I say that Nats fans "deserved" a World Series title? Previous playoff endeavors were filled with late-inning heartbreak and false hope. The 2012 Nats won 98 games in the regular season, only to lose in game five of the NLDS to the Cardinals. Nats fans don't want to be reminded of the events that unfolded in the late innings of game five against St. Louis. The extra-inning home run by Brandon Belt of the Giants is another moment that sums up Washington's postseason endeavors from 2012-2017. While the team won at least 80 games from 2011-2019, it took until the very end of that streak to put it all together. The World Series was a long time coming for the Nationals.
This organization will be back to the dance soon, and boy are we ready for it as a fanbase.