The Texas Rangers won their 1st World Series title to officially bring on the MLB's off-season. Al & Mark begin with a quick recap of the successful Podcast Party last month at Walter's. Thanks to all who came!

(04:00) The Nationals announced that weeknight evening games will begin 20 minutes earlier at 6:45pm. This seems to be a way to encourage more fans to be able to stay for the final few innings, but what about those who don't get off work until around 6:30pm?

(11:30) Roll call and analysis of the new members of the Nats Front Office. This includes the new senior director of amateur scouting, Brad Ciolek, who joins the organization after a successful tenure in Baltimore.

(25:00) There also was some movement among the coaching staff that includes Gerardo Parra replacing Eric Young Jr. as 1st Base Coach. Darnell Coles was retained as Hitting Coach and Jim Hickey will also return as Pitching Coach. How much of these changes are simply about money?

(39:20) Now that teams can no longer keep players on the IL, Stephen Strasburg is back on franchise's 40 man roster. Is this headed to a resolution this Winter?

(45:00) Texas won it all just two years after losing over 100 games. Arizona meanwhile made the World Series with only 84 victories as the final Wild Card team.

(50:00) A tribute to Frank Howard, one of the greatest hitters in the history of Washington Baseball. Howard passed away at age 87 and had many prolific offensive season while playing for the Senators in the late 60's/ early 70's.

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The Nats ended 2023 on a high note as they defeated the Braves 10-9 in a Sunday Slugfest. Mark (From Georgia) & Al wrap-up the 71 win campaign; which was 16 more victories than a season ago. Washington ended up beating Atlanta 5 times and were never swept from the NL East Champs.

(05:30) CJ Abrams stole a pair of bases in the finale to surpass Trea Turner's previous franchise mark. Abrams ended at 47 swipes, which just nosed past Turner's 46 stolen bases in 2017.

(12:30) Lane Thomas concluded his season w/ a team high 28 HRs. Where does he fit into the organization moving forward as there is a lot of OF talent in the pipeline?

(19:00) Jackson Rutledge took a no decision in his 5 IP as he allowed 5 runs in his efforts. Rutledge made 4 MLB starts since getting called up from AAA Rochester and was originally drafted in the 1st Round of the 2019 Draft.

(29:10) Mark gives an overview of immediate off-season headlines to keep track of, many of which involve musical chairs in the Front Office/ Coaching changes. What sort of payroll flexibility will Mike Rizzo have as well?

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The Nats lost 5-3 on Saturday night in Atlanta despite jumping out to an early edge. Mark (From ATL) & Al examine how the offense immediately attached Spencer Strider, but then went silent after the 1st inning.

(06:25) CJ Abrams had a pair of hits and stole his 45th base of the year. He trails Trea Turner (46 - 2017) by just one stolen base for the franchise record in a single season.

(11:00) Joan Adon only lasted 4 IP in his final start of the season. Adon made 10 starts and his ERA was a woeful 6.45 with a WHIP of 1.63. What does his future look like?

(17:30) Tanner Rainey tossed a scoreless 8th inning as he finally made it back to the Washington mound for the first time in 2023. Rainey has been away since last summer as he rehabbed from "Tommy John" surgery.

(22:00) Mark relays what GM Mike Rizzo had to say to the gathering media prior to the game.

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The Nats out-slugged the Braves on Friday night for their 70th victory on the season. Mark ( From ATL) & Al recap the 10-6 victory that saw Washington crush 5 home runs as Dom Smith continued his scorching September with his 6th trip around the bases this month.

(07:40) Carter Kieboom went deep while getting the start in his hometown. The hosts handicap where Kieboom fits into the organizational plans and show why this past stretch might be his last real opportunity to make an impression.

(11:00) Keibert Ruiz has not had a good year defensively, but offensively his OPS of of .708 is encouraging. Ruiz has the 2nd most hits of any NL catcher (131) only trailing William Contreras (153).

(17:30) Trevor Williams only lasted 3.1 IP and his season is now over with a 5.55 ERA. He is contractually due to return to Washington next season and his rotation spot is seemingly not guaranteed for next season.

(29:00) Tyler Clippard officially announced is retirement on Friday via Instagram as he did not sign anywhere this season after pitching for Rochester in parts of 2022. Is he the best overall relief pitcher in franchise history?

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The Nats were swept in their 2 game series in Baltimore as they fell 5-1 on Wednesday night. Mark (From Camden Yards) & Al have another Nationals loss to discuss as the team is now 7-17 in September.

(06:45) Patrick Corbin took the "L" in his final outing of the season. He wraps up with a 10-15 record, ERA of 5.20, and a staggeringly high WHIP of 1.48. Corbin threw 180 IP, up from 152.2 IP.

(18:45) Jake Alu had a RBI single; which shockingly was the only run Washington scored on Baltimore all season. Unfortunately, Alu had a TOOTBLAN to immediately follow.

(23:00) CJ Abrams stole his 44th base on the season and trails Trea Turner by 2 for the franchise record (46 - 2017).

(33:00) Sam Holbrook, the home plate umpire for Game 6 of the 2019 World Series, joins Tim for a quick conversation about the infamous "Trea Turner Play".

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The Nats lost 1-0 on Tuesday night in Baltimore, to begin their final road trio of the season. Mark (From Camden Yards) & Al though begin by honoring Brooks Robinson, the Orioles Hall of Fame 3rd Baseman, who passed away prior to the game at age 86. Robinson was an 18 time All Star and won 16 Gold Gloves (2nd most all time).

(02:00) Josiah Gray only allowed 1 run in 6 IP in what is his final start of the season. Gray dropped his ERA to 3.91 to conclude his All Star season. Al poses the question of whether or not the organization will look into an extension for Gray, similar to what Keibert Ruiz agreed to in the off-season.

(17:00) Gunnar Henderson unsuccessfully tried to steal in the bottom of the 8th with Robert Garcia on the mound. Henderson was the source of the only run scored in the game with his lead-off homer off Gray.

(26:00) Davey clarified the rotation for the rest of the way and this weekend in Atlanta and it will be Trevor Williams, Jackson Rutledge, and Joan Adon. Will Tanner Rainey get activated?

(32:00) A portion of our March 2022 interview with Sean Doolittle prior to Opening Day. Hear the full interview at natschatpodcast.com

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On the final day of play this season at Nationals Park, the Nats and Braves split the Sunday doubleheader. Mark & Al open with Jackson Rutledge coming away with his 1st career MLB victory in his 3rd start since getting called up. Rutledge went the minimum 5 IP and is expected to face Atlanta again next weekend.

(08:00) Lane Thomas reached the 20/20 plateau and is the first player in franchise history to accomplish that feat since Bryce Harper in 2016.

(16:10) Jacob Young had an excellent Game 1 as he had multiple RBI hits and a great catch to rob Ronald Acuna Jr. Young was recognized pregame for winning the "Nationals Way Award".

(23:00) Joan Adon took the loss in Game 2 as he allowed 4 runs and issued 4 walks. His ERA in 4 September starts is at 7.23 but he likely will pitch in Atlanta for the final series.

(30:00) The Nats have a 2 game series this week in Baltimore and the Orioles are close to clinching the AL East. Their magic number is at 3; which means it can't happen until Wednesday at the earliest.

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The Nats lost 9-6 to the Braves on what was a very busy Friday in Navy Yard. Mark & Al start with the offense somehow going just 1 for 16 with runners in scoring position. CJ Abrams paced the lineup as he had a pair of hits, 3 RBIs, and stole his 43rd base of the season.

(10:40) Patrick Corbin immediately fell behind 3-0 and the game began by him surrendering Ronald Acuna Jr.'s 40th homer of the season. Acuna is only the 5th player to join the 40/40 club and is the first since Alfonso Soriano did it with the Nationals in 2006.

(18:10) The local media voted Lane Thomas as the team's Player of the Year for the 2nd consecutive season. Kyle Finnegan won Pitcher of the Year and Mark explains why he personally voted for Hunter Harvey instead.

(24:00) Prior to the game Sean Doolittle announced his retirement as he continued to have injury setbacks in his attempt to return to the mound. Doolittle came to Washington during the Trade Deadline in 2017 and recorded the final out for Game 1 of the World Series in Houston. Is he the best closer in team history?

**SATURDAY'S GAME HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO EXPECTED HEAVY RAINS AND THE PLAN IS TO NOW PLAY A SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER ON SUNDAY 09/24/23.

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A day after an easy win, the Nats were smashed by the visiting Braves 10-3 on Thursday evening. Al & Tim recap Jake Irvin's short outing that ended in the top of the 3rd. It matches his shortest start of the season when he also had 2.2 IP vs. Detroit back in May.

(11:00) Cory "The Janitor" Abbott struck out 8 Atlanta hitters while throwing nearly 5 innings of mop-up duty. This comes on the 14th consecutive day of play for the Nationals as they have a very fatigued bullpen.

(19:45) Alex Call homered for the only the 2nd time since August and came through with a pair of hits. The offense had another 9th inning rally in a blow loss; which feels like a familiar refrain.

(23:10) New Commanders Owner Josh Harris thew out the ceremonial 1st pitch on a "Capital Crossover" evening that brought together the two franchises. This leads to an extended discussion about the potential for a stronger relationship between the baseball & football teams in this new era of D.C. sports.

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The Nats pummeled the White Sox 13-3 for a rare easy victory on Wednesday afternoon. Mark & Al have plenty of fun items to discuss as the offense came through with a trio of homers and 14 hits. Lane Thomas grand slam broke the game open in the bottom of the 3rd to give Washington a comfortable 8-1 lead. CJ Abrams matched Thomas' feat of reaching base four times as he was able to draw a pair of walks in the win.

(16:30) Dom Smith homered for the 5th time this month after only having 6 dingers through August. Mark explains why he has a hunch that Smith will be back as the Nationals 1B next season.

(22:00) Josiah Gray earned the victory despite only lasting the minimum 5 IP. Gray's ERA is exactly at 4.00 as the season winds down, it was at 3.41 entering the All Star Break.

(30:45) For the 1st time since April, the Braves come to D.C. on Thursday for a 4 game series. Ronald Acuna Jr. enters with 39 homers and 67 RBIs. Nobody has reached the 40/40 Club since Alfonso Soriano did so with the Nats in 2006.

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