If the MLB season had ended Monday, the upstart Washington Nationals would be in the playoffs and the talented Baltimore Orioles would hold the top seed in the American League.
The two promising young teams renew their rivalry with a two-game series starting Tuesday at Nationals Park.
Last year’s Beltway Series showcased a couple of teams heading in opposite directions. The Orioles were a team on the rise as they took all four games against the Nationals en route to a playoff berth. It was the first sweep in the rivalry’s history as Washington scored just one run against Baltimore.
Baltimore finished that season on top of the AL East before falling to the eventual champion Texas Rangers in the playoffs.
Washington ended the year at the bottom of their division for the fourth consecutive season.
This season has been different for the Nationals. Shortstop C.J. Abrams flashed speed on the basepaths and a competent bat in previous seasons, but this year there’s more. He’s found his power.
The 23-year-old is posting All-Star caliber numbers through 34 games, leading the team in batting average, home runs and slugging percentage. He set an MLB record in April, becoming the first player to record seven home runs, six stolen bases and four triples in the first 25 games of a season.
Powered by Abrams and speedy rookie Jacob Young, Washington’s rebuild is ahead of schedule. Though Washington has struggled against some of the league’s top squads, the team has remained competitive, securing a league-best 12 comeback wins.
“This is such a fun team to be a part of. It’s such a great opportunity to be a National,” Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker said. “’All this good stuff, man, it just happens organically. And that’s what it’s about.”
The Nationals’ front office can look at Baltimore as a potential blueprint for success. The once-storied Orioles posted five consecutive losing seasons from 2017 to 2021. In that time, they stocked an array of top prospects and built one of the top farm systems in the league.
Their patience paid off last year. Baltimore won 101 games, powered by stars too young to remember Cal Ripken Jr.’s prime.
After being swept in last year’s playoffs, the Orioles opened the 2024 campaign with high expectations. Though top prospect Jackson Holliday struggled in his 10 major league games in April, the rest of Baltimore’s young core has lived up to the hype.
Shortstop Gunnar Henderson, 22, leads the American League with 10 home runs. Catcher Adley Rutschman, 26, sits near the top of the AL with a .324 batting average.
“I think we have the ability to be the best team in the big leagues,” Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer said after Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Reds. “Our offense is unbelievable, the defense that they play is unbelievable, and our pitching staff … is pretty good. I like where we’re at.”
This week’s series will be the first matchup between the teams in 2024 with both squads sporting their alternate City Connect uniforms to mark the occasion.
The Nationals will don their popular cherry blossom jerseys before retiring the look at season’s end. The Orioles will wear their bold black Baltimore jerseys.
This season’s series is the first in a new era for Baltimore and Washington.
After 30 years, the Angelos family sold the Orioles to billionaire David Rubenstein in January. After two years of speculation, the Lerner family announced this spring that they were no longer looking to sell the Nationals.
With their ownership groups set for the foreseeable future, both clubs are marching into the next generation. Players like Holliday, Henderson and Rutschman could keep the Orioles as a perennial contender in the coming years. Washington’s fans hope to see similar production from their top prospects as the team looks to return to relevance.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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