I don’t see many people rocking 2019 wild card winner shirts and hats, I see a whole lot of World Series gear around though
I know what you're saying, and it doesn't make much sense because without winning the wild card, there would be no world series.
Strasburg was the hottest pitcher in the final month. Max had some injuries that kept him from being effective and he hadn't quite returned to form when the playoffs started. It was weird because they started Scherzer over Stras against Milwaukee, but it was Stras who came in and held the game close to allow the comeback. That was a mistake by the Nats not playing their best card at the time (Strasburg). but they survived it.
The only guarantee for next year is the 162 game schedule. The playoffs don't happen without good performance during the season. So I don't care how many world series t-shirts you see. You need a durable, dependable pitcher. Not just a guy who got hot during the post season.