Sunshine Squad: No More Screwing Around

[PowerBoater69]

Nusbaum's fan survey paints a pretty sunshiney picture:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7250718/2026/05/04/washington-nationals-fan-survey-gore/?source=emp_shared_article

Yeah, the fans he surveyed were generally supportive. So he had to include a dig about attendance being down. With a few exceptions, the media had local fans expecting well over 100 losses this year. A lot of the local media was in Rizzo's pocket. I'm not sure what the Athletic's agenda is, but I canceled them years ago.

[imref]

Yeah, the fans he surveyed were generally supportive. So he had to include a dig about attendance being down. With a few exceptions, the media had local fans expecting well over 100 losses this year. A lot of the local media was in Rizzo's pocket. I'm not sure what the Athletic's agenda is, but I canceled them years ago.

it's a self-selecting audience of people who still closely follow the Nats. i'd say the poll results are mostly in line with what we see here on WNFF and on Reddit.

[Slateman]

Yeah, the fans he surveyed were generally supportive. So he had to include a dig about attendance being down. With a few exceptions, the media had local fans expecting well over 100 losses this year. A lot of the local media was in Rizzo's pocket. I'm not sure what the Athletic's agenda is, but I canceled them years ago.

A dig? This is huge freaking news in baseball. Attendance is largely up around baseball and the Nats are suffering a 20% drop, which is the worst in all of MLB. This team spent nothing to improve in the offseason, and is probably running less payroll/operating costs than it has in 10+ years.  80% of fans surveyed want ownership to sell. The Padres are going for double their projected worth and the Lerners can't find a buyer for a supposed top 10 media market in one of the most affluent areas in the country.

Who exactly predicted 100 losses this year? Because I can't find anyone.

This is great work by Nusbaum, and he hasn't been in anyone's pocket, nor was most of the local sports coverage. Sorry they don't lick the Lerners' boots like "Ghost" Mears.

[imref]

we're currently tied for 2nd.

[aspenbubba]

Who exactly predicted 100 losses this year? Because I can't find anyone.
 

Aspenbubba, but who listens to me ?
 

[varoadking]

Who exactly predicted 100 losses this year? Because I can't find anyone.

 

[IanRubbish]

Hitters look more patient, Schmitt just hit one out, Fairfax County’s top prospect just got called up.  Park looks kinda full.  Sorry, wrong message board.

[Natsinpwc]

Mackenzie Gore has an ERA of 4.67 this year.  Not an all star. His FIP is better though. 4.07. Strikeouts/9 are up and on target for a career high. But walks are up also. So probably was a good idea to trade him although of course depends on how those guys work out. He’s got the stuff but don’t think he will ever be a star.

[blue911]

Mackenzie Gore has an ERA of 4.67 this year.  Not an all star. His FIP is better though. 4.07. Strikeouts/9 are up and on target for a career high. But walks are up also. So probably was a good idea to trade him although of course depends on how those guys work out. He’s got the stuff but don’t think he will ever be a star.

Gio light

[HalfSmokes]

A dig? This is huge freaking news in baseball. Attendance is largely up around baseball and the Nats are suffering a 20% drop, which is the worst in all of MLB. This team spent nothing to improve in the offseason, and is probably running less payroll/operating costs than it has in 10+ years.  80% of fans surveyed want ownership to sell. The Padres are going for double their projected worth and the Lerners can't find a buyer for a supposed top 10 media market in one of the most affluent areas in the country.

Who exactly predicted 100 losses this year? Because I can't find anyone.

This is great work by Nusbaum, and he hasn't been in anyone's pocket, nor was most of the local sports coverage. Sorry they don't lick the Lerners' boots like "Ghost" Mears.

The local economy really sucks right now

[imref]

The local economy really sucks right now

it's a combination of that, and a crappy on-field product. but we're in the wrong thread.

[IanRubbish]

Mackenzie Gore has an ERA of 4.67 this year.  Not an all star. His FIP is better though. 4.07. Strikeouts/9 are up and on target for a career high. But walks are up also. So probably was a good idea to trade him although of course depends on how those guys work out. He’s got the stuff but don’t think he will ever be a star.

I don't like all the arb-eligible trades, but that was one I thought made sense due to him being good, not great, and Boras.

[PowerBoater69]

Pretty good win tonight.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Pretty good win tonight.

max sunshine tonight

[PowerBoater69]

2nd place, third toughest schedule. Just short of a quarter of the season played.

[IanRubbish]

2nd place, third toughest schedule. Just short of a quarter of the season played.

Same record as 2024 after 37 games.  2 games better than last year.  They start better than they finish, especially after the deadline salary dumps.

Sunshine: I'd rather watch a bunch of 24-25 year olds go three games under by early May than some Tyrannosaurus Rizzo pump and dumps like Gallo, Senzel, etc, and whatever Joey Meneses was.

[PowerBoater69]

As far as I know, the Nats record for consecutive batters put out is 26, in that game when Scherzer was robbed one short of perfect. The actual record might be longer if a pitcher spread the streak over multiple games. In any case, that number is at risk this weekend.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I know his bat isn't enough to be a regular on a decent team, but I just really enjoy watching Nunez's D and baserunning right now. There's a couple of plays every night that are just fun, and every time he's on, he's just so disruptive at this  point.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

This is  about the sunshiniest  game story I've seen in a while.
https://www.thebanner.com/sports/nationals-mlb/nationals-twins-15-runs-cj-abrams-IC426UPIYRA5HL4RQQMR6KTUI4/

Link may not work, but navigate to the article from the Banner's Nationals page:
https://www.thebanner.com/topic/sports/nationals-mlb/

[Smithian]

17-20 is a heck of a start in a season I thought was at risk of being a true bottoming out until some late spring pitching adds.

There are some 2010 vibes this year. I wouldn't be surprised if the floor fell out at some point, but for now I'm really please with the progress of the org. We'll see how it looks in a few months, but the small sample size is possible.

[PowerBoater69]

4th most runs scored in MLB and the pitching is coming around. No one is going to want to face the Nats in a single elimination game.

[PowerBoater69]

This is  about the sunshiniest  game story I've seen in a while.
https://www.thebanner.com/sports/nationals-mlb/nationals-twins-15-runs-cj-abrams-IC426UPIYRA5HL4RQQMR6KTUI4/

Link may not work, but navigate to the article from the Banner's Nationals page:
https://www.thebanner.com/topic/sports/nationals-mlb/

Any good excerpts?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Any good excerpts?

not to abuse copyright, I posted 3 paragraphs in  the Borgshulte  thread:

https://www.thebanner.com/sports/nationals-mlb/nationals-twins-15-runs-cj-abrams-IC426UPIYRA5HL4RQQMR6KTUI4/

The article discusses how Butera talked about how he wanted the team to work on mid-game adjustments to how they were  being pitched. Last night, Ober started out shifting from his normal reliance on his off-speed stuff to emphasizing his fastball inside to set the offspeed up. Menitons how CJ adjusted from the 1st to second AB, which yielded the game tying double.
 

“Our hitting coaches did a tremendous job of recognizing that [sequencing change the] first time through,” Butera said. “Then our players just [started] talking with one another about what they were seeing, how they were getting attacked.”
...
After Ober came out with an altered game plan, the Nationals could have easily chalked it up as a good pitcher executing. But instead the team made adjustments and thrived later in the game. That’s tangible growth that the team has to maintain throughout the season.

“Our coaches can do all the homework they want to, but if a pitcher makes a slight change prior to that outing, it’s so important for our players that are in the box and seeing it to be able to relay what they’re seeing,” Butera said. “Maybe it’s slightly different than what we had planned going into the game, but because of those conversations, we’re able to make that adjustment midgame, and not just be like, ‘Oh, [the game plan] wasn’t what we thought it was.’

If the link doesn't  work, then you try navigating to the article from the Banner's Nats page.

The article has  some nice comments from CJ and Millas on how  the players were talking to each other between ABs, and Millas talking about feeding off each other as the momentum built. Then the article notes that House's  HR came of a righty and how Mikolas was able to keep them in the game before the offense got going in the middle innings.

It just seems these guys are responding well to what Butera is trying to do.

[imref]

6-4 in our last 10. Kind of a big game today to hopefully keep the momentum going and potentially pick up our 3rd series win in our last 4.

[PowerBoater69]

6-4 in our last 10. Kind of a big game today to hopefully keep the momentum going and potentially pick up our 3rd series win in our last 4.

Then it gets bigger from here, if we play well against the Marlins, not only do we pull ahead of them in the division race, but we put ourselves in a spot where we can take over the Reds Wild Card position next week.