Sometimes, it is so hard to decide what to write about in the morning. Today will be either Books or Baseball. Or both.

Let’s start with baseball. I know that for some of you this is a foreign subject, so I will make it as clear as I can. In 2019, the Washington Nationals won the World Series. Then (for reasons not necessary to detail here), the team fell apart, and the owners decided to get rid of everyone and start from scratch. They call it rebuilding. Five years later, the team is rebuilding and the fans are tired of it.

The worst year was 2022, when they only one 55 games and lost 107. For those who are unfamiliar with baseball, that is very bad. Last year, they won 71 and lost 91, still not very good. As of today, May 29, 2024, they have won 24 and lost 29. Still not very good.

This is not going to be a long essay. Just a few points. Results in baseball depend a lot on five things (in addition to luck and the strength of your opponents). Batting average, batting power, pitching, base running and fielding.

The Nationals’ base running and fielding has been very good this year and last. They have not had much power either year; clearly something they must work on. But as to batting average and pitching, strange things have happened.

Last year, the Nationals’ strength was their ability to get on base; even when they were losing most games, they were among the top teams in team batting average. This year, the team batting average has plunged. Players who have returned from last year are by and large hitting for much lower averages than they did.

On the other hand, last year’s pitching was very bad. The Nationals ranked 27 out of 30 for Earned Run Average (roughly, the number of runs per game allowed by team pitching) at 5.02. This year, so far that number is 3.94. There is a reason for this – the Nationals (like most teams) have five starting pitchers who rotate. All of a sudden, we have four terrific starting pitchers: Trevor Williams (2.29), Mackenzie Gore (3.04), Jake Irvin (3.43) and Mitchell Parker (3.45). Our fifth starter, Patrick Corbin (6.12) is in his last contract year and it would be nice if he were gone sooner than that. The numbers in parentheses are, of course, their individual ERAs.

They are also young. Williams is 32, but Gore is 25, Irwin 27 and Parker 24. (Corbin is 34). There is another young Nats’ pitcher, who is touted to be a star, but who has yet to reach stardom and is now on the injured list. That is Josiah Gray, who should be ready to pitch again soon. Gray is 26 and if he comes back as a starter soon, someone has to go. Wish it could be Corbin – maybe turn him into a reliever for his last year. The Nats also have a couple (at least) of very strong pitching prospects in the minor leagues. Keep your eyes on Clyde Cavalli, who is 25, and DJ Herz who is only 23.

The Nats are also strong with young outfielders, both now on the team (like Jacob Young and even Lane Thomas), and in the minors. James Wood, Robert Hassell, and Dylan Crews are top prospects. Alex Call comes up now and then and helps out nicely. And then there is Stone Garrett, who was having a terrific rookie year last year until he broke his leg, and he has not yet returned, but is expected to relatively soon.

And their middle two infielders (CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia) should be strong for years. Their catching staff is also adequate. But first and third base remain problems, although young Trey Lipscomb (only 23) should be back up soon at third.

It’s unclear why the hitting has been so weak so far. There are games where everyone gets hits, but more games where almost no one does. Part of the problem is that the Nats acquired some mid-career players to help in those positions where their prospects are not quite ready – Nick Senzel at third base, Joey Gallo at first. They have proven very disappointing, and weaker than Dom Smith and Heimer Candelario at third from 2023.

So let me conclude: The Nats have a lot of talent, some of it now on the field, some of it currently injured, and some of it in the minor leagues. The talent may not be perfectly balanced. They have too many outfielders (that’s why they had to let Victor Robles go last week when Lane Thomas came back from the injured list). And they really need to get first string first and third basement. Perhaps Joey Meneses could be their first string first baseman (now he plays there at time, and is the Designated Hitter at other times), but he hasn’t lived up to what was hoped for him. And perhaps Trey Lipscomb will be back soon at third. I would like to see the Nats turn one of their outfield prospects into a first baseman (easy to do, I think), but I haven’t seen anyone suggest it.

I don’t know how the rest of 2024 will go, of course, but it could go well. All the Nats need to do is hit. And bring James Wood up from the minors for power. Couldn’t Woods play first base? I think he could.

As for Books…….some other time.