The Diamondbacks are taking a train from the Bronx to the District to begin a 3 game series against the Washington Nationalswas gracious enough to answer a few questions for me to post for you Questions with Federal Baseball1 - How do you feel the rebuild is going? Is 2025 a realistic year for playoff contention or are they still targeting 2026 and beyond?Sam: I feel the Nats contention window really opens in 2026. This year they will be pushing to get closer to.500 and find some upward mobility in the NL standings. However, I dont expect to make the playoffs this year. It is still a very young team.2 - What encourages you most through the first week for the Nats? Anything worrying you?Sam: The starting pitching has been very good the first time through. MacKenzie Gore looked like one of the best pitchers on the planet on Opening Day. He has always had the stuff, for him it is all about consistency and holding up in the summer. If you look at his splits, he is great in April and May, awful in June and July and somewhat finds a second wind down the stretch. He needs to avoid that summer swoon this year. Nathaniel Lowe, who I thought the Nats stole in that trade has looked very good. On the negative side, Dylan Crews has looked totally overmatched to start the season. The bullpen has also been an adventure as well.3 - I feel that the Nationals occupy a similar space in the NL East that the Diamondbacks have in the NL West. Were both mid-market spenders in divisions with some HUGE spenders and franchises with sustained historical success. What is your perspective of the Diamondbacks and how theyve become competitive in a division with some deep-pocketed and storied franchises?Sam: I agree with that. They are also relatively new franchises as well. From afar, I really respect what the D-backs have done the last 3 or 4 years. They have done a good job developing players and take swings when they get the chance. Those swings dont always work, but it does not stop them from trying and they have the infrastructure to sustain. Corbin Carroll is such an exciting player when he is right as well. I really enjoyed that 2023 run. The D-Backs provide a model the Nats could look at following.4 - Which player should D-backs fans should keep an eye on this series?Sam: James Wood is the guy to watch. He is a marvel Jose Herrera Jersey, even just to look at. Wood has that Aaron Judge starter kit of having crazy power, monster size, a good approach and freakish athleticism for that size. He hits some goofy opposite field home runs. Wood has a real chance to turn into a star.5 - The Nationals win this series if Sam: If the bullpen can hold up and the Nats can continue hitting for the power they have early in the for answering my questions, Sam!ProbablesGame 1, 4/4 3:45 PM: Brandon Pfaadtvs Jake Irvinwere markedly better. Last year, his final ERA sat a full run higher than his estimators, and his first start in 2025 continues that trend. If his ERA ever drops down to how well the estimators say hes pitching, Mike Hazen might go to prison for theft in this contract extension he negotiated with 2, 4/5, 1:05 PM: Eduardo Rodriguezvs. Mitchell Parkervs. Michael Sorokain the closers role. This is his 6th year in the majorsand hes really turned into a quality closer for them. In 2023 and 2024 combined, Finnegan has the 4th most saves in all of baseballand Colin Pocheand 2.45and striking out at an alarmingly high ratewhich is never a good combination. Individually, to start the season, Keibert Ruiz has been absolutely on fire for the Nats. Hes hitting.381 with a pair of homers and 5 RBI to lead the Nats with 219 wRC+. Offseason acquisition Nathaniel Lowe has fit in nicely in the capital, hitting a pair of homers himself and leading the team with 6 RBI. James Wood Kyle Nelson Jersey, a physical marvel as Sam Sallick put it above, is off to a slow start, but I wouldnt bet on it to continue indefinitely. Wood is only hitting.217 right now, but his 67, 230 lb frame can mashand he is able to combine that raw power with 85th percentile sprint speed. Hopefully his season correction doesnt start this D-backs are currently sporting the 5th best wRC+ in MLB. The teams walk and strikeout rates are the direct inverse of Washingtons; they have a 12.4% walk rateand a 18.2% K rate. The teams patience and ability to put the ball in play is getting a lot of men on base and crossing home plate. Individually, I want to highlight Geraldo Perdomo. The man who typically hits 9th in the order is tied for the team lead with 11 RBI. Obviously the grand slam last night gave a good boost to those numbers, but if he had driven in 0 runs on that play, hed still be 2nd on the team with 7 RBI and doing it without a homer. That just goes to show how effective the Rattle of the Snakes lineup has been this early in the season. The bottom of the order is getting on base and Domo has been pushing them home, giving the D-backs a very long lineup once again this FriendsThe Nationals have a few ties to the Diamondbacks. Josh Bell moved back to D.C. after his brief stint with us last year and is off to a terrible start to the season. Andrs Chaparro never took the field for the Diamondbacks, but he came over to Washington in the Dylan Floro trade we made at the deadline last year. He has yet to play in a game yet this year due to being on the IL with an oblique injury. The one member of the Nats that Id truly consider an old friend is Gerardo Parra who is now the first base coach in Washington. His cannon of an arm and awesome personality made him one of my favorite D-backs of all-time and it makes me happy to see him continue his career in baseball, even if it isnt in our , we miss Mackenzie Gore this series, helping us secure the edge in both starting pitching and relief. Washington has been adept at hitting the long ball thus far in 2025, so hopefully our staff can keep runners off the bases to help minimize damage when the dingers come. Offensively Luis Gonzalez Jersey, hopefully, our hitters can run up the pitch counts on their starters to get into that leaky Nationals bullpen as quickly as possible. Heres to keeping our series win streak going.

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