Top 25 MLB stories of 2017, from Aaron Judge to Houston Strong

23. Another early exit for the Nationals

The Washington Nationals have now made four trips to the postseason since relocating from Montreal. Each time, they have been eliminated in the NLDS. Spending $189 million on the roster and rolling out the NL Cy Young and a multiple MVP candidates weren’t enough to get the Nats over the hump this time.

Since emerging as a big spender, the Nationals have had no problem wooing big free agents like Max Scherzer or keeping their own stars like Stephen Strasburg from hitting the open market. In their playoff seasons, Washington has averaged 96.5 wins. They aren’t scraping by just to make the playoffs. The Nationals are blowing the doors of the NL East.

The 2017 Nationals were third in the NL in runs and second in OPS. Five of their players earned MVP votes and their two best pitchers finished first and third in the Cy Young vote. Losing in the first round is a disappointment for a team with this collective level of talent.

Washington will have one more chance in 2018 to make a deep postseason run before Bryce Harper tests free agency. Dave Martinez takes over for Dusty Baker, who was not retained despite not being at fault for either of the playoff losses in his two years at the helm. The window isn’t quite as open as it was two years ago, but the Nationals are still strong contenders in 2018. It’s just hard to feel certain they’ll find new and creative ways to blow it again — hopefully in the NLCS this time!