5 reasons to believe in the Nationals after Game 1

1. Destiny

We tend to overuse the word “destiny” in sports, but when it comes to the Nationals, this word fits their incredible run to this moment.

In the offseason, they lost the longtime face of their franchise, Bryce Harper, and for the first two months of the 2019 season, they were simply treading water. Not as terrible as some may have thought, but nothing that would make anyone believe that they were a Wild Card team, much less a World Series contender.

Then in July, the Nationals clicked, thanks in large part to their hitting and starting pitching, and partly to the meltdown of Harper’s new team, the Philadelphia Phillies. In the final month of the season, Washington’s bullpen, which was largely their biggest weak spot, started shutting down hitters, which culminated in this legendary run to the Fall Classic.

The Nationals seem like they’re destined, and when a team gets that feeling, that can take it to heights previously unforeseen. The Astros may be more talented and experienced, but the Nationals have destiny on their side, and sometimes, that can topple even the biggest of Goliaths.