Major League Baseball teams fall into three distinct categories these days.
First, there are the Contenders — the teams that expect to win, and rightfully so. Teams like the Dodgers and Yankees.
Then come the Pretenders — teams that think they can compete with the Contenders but probably can’t — like the Angels and Mariners.
Finally, bringing up the rear: The crowded We Aren’t Trying to Win At All category.
The Washington Nationals — one of the best teams in baseball for almost a decade before the pandemic — are officially a member of that final group, along with the Athletics, Orioles, Pirates and several others.