Since returning to Washington, D.C., in 2005, the Nationals have never had a true rival.
MLB’s marketing team has tried to push the Battle of the Beltway between Washington and the Baltimore Orioles as a local rivalry, but fans have just never really engaged in the hype.
In the NL East, the Miami Marlins have just been so bad that Nats fans have never had the chance to root against them and the New York Mets have consistently battled injuries to the point where they’re often not taken very seriously.