Elijah Dukes had all the talent in the world. Legendary manager Joe Maddon once compared him to Albert Pujols. However, there was a problem, Dukes was a total head case. That was how he got to the Nationals in the first place. In a Vice article, he was dubbed the Mozart of assholes. The Rays had enough of him, and dumped him to the Nationals for a low level prospect. It was time for Nats fans to buckle up for one heck of a ride.
With his dad in jail, and his mom addicted to drugs, Dukes did not get the guidance he needed as a child, and that showed itself in his adult life.