Everyone knew the Baltimore Orioles weren’t going to be good in 2019. With the hiring of an analytics-friendly general manager and a first-year manager, Baltimore (12-24) was open about its intention to commit a multi-year rebuild.
Likewise, the Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals, both of whom have worse records than the Orioles and were just as awful last year, also projected to be among the league’s bottom feeders.
But the Washington Nationals — even with their loss of Bryce Harper to the Philadelphia Phillies — were not supposed to be in that company.
After 36 games, though, that’s where the Nationals are: among the cellar-dwellers.