Can Nats repeat? Recent history isn't in their favor.

Coming off their first World Series title in franchise history. The Nationals enter the 2020 season with high expectations despite the loss of star third baseman Anthony Rendon. The defending champions return their three-headed monster of a starting rotation in 3x Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg, and 140 million dollar lefty Patrick Corbin. Add in savvy veteran Annibal Sanchez and you’d be hard pressed to find a better unit in not only the NL East but all of baseball. The question is, can the Nationals repeat as World Series Champions? Let’s take a look at how defending champions have fared over the last 6 years.

The 2014 Boston Red Sox followed up their title run with an abysmal season. They finished last place in the AL East with a 71-91 record. They lost Jacoby Ellsbury that offseason to the Yankees. Many key guys were traded during the year such as pitchers Jon Lester, John Jackey, Jake Peavy, and Andrew Miller. The 2015 San Francisco Giants defended their title a little better than the Red Sox the previous season. However they lost Pablo Sandoval in the offseason and just as they did the two times before the Giants did not repeat as World Series Champs, finishing with an 84-78 record and failing to reach the playoffs. The 2015 Kansas City Royals avenged the 2014 team and won the World Series. The next year they were unable to continue the same success. Injuries ravaged the Royals season as they finished 81-81. That continued a streak for four straight World Series Championship teams to miss the playoffs the following year. The 2017 Chicago Cubs recovered from a slow start to the season, to finish first in the NL Central with a record of 92-70. They went on to defeat the Nats in the 5 games in the NLDS. Before losing in a gentleman’s sweep to the Dodgers 4-1 in the NLCS. After winning the now tainted 2017 World Series, the Houston Astros followed with a tremendous 2018 season. They won 103 games en route to an AL West title. They swept the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS. However, their luck would run out as they would lose in five games in the ALCS to the eventual World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. Like the many Champions before them in the last few years, the 2019 Boston Red Sox would fail to reach the post season in their encore season. They finish 84-78, which was good for third in the treacherous AL East.

Can the Nationals repeat as World Series Champions? Absolutely the can. Unfortunately, recent history tells us that it is more likely that they will miss the playoffs all together than repeat as World Champs.