The 2019 Washington Nationals staged one of baseball’s most improbable runs, winning four straight elimination games to capture the franchise’s first World Series championship.
The Turnaround
After starting 19-31, manager Dave Martinez rallied the team with “Stay in the Fight” — the mantra that defined their season. The Nationals won the Wild Card game, swept the NL West champion Dodgers, and defeated the Astros 4-3 in a historic World Series where the road team won every game.
World Series Heroes
Stephen Strasburg won World Series MVP, while veterans Ryan Zimmerman (franchise cornerstone) and Howie Kendrick delivered clutch moments. Kendrick’s Game 7 home run off Will Harris sealed the championship.
The Nationals’ title came 85 years after Washington’s last baseball championship (1924 Senators). Gerardo Parra’s walk-up song “Baby Shark” became an unlikely anthem.
Sources: MLB.com - 2019 World Series