What if the 2019 Nationals Didn’t Happen: Part 3

2023-2024 offseason

For starters, the biggest question is Juan Soto. His agent Scott Boras has been adamant that Soto intends to test free agency, which angers ownership. Mark Lehner goes into Dave Dombrowski's office and demands that Soto be traded to get assets for him. Dombrowski laughs and says no. 

In free agency, Dombrowski goes all-out trying to get the big free agents. But first, he fixes the bullpen to improve the options for Ron Washington. He signs Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm, which immediately takes pressure off of Emanuel Clase, Darren O’Day, and the other relievers.  Dombrowski then makes a surprising move when he signs lefty starter Nathan Eovaldi (in this timeline, he’s coming off a one-year prove-it deal so is a free agent). Fans are confused, since they were expecting Luis Gill and Michael King to be called up to fill the open spots in the rotation. 

Gill may get that chance in the future, but King won’t. He is traded, along with Riley Adams and a bunch of lesser prospects, to the Athletics for Sean Murphy (he was never traded to the Braves in this timeline).  This gives the Nationals their best catcher since Wilson Ramos.  

2023-2024 season and postseason 

The Nationals enter 2024 with the most complete roster they have fielded since the early 2010s. The front office has built a lineup full of power and patience, a rotation that can go toe-to-toe with anyone, and a bullpen that no longer feels like a liability. Dombrowski has remade the team in his image: bold, aggressive, and built to win.

Soto remains the centerpiece, even as contract tensions linger. He declines an extension offer north of $440 million in spring training, and rumors swirl all year about his future. Still, he plays with intensity and leadership, posting another MVP-caliber season—.316/.447/.603 with 37 home runs and nearly 120 walks. He is the superstar in the sport, and the heartbeat of the Nationals.

Trea Turner, now fully settled as a veteran leader, hits .301, steals 35 bases, and makes the All-Star Game for the third time in his career. Kyle Schwarber, Hunter Renfroe, Adolis García, and Jackson Chourio combine for nearly 120 home runs, making D.C. one of the most feared lineups in baseball. Murphy brings elite defense and a steady bat behind the plate, calling games with precision and leading the pitching staff with poise.

On the mound, Max Scherzer continues to defy age, posting a 3.12 ERA over 29 starts and mentoring the young arms in the rotation. Eovaldi proves to be a perfect fit, throwing over 170 innings with a 3.38 ERA. Jordan Montgomery takes another step forward, while Josiah Gray flashes ace potential. Gil, now a full-time starter, shows electric stuff, and the bullpen—led by Emmanuel Clase, Hoffman, Strahm, and O’Day—holds firm all year. 

But Dombrowski feels like the team  could use more help at the deadline. He doesn’t trade every prospect for a superstar; he just makes smaller, low-key moves to fill out the depth and make the bullpen even deadlier because, as the saying goes, “you can never have too much pitching.” To this end, Dombrowski trades Victor Robles to the Phillies for Seranthony Domínguez.  

The Nationals win 96 games, their best mark since 2012, and capture the NL East title, edging out both the Braves and the surging Phillies. The team has arrived. After years of chaos, heartbreak, and missed opportunities, D.C. is back on top—and doing it their way.

NLDS vs. San Diego Padres

The Nats make quick work of the Padres, sweeping the series in three. Soto dominates, blasting two homers and reaching base in 10 of 13 plate appearances. Washington’s pitching staff shut down San Diego’s big bats, and Ron Washington manages each game to perfection.

NLCS vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

A year after falling to the Dodgers, the Nationals come in hungry. Scherzer sets the tone in Game 1 with seven dominant innings, stealing a win in L.A. Shohei Ohtani answers with two homers in Game 2 to even things up. Back in D.C., Adolis García walks it off in the 11th inning of Game 3, but the Dodgers bounced back to take Game 4 behind Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Schwarber powered the Nats to a Game 5 win with two home runs, and in Game 6, Juan Soto crushed a go-ahead solo shot in the ninth to silence Dodger Stadium. Clase shut the door, and just like that — the Nationals are headed to the World Series.

World Series vs New York Yankees

The Washington Nationals had gotten over the hump and reached the World Series, but waiting for them was the American League champion New York Yankees — a club loaded with firepower and, in a full-circle twist, Stephen Strasburg on the mound.

In Game 1, Max Scherzer takes the ball and delivers six vintage innings, striking out eight. Kyle Schwarber homers off Strasburg, Adolis García doubles twice, and Seranthony Dominguez shuts it down in the ninth to give the Nats a 4–2 win. The Yankees bounce back in Game 2 behind Jasson Domínguez’s leadoff homer and Aaron Judge’s three-run blast. Eovaldi has a rough outing, and while the Nationals mount a rally, the Yankees bullpen holds on for a 6–4 win to even the series.

Game 3 in D.C. is electric. Josiah Gray works through five tough innings, and García again breaks things open with a clutch three-run shot.  O’Day, Strahm, and Dominguez combine for four innings of scoreless relief to lock in a 5–3 Nationals win. In Game 4, the Yankees take control. Clark Schmidt is dominant through seven, while on the other side Jordan Montgomery struggles.  Judge delivers a two-run homer, and Jazz Chisholm dazzles at third base as the final score reads Yankees 6, Nationals 2 — the series tied again.

In Game 5, Washington’s offense surges. Soto and García deliver key hits, and Brandon Lowe saves the game with a diving play in the eighth.Strahm bridges the middle innings, O’Day cleans up a jam, and Clase once again closes it out. Final: 7–3, Nationals.

Back in the Bronx for Game 6, the Yankees strike late. Judge hits a go-ahead homer in the eighth off Hoffman and Clay Holmes escapes a ninth-inning jam with the tying run on second. Washington falls just short, and the series is tied once more. It all comes down to Game 7 — with the aces lined up, and legacy on the line.

Game 7 – Yankees Stadium: Strasburg vs. Scherzer

Washington Nationals

1. Trea Turner – SS

2. Juan Soto – LF

3. Kyle Schwarber – DH

4. Adolis García – CF

5. Jackson Chourio – RF

6. Brandon Lowe – 2B

7. Hunter Renfroe – 1B

8. Sean Murphy – C

9. Ha-Seong Kim – 3B 

   SP: Max Scherzer

   
   

New York Yankees

1. Gleyber Torres – 2B

2. Jason Domínguez – RF

3. Aaron Judge – CF

4. Giancarlo Stanton – DH

5. Anthony Rizzo – 1B

6. Alex Verdugo – LF

7. Jazz Chisholm – 3B

8. Austin Wells – C

9. Anthony Volpe – SS 

   SP: Stephen Strasburg

   
   

Yankees Stadium is electric as the aces take the mound. Scherzer delivers six innings of dominance with 10 strikeouts, while Strasburg battles through five strong innings.

The Yankees strike first — Judge doubles and Giancarlo Stanton drives him home with a single to make it 1–0. But the Nationals respond quickly. Schwarber singles, then García crushed a ball over the short porch for a two-run homer, putting Washington ahead 2–1.

In the sixth inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, Royce Lewis pinch-hits for Ha-Seong Kim. He doubles down the left-field line, driving in two runs and extending the lead to 4–1.

The Yankees fight back in the seventh, with Anthony Rizzo, Alex Verdugo, and Chisholm producing key hits to cut the lead to 4–3. Scherzer hands the ball off, and the Nationals’ bullpen holds firm.

In the eighth, Ryan Zimmerman comes in to pinch-hit, lining a single to right field. The Nationals can’t do anything else for the rest of their opportunities, which takes us to the bottom of the ninth. 

Washington makes the final call to the bullpen for his closer, Clase to take the mound and hopefully shut the door. He first strikes out Domínguez. Then he gets Judge to fly out to Soto. Stanton then comes to the plate and on the very first pitch he hits pop fly that barely leaves the infield and is caught by Zimmerman.

Nationals 4, Yankees 3. Washington wins the 2024 World Series.

Epilogue

Scherzer walks off to a standing ovation— his last act as a big leaguer a win in Game 7. Zimmerman hugs every teammate in sight as he walks off with Scherzer into the sunset. Strasburg watches with sadness as he is unable to win the big one, and this was the beginning of the end of the future Hall of Famer (IN THIS TIMELINE). Juan Soto wins World Series MVP, and before the final piece of confetti had dropped, he becomes a free agent. Soto made it clear he wasn’t going to discuss anything in the clubhouse while he was celebrating, but it was on everyone's mind.

During the parade Trea Turner,Max Scherzer and Ryan Zimmerman all concluded their speech with two words…”RE-SIGN SOTO.” While there were many suitors, Soto eventually was able to be re-signed by the Nationals for 15 years, $760 million. Fans celebrate – as do readers, since this is where this what-if comes to an end.