We’re officially less than 24 hours away from the return of Washington Nationals baseball. It’s been one of the longest offseasons in recent history, but we officially made it. Opening Day is here and baseball is back, and if that doesn’t bring a smile to your face I don’t know what to tell you. 

Sure, things are going to be a little different in the Nation’s Capital this season. For the first time since 2013, the Nationals are seemingly not close to being a true playoff contender. Washington has the sixth-worst odds to win the 2022 World Series, their lowest mark since all the way back in 2011.

Let’s face it, it would take a miracle for the Nationals to make a World Series run this upcoming season. Everything would have to go their way and plenty of other teams would have to have everything possible go wrong. All in all, I’d say the Nationals have about a 0.1% chance to win it all. Sound familiar?

Honestly, sometimes I think we all take things for granted in our lives. Whether it be sports, family, or other life events, we’ll gloss over one thing and look forward to the next. 

It would be very easy to do that with this upcoming Nationals season. Anyone could say, I’m not going to watch 162 games of a team that is likely going to lose 90+ games. While it’s a valid argument, and to each his own, I think even in these challenging times for the franchise it’s important to value what a new season brings.

One great thing about the baseball season is no matter who you are, no matter how bad your team is, on Opening Day at one point and time you will inevitably think to yourself, what if they somehow did it? What if at the end of October, my team is the last one standing holding up the Commissioner’s Trophy?

Even the most realistic of fans have to admit, we’ve all had this thought cross our minds. 

That’s one of the many amazing things about the game of baseball. Each season, heck each day, brings new opportunity and new hope. 

The future is never guaranteed, not just in sports but in life. You never know when you’re going to spend your last day at the ballpark with your friends or family, and you never know when you’re going to miss being able to watch your team play. I don’t mean to get dark here, but I think it’s an important realization to have.

From a Nationals standpoint, who knows how many more times we are going to be able to see Juan Soto in a Nationals uniform? Starting today, Soto is guaranteed just 486 more games as a National. While that may seem like a lot right now, trust me, it will go by in the blink of an eye.

Who knows how many more times we will be able to see World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg pitch? Or how many more games we’ll be able to see Josh Bell play in D.C.

I might be rambling at this point, but the message I’m trying to get across is to enjoy this season, and every season, for what it’s worth. We all love the game of baseball and starting tomorrow we get to watch our team play the game we love for seven months straight. I for one think that’s pretty awesome.

Things aren’t always going to be perfect, that’s the way things go. The Nationals are going through a retool and sure, there are going to be some highs, and unfortunately probably a lot more lows this season, but it’s all part of the ride. But hey, didn’t someone once say, “Often bumpy roads lead to beautiful places.”

Who knows, maybe the Nationals aren’t as far away from that beautiful place as we all think.

I hope everyone enjoys Opening Day, and here’s to an amazing 2022 season.