The Washington Nationals of 2017 didn't win the World Series, didn't get to the World Series, didn't even make it to the NLCS.
The Nats were an outstanding team, however -- an 97-win team that was, after its July bullpen reinforcements, better by year's end than their record indicate. Had things broken a little differently for them in real life, they could have been champs then.
Their title in this context means nothing outside of this context, of course. But I don't regard this outcome as a shocking upset or an indication that something went wrong in the course of play. Indeed, they emerged from what I perceived as the "group of death," the George bracket. They won, and they earned it.
A few other notes from this Strat-O-Matic project:
* The middle and bottom of the 2017 teams dropped out pretty quickly, but the top was dominant. Three of the final four teams were from 2017.
* The 1924 teams acquitted themselves well, maintaining their one-fourth share of the entrants through three rounds. They presented a unique environment for the 2017 teams -- one of lesser power, higher batting averages and less reliance on bullpens.
* I am naming Ryan Zimmerman Player of the Tournament. The Washington first baseman hit 11 homers, scored 26 runs and drove in 36, and hit over .300. A quick check of the final four teams shows him leading all those teams in homers and RBIs and tied with teammate Bryce Harper in runs.
* There were no glaring structural problems with this league. I am inclined to advise myself against adding the extra players the next time I order a contemporary set.
Coming next: A five-team league drawn from the Negro League set. I'll outline the mechanics in a future post.
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