2019 World Series Championship

Lore & Background

The 2019 Nationals were a team of destiny, defined by their resilience. After a dismal 19-31 start, they rallied to a 93-69 record, clinching the top Wild Card spot. Their postseason run included a dramatic Wild Card Game victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, followed by sweeps of the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals. The World Series against the heavily favored Astros featured seven games, with all four Nationals wins coming on the road—a first in MLB history. Stephen Strasburg's dominant pitching earned him both the World Series and National League Championship Series MVP awards, while Howie Kendrick's go-ahead home run in Game 7 off Will Harris became an iconic moment, its fair-pole carom forever etched into D.C. sports lore.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell in sheets over Minute Maid Park, but the Nationals' dugout was dry with belief. Down 2-0 in the seventh inning of Game 7, the team that had been counted out all year refused to fade. Anthony Rendon's double sparked the rally, and then Howie Kendrick—a 36-year-old veteran—crushed a fastball off the right-field foul pole. The ball caromed fair, and the silence of 43,000 Astros fans was deafening. As Kendrick rounded the bases, the dugout erupted, knowing that the championship was finally within reach. Two innings later, Daniel Hudson struck out Michael Brantley, and the city of Washington — starved for a title since 1991 — exploded in joy.

Reader's Guide

The 2019 World Series Championship is the pinnacle of Nationals history, achieved from October 22 to October 30, 2019. The series featured a dramatic shift in momentum: the Astros won both games at Nationals Park, but the Nationals responded by winning all three games in Houston—a feat never before accomplished in a World Series. Game 7 saw the Nationals overcome a 2-0 deficit, with Stephen Strasburg pitching 8⅓ innings of relief in the series. The victory brought the first major professional sports championship to Washington, D.C. since the 1991 Redskins, and it remains a defining moment for the franchise and its fanbase.

Did You Know?

• The Nationals were the first team in MLB history to win a World Series after trailing by two games in both the Division Series and the World Series.
• Stephen Strasburg became the first pitcher to win both the World Series MVP and the National League Championship Series MVP in the same postseason.
• The Nationals' 19-31 start was the worst for any eventual World Series champion since the 1914 Boston Braves.
• All four Nationals wins in the World Series came on the road, a first in MLB history.