The Unknown Powerhouse

With a little over a month to go in the 2012 MLB season, the playoff picture is finally beginning to materialize. While the Yankees are atop the AL East, the Rays and Orioles give chase. The Tigers are trying to rundown the White Sox in the AL Central, while the Rangers have a sizeable lead in the AL West. While Tampa Bay is sure to get a playoff spot, the Orioles, Tigers and Athletics are in competition for the second AL Wild Card spot. In the NL West, you have the Giants and Dodgers battling for West Coast supremacy, while the Reds are finally distancing themselves in the NL Central from the slumping Pirates and the semi-consistent Cardinals. But in the NL East you have what should be the talk of the baseball world, even though many focus on things that while important, shouldn't be the reason people are talking.

In second place, you have the Atlanta Braves, the team that is synonymous with Post-Season failure. A team that won the NL East consecutively for over a decade and only managed a handful of Post-Season wins, including 1 World Series title. As of writing this, they are 7 games behind Baseball's best team, and the focus of this article, the Washington Nationals. At 76 wins and 46 losses, they hold baseball's best record by two games over Cincinnati in a tougher division, with more runs scored, less runs allowed, 2 cy young contenders in Gonzalez and Strasburg, 3 gold glove contenders in Zimmermann, Desmond and Bernadina, a rookie of the year contender in Harper, and an MVP contender in Desmond. But ultimately they are a team that, because of their lack of time in the spotlight doesn't really get the credit they deserve.

While it's true they haven't won anything, over the last few seasons they've constantly been improving, and this year, while many thought they would be competing for a playoff spot, few thought they'd be on top of the baseball world. They never go down without a fight, playing every last out. They have consistently gotten help from every player on the team, particularly when injuries have occurred. No player has really gone missed this season for the Nationals, as it seems like 2 players pick up the slack for when one of them goes on the disabled list. After years of being the laughing stock of the league, every single player on the team is fighting back, and it's making a city that has long gone without a Championship proud.

While the Yankees and Rangers are odds on favorites to win the World Series due to their storied and recent playoff history, don't be surprised if they end up facing this year's 'Little Engine that Could,' the Washington Nationals in the World Series. Because they are baseball's best team, and have consistently proved it all year.