Patrick Corbin

Having missed him whenever his Nationals (or in 2018 and before, D'backs) came to New York, I finally got an in-person look at Patrick Corbin on Thursday. One can only imagine the awkwardness he felt in taking the mound, aware that this was the final game he'd be playing for at least the next four weeks. That didn't diminish his performance one hit. He turned in four innings of one hit, shutout ball -- ironically, against the Yankees, the club he rooted for as a kid and considered the front runner for him as a free agent until the Nats came up with a longer (and more lucrative) offer.

Joining Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg in Washington's dynamic rotation, Corbin won 14 games a year ago. Then, during the post-season, he beat the Dodgers in an LCS game and was the starter and winning in Game Seven of the World Series.

When the 2020 season finally gets rolling, Patrick Corbin will be a big reason the Nats will be among the favorites in the National League.

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