The Nationals’ No. 1 need this offseason is no secret. They need a power bat, ideally at first base but potentially at another position if there’s a good match.

This team ranked last in the National League with 135 home runs. It ranked second-to-last in home runs by first basemen with 14. The only returning candidates to play that position are Juan Yepez and Andres Chaparro, who combined for 10 homers over 381 plate appearances.

If they want to put forth a more productive lineup next season, it’s the obvious upgrade that must occur this winter.

To date, they haven’t upgraded at first base. Nor have they upgraded at any position so far during an awfully quiet offseason. The good news: Nobody has.

Not a single free agent first baseman has signed anywhere yet. And the list includes a good number of prominent names just waiting to be courted and locked up.

It doesn’t take tremendous insight to figure out the Nationals’ No. 1 need this winter. They need to add power to a lineup that simply hasn’t had enough of that in recent years.

The Nats ranked 29th in the majors in home runs each of the last two seasons, and their total actually went down from 2023 (151) to 2024 (135). In today’s game, that simply won’t cut it. Six of baseball’s top-seven home run-hitting clubs made the playoffs this year, and none of the bottom six did.

Club officials do have hope for an increase in power production from several key young players, especially James Wood and Dylan Crews as they embark on their first full big league seasons. And if Brady House arrives as expected, the 2021 first round pick should provide some much needed slugging potential as well.

But make no mistake, the Nationals also have to acquire power from outside the organization this offseason. And that has to come from someone closer to the prime of his career than Joey Gallo, Eddie Rosario or Jesse Winker was upon their bargain-basement acquisitions last offseason.

If Mike Rizzo truly has the green light from ownership to pursue bigger name free agents, it stands to reason the longtime general manager will be making his pitch to a number of prominent sluggers seeking employment. And in a perfect world, the slugger the Nats wind up getting would play first base.

In most World Series we can probably find an ex-Oriole or two or three to watch play on baseball’s biggest stage. Among the former Birds in this World Series is one of the real good guys, Arizona first baseman Christian Walker. He has found a home in Arizona since they acquired him in March of 2017 and the last two years he has hit 69 homers.

While he has not had a great offensive performance this postseason, he is a middle-of-the-order fixture for the 2023 National League champs. When the Orioles were in Arizona in early September, I caught up with Walker, someone I had interview numerous times when he was trying to work his way through the O’s minors.

Baltimore drafted him in round four of 2012 out of the University of South Carolina, where he was on two NCAA championship clubs. He was often ranked among the O’s top 20 prospects and went as high as their No. 3 prospect in 2015 via Baseball America.

But with the Orioles he had Chris Davis in front of him at first base and when the club signed Davis to the long-term contract before the 2016 season that kind of sealed his fate with the organization. Walker wound up getting just 27 at-bats with the big club over parts of the 2014-2015 seasons. After the Davis contract was final, the club moved him to the outfield at Triple-A for the 2016 season. But that did not lead him back to Baltimore.

The Orioles DFA'd him on Feb. 21, 2017 and four days later Atlanta added him via waivers. About 10 days later, Cincinnati added him and about three weeks later, on March 28, 2017, Arizona claimed him off waivers. Yep, he was with four teams in about six weeks.

A World Series that supposedly was going to be boring and a ratings killer began last night with Corey Seager’s game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning and Adolis García’s walk-off homer in the 11th that gave the Rangers a 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

The first extra-inning game of the 2023 postseason, and it was an instant classic.

The Diamondbacks’ lineup included first baseman Christian Walker, the Orioles’ fourth-round draft pick in 2012 out of the University of South Carolina. A delayed success story.

Walker appeared in only 13 games in 2014-15, his path blocked by expensive veteran Chris Davis and prospect Trey Mancini. He made only six starts at first.

The Braves claimed Walker off waivers in February 2017, and the Reds claimed him a month later. Arizona claimed him three weeks after that.

PHOENIX - On night one of a three-city, nine-game road trip, the O's offense fell flat but Gunnar Henderson reminded us why he has become the leading contender in the eyes of many for American League Rookie of the Year.

Playing shortstop, Henderson, running with his back to the infield, made an over-the-shoulder catch in the last of the fourth and then threw home to double up Corbin Carroll, who tagged up at third and tried to score. 

One Rookie of the Year candidate nabbed another. 

“He’s one of the best rookies in the game right now," O's starter Cole Irvin said. "He’s just exciting to watch. Brings the energy, plays hard. I think if there is any time Gunnar showed who he is, it’s when he could have had the cycle (needing only a single to complete the cycle, Henderson nonetheless went to second on his hit into the right field corner in the Orioles' 12-1 win over the Athletics on Aug. 20). He plays hard and plays the right way. He’s definitely awesome to have."

Henderson made the play yesterday sound easy. It was far from that.