When the World Series opens tonight, Friday, October 23rd, the headline matchup is a small-market showdown between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals. The Nationals do not have much direct representation in the season’s final stage, but they do have one familiar name in the mix: Corey Dickerson, who wrapped up his MLB career with Washington in 2023.
Dickerson’s time with the Nationals was brief, but it still gives him a place in the story. The 11-year veteran outfielder, who won a Gold Glove with the Rays in 2017, played 50 games for Washington in 2023 before being released to waivers on August 2 and going unclaimed.
He hit .250 with a .637 OPS in that stretch. He later retired in 2024 after that season, finishing as a National.
Now Dickerson is trying to win his first World Series ring in a role few would have predicted back then. He is the Rays’ first-base coach, and this is his first job on an MLB coaching staff. Tampa Bay hired him in December 2025 for the following season.
MLB.com noted that Dickerson had taken his talents back home to Mississippi, where he took over Jackson Academy High School in the state’s capital. That return home helped set the stage for his move into coaching with the Rays this winter.
There is also a Nationals angle tied to the Rays’ staff changes. Dickerson stepped in for Michael Johns, who went to Washington with Blake Butera and is now the Nationals’ bench coach. Ani Kilambi, formerly the Rays’ assistant director of research and development, also moved to Washington as the Nationals’ general manager, joining Paul Toboni in that effort.
For Nationals fans, the Rays’ presence in the World Series comes with an extra layer. The organization in Tampa has become part of the model being used in Washington.
So as the best-of-seven series unfolds over the next week or two, there is at least one odd little subplot to keep in mind: an obscure former National is standing beside first base.
In Other News...
Former Nationals Prospect Walks Away Earlier Than Fans Expected
Jackson Cluffs pro career ended sooner than many around the Nationals organization might have expected, with the shortstop announcing his immediate retirement from baseball on Instagram. A sixth-round pick by Washington in 2019, Cluff spent eight professional seasons in all, climbing as high as Triple-A and moving through the minor league systems of the Nationals, Mets and Cubs along the way.
For Washington, it is another reminder of how many drafted players never quite make the final leap to the majors, even after years of development and multiple stops. Cluffs message was reflective and appreciative, noting the organizations that supported him throughout the journey, but the abrupt timing still leaves his next step beyond the game as the part left hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Top Pitching Prospect Comes With A Complicated Timeline
Travis Sykoras rise through the Nationals system hit a major pause in July 2025, when the right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery. Before the injury, he had flashed real upside in the lower minors, even if Double-A brought a tougher test, and the organization still views him as one of its most important pitching prospects despite the long recovery ahead.
The timeline now stretches into 2027, which makes the next few months especially tricky for Washington. Sykora is Rule 5 eligible and may need to be protected on the 40-man roster this offseason, a decision that could shape how the Nationals manage his development while minor league baseball also faces the possibility of a lockout. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Face A Rotation Question That Could Define 2027
The Nationals push to reshape their pitching staff for 2027 has already put a spotlight on Cade Cavalli, who looks like the kind of arm Washington would love to build around if he keeps moving forward. Under president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, the front office is treating the rotation as one of the clearest ways to raise the clubs ceiling, and that means exploring every path to adding more stability and punch on the mound.
Michael King, Tyler Mahle, Foster Griffin and Jack Flaherty are among the free-agent names tied to that discussion, each offering a different kind of fit depending on how aggressive Washington wants to be. The larger question is still unresolved, though, because the Nationals are weighing options rather than closing in on a finished answer, and the shape of the rotation could say a lot about how quickly this rebuild is expected to turn. [Read more 🡒]