I'm a bit late with this, but I contributed to Esquire's One Day in America project this summer, which told the story of one day in the country from 38 different perspectives. My passage came from behind a storage shed at a public golf course. www.esquire.com/news-politic...

But Gray, who’s still only 28, feels closer than he has in a while to a return. He wants to contribute this year — as a starter, a reliever, whatever. First, though, he has to check the final boxes on this winding road back. www.notus.org/sports/josia...

Stone Garrett deserved a much better fate. I don’t know if Michael Chavis contributed much, but he seemed super-happy to be here. I’m blanking on who Blake Rutherford is. Wikipedia assures me he exists. But it also says he plays for the Staten Island FerryHawks which surely must be a made-up team.

Josiah Gray was the first face of the Nats’ rebuild. But now he hasn’t pitched in the majors in more than two years, a lifetime for a big leaguer. I called him last week. “It can be hard not to feel like you’re forgotten about.” New for @notus.com: www.notus.org/sports/josia...

Alternate headline for this story: Remembering Some Guys, Nationals 2021-25 edition. Who's your go-to? (That gap in the text is my ad blocker at work)

Update on Josiah Gray from @jessedougherty.bsky.social ... and a salute to "the sickest of sickos" who rooted for Jake Alu.

This doesn’t get into what Josiah Gray’s spot looks like beyond this year, but he’ll be arbitration eligible again and would seemingly need to show some signs that he could be effective again. Semi-related: This winter in general is a giant question mark (league-wide).

Josiah Gray was the first face of the Nats’ rebuild. But now he hasn’t pitched in the majors in more than two years, a lifetime for a big leaguer. I called him last week. “It can be hard not to feel like you’re forgotten about.” New for @notus.com: www.notus.org/sports/josia...

I profiled James Wood. For @notus.com: www.notus.org/sports/james...

the real story behind this viral photo is even more heartbreaking than the one the public created.

Within this story ... - the first thing James Wood wanted to be different in 2026 - the email his mom sent him right before the season (preview below) - the backstory of his meditation celebration in Boston after a two-week slump And much, much more: www.notus.org/sports/james...

This is a delightful piece that will stick with me for as long as I get to watch James Wood play baseball

Your Tuesday morning fix of college sports in the Senate:

New: As public support + objections for the Protect College Sports Act pick up again, here are two letters recently sent to Congress in favor of the bill, both from NY athletes/schools. One is from Syracuse athletes. The other is from 14 D-I schools in NY. Thoughts threaded:

Jesse with the good stuff!!!!

This is an UNDERSTATEMENT!

A previous version of this lede had something about Hozier, who is also 6-6, trying to hit major league pitching with a guitar (before he went down singing, something or other about church). This is why we have editors.

deeply appreciated this first bit as a fellow giant.

it's so cool that they have baseball at notus now

I profiled James Wood. For @notus.com: www.notus.org/sports/james...

The Protect College Sports Act has gained two more co-sponsors in Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Peter Welch (D-VT). Up to six now along with Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, Eric Schmitt and Chris Coons. Three Rs, three Ds. Of course nothing else is going on in the Senate these days.

Some Nats draft tidbits … Desmond McGowan, director of amateur acquisitions, laid out fairly simple top-line characteristics for what they were looking for: Hitters: Dudes who swing at strikes + hit them hard. Pitchers: Great athletes w/ stuff already, though project to add pitches well.

Interesting: @chmnmendelson.bsky.social has introduced a bill for D.C. to enter into a public-private partnership with D.C. United to build a roof on Audi Field “in order to realize more than one hundred new events annually” at the eight-year-old soccer stadium. lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B2…

This was not a dig! Just asking a kind fan a question, as one does.

What stood out to me most about AJ Dybantsa's summer league debut was not that he looked the part. It's how much he understands the importance of looking the part. Latest for @notus.com: www.notus.org/sports/aj-dy...

New for @notus.com: The draft is the Nats' new front office's THING, making this an extremely important weekend for them and the org. I went inside how much they're blending scouting + player development in the draft process, a massive change in D.C. www.notus.org/sports/natio...

This is not a breakdown of who the Nats might select at 11th, 42nd, etc. But! I loved this draft breakdown from George Lewis, who's been crushing it on his Substack. He goes deep into the draft history for some of the Nats' key decision makers: teddyshouldnothavewon.substack.com/p/nationals-...

How is Paul Toboni working to turn the Nats into the promised "drafting and player development monster?" @jessedougherty.bsky.social delves into the transition -- from "finger pointing" of the past to a team effort meshing draft strategy with the team's player development strengths. Good stuff:

New for @notus.com: The draft is the Nats' new front office's THING, making this an extremely important weekend for them and the org. I went inside how much they're blending scouting + player development in the draft process, a massive change in D.C. www.notus.org/sports/natio...

Related (I promise): I also wrote this morning about the tension of the moment in my life: Being a new parent has made me want to detach from my phone when I can. But being a new parent has also made it more difficult to ... detach from my phone. collegesportsmoney.substack.com/p/sports-pol...

It is the summer of sports and politics. (Everything going on with Folarin Balogun is just further confirmation) Latest for @notus.com: www.notus.org/sports/sport...

What a week for birthright citizenship.

Wrote about Luis García Jr., the passage of time and the most significant part of his recent power surge. (And, yes, the trade deadline. I also wrote in here about the trade deadline.) www.notus.org/sports/luis-...

A dude of rationality and perspective from Jesse Dougherty on Luis Garcia and the trade deadline:

Wrote about Luis García Jr., the passage of time and the most significant part of his recent power surge. (And, yes, the trade deadline. I also wrote in here about the trade deadline.) www.notus.org/sports/luis-...

It's the midway point of the Nats' season. They are 41-40. But this week has shown that, no matter what happens from here, emotionally investing in individual games is the whole point of following a team. Welcome back, D.C. My latest for @NOTUSreports: www.notus.org/sports/washi...

More great Nats (and Nats fan) coverage from @jessedougherty.bsky.social, who every Nats fan should be following now that he's covering sports at @notus.com!

THIS From @eclamb.bsky.social sums up how I feel. "This cautious optimism raises the stakes for the trade deadline,” Lamb said in a text Wednesday. “If they *don’t* do something about the bullpen, they’re showing us that they don’t care and we shouldn’t either." Thanks @jessedougherty.bsky.social

In the words of the Judybats, pain makes you beautiful . . .

It's the midway point of the Nats' season. They are 41-40. But this week has shown that, no matter what happens from here, emotionally investing in individual games is the whole point of following a team. Welcome back, D.C. My latest for @NOTUSreports: www.notus.org/sports/washi...

I reconnected with AJ Dybantsa's dad this week. To no surprise, he has not changed. If anything, he's more Ace than ever, grinning his way to the NBA Draft. Read my story for @notus.com: www.notus.org/sports/aj-dy...

Wrote a newsletter in which I cop to one of my most unhinged traits: Stopping and starting books after a chapter or two, no matter how much I am enjoying them. This is a list of every book I have a bookmark in at the moment, though I could be missing some.

I reconnected with AJ Dybantsa's dad this week. To no surprise, he has not changed. If anything, he's more Ace than ever, grinning his way to the NBA Draft. Read my story for @notus.com: www.notus.org/sports/aj-dy...

The Nationals are now three games over .500 for the first time since ... 2019. Another win that could make this deadline season a very compelling one for the new front office.

MLB just put out results for the first round of NL All Star voting. CJ Abrams ranks first among shortstops. James Wood ranks seventh among outfielders. Make the second one make sense.

We were fortunate to have years of Jesse Dougherty the beat reporter. Now thanks to NOTUS we have Jesse Dougherty the full-time feature writer, asking the right questions and delivering the perspective Nats fans need. MUST READ:

Here's the full quote from Paul Toboni when we started talking about the deadline on June 1. If the deadline were TODAY, what would you want the Nationals to do? (It's always embarrassing to ask a question and then no one replies, so please reply thanks)

That loss in San Francisco didn’t sink the upstart Nats. It’s now June 15 and they’ve still scored the most runs in the league. And what that means, more than anything, is that it’s shaping up to be a fascinating first deadline season for Paul Toboni: www.notus.org/sports/natio...

My latest for @notus.com on the Nats includes more peeks inside Paul Toboni’s brain as the team’s first-year head of baseball operations. Free for all to read, no paywall.

That loss in San Francisco didn’t sink the upstart Nats. It’s now June 15 and they’ve still scored the most runs in the league. And what that means, more than anything, is that it’s shaping up to be a fascinating first deadline season for Paul Toboni: www.notus.org/sports/natio...