When the Washington Nationals acquired MacKenzie Gore in the historic Juan Soto trade three years ago, they hoped he would develop into the kind of frontline starting pitcher they relied on throughout their run of dominance. Think of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, or even vintage Gio Gonzalez and Patrick Corbin. The best Nats teams had a Cy Young candidate at the top of the rotation, and they thought they’d found their new ace in Gore. As the former third overall draft pick, he certainly had the prospect pedigree.
Gore’s first two seasons with the Nationals were productive, but the Nats knew he could develop into something more.