What Did Popular AI Program Say About Washington Nationals Performance Last Season?

AI is everywhere, and it has now even spread to baseball with a recent summary of the Washington Nationals 2024 campaign.

Sep 29, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Drew Millas (81) reacts after hitting a single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals are on the upswing portion of their rebuild, and the 2024 campaign was a solid indicator of things to come.

The lion's share of their young prospects have now made their Major League debuts, getting valuable reps who can only see their abilities improve in the coming years.

This winter, the club brought in Josh Bell, a veteran first baseman to help lead the club and fill a hole in a position of need.

While anyone can look at the team and see what they are doing is beginning to work and will be providing fruit for their labor sooner rather than later, AI is still a new development that is learning as we speak.

In a recent article for TalkNats.com, DonH set out to see just how much AI, specifically ChatGPT, was paying attention to what the Nationals have been doing by prompting it with, "surprise me with a summary of the Washington Nationals 2024 season."

"While the Nationals weren’t playoff contenders in 2024, their young talent continued to develop, and the organization seemed to be heading in the right direction, with a solid mix of up-and-coming prospects and key veterans setting the foundation for future success," read ChatGPT's response. "The Nats’ season was about taking steps forward and laying the groundwork for a competitive team in the coming years."

Even ChatGPT has been paying attention to the young core the club has built in recent years, though it did still have its faults.

"The Nats’ offense was anchored by emerging stars like CJ Abrams, whose speed and on-base ability added a dynamic element to the top of the lineup, and Joey Meneses, who continued to impress with his bat, providing much-needed power in the middle of the order," wrote the popular AI program. "Lane Thomas and Dominic Smith also had solid campaigns, contributing consistently throughout the season."

While CJ Abrams was one of the better offensive contributors, the "on-base ability" ChatGPT praised amounted to only 40 walks and a .314 OBP. Joey Meneses played in only 76 games, hit only three home runs, and carried a -0.5 bWAR. Lane Thomas contributed consistently, but just until the MLB trade deadline before he was traded to the Cleveland Guardians. Dominic Smith had a grand total of zero plate appearances with the club in 2024.

ChatGPT and AI in general are always learning, taking in information from all across the internet in an attempt to get a better understanding of things.

While the main summary for the season was pretty spot on, once the bot got more specific, it alleviated all fears of any impending world domination from artificial intelligence.