On September 24 at PNC Park, the Washington Nationals claimed their third National League East Division title following a 6-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It had been a shaky start for Nationals pitcher Joe Ross, who made his debut after months on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. After five hits and one run in two innings, he was pulled from the game and all eyes turned to the bullpen. Four relief pitchers were seen in the seven scoreless innings that followed. Meanwhile, the Nats offense cranked out hit after hit, including three singles by catcher Wilson Ramos, to pull ahead and win the game.

Although they could not celebrate this moment on their home field, surrounded by thousands of ecstatic DC fans, the Nationals and manager Dusty Baker couldn’t be more excited to make the playoffs.

Returning from their nine game road trip, the Nats faced a four game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks and a three game series against the Miami Marlins. It seemed to be an easy enough week for the Nats, but it wouldn’t be all smooth sailing.

The first game proved to be a rough one, as the Nats suffered a 14-4 loss, and star catcher Wilson Ramos left the game with a torn ACL. He will be out for the postseason, in addition to two-time All Star pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who sustained yet another elbow strain.

While these debilitating injuries are big disappointments to Nats fans, other crucial parts of the lineup have come back from injuries. Friday night’s matchup against the Marlins marked the return of reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper from a thumb injury. In Sunday’s game, after a two-week absence, second baseman and potential 2016 MVP Daniel Murphy pinch hit and looked ready for the playoffs.

But even with their third and fourth hitters back, Nationals fans know this is not enough to generate the offense needed to thrive in the postseason. If you know anything about the Nats’ past attempts to move on from the first round, you know they failed, mainly due to a terrible inconsistency in hitting and, well, choking.

So how do we know that won’t happen this time? We don’t. But as someone who spent roughly 130 hours at the ballpark this season, and many more watching on TV, I can tell you their chances are A LOT better this time around.

Here’s why: In previous postseason play, the Nats lacked a strong leadoff hitter who could consistently get on base. However, they solved this problem when they called up Trea Turner from the minors mid-season. He immediately became a full-time starter, reaching base regularly and maintaining a better batting average than most of his teammates. With his lightning speed, he leads the team in steals and continuously distracts the opponent’s defense. Turner will spark plenty of offense and be an exciting asset to the Nats in the playoffs.

Nationals’ veterans like Jayson Werth, Anthony Rendon, and Danny Espinosa will add experience and inspire confidence in the Nats offense. In fact, six of the eight starters have over 20 home runs this season.

So what more could the Nats possibly need to make it to the World Series?? The answer is plain and simple: clutch pitching. Luckily for the Nats, they have a powerful starting rotation, consisting of Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark, and Ross, as well as a tough bullpen. The pitching staff together has the second lowest earned run average in the majors.

Scherzer, in the running for the Cy Young award and with the most strikeouts of any MLB pitcher this season, will continue to dominate for us in the playoffs. And newly acquired closer, Mark Melancon, with 47 saves, will NOT give up five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lose the fifth game of the series and knock us out of the playoffs.

With their talented pitching and improved hitting, this year’s Nationals lineup promises to deliver an unforgettable postseason. So if I were you, I’d be there. You could be missing out on one of the most epic playoff runs in DC sports history.