Nationals players to visit D.C., Virginia youth baseball leagues on May 18

If you're a youth baseball player in Washington, D.C., and you think you see Nationals stars Anthony Rendon or Adam Eaton at your game on Saturday, your eyes may not be playing tricks on you.

Rendon, Eaton, Patrick Corbin, Yan Gomes, Joe Ross, Kurt Suzuki, Michael A. Taylor and Ryan Zimmerman will be visiting nine youth baseball league sites Saturday morning. Players from the Single-A Potomac Nationals will accompany the Nats players in select locations.

Visits will take place in all four quadrants of D.C., as well as Annandale and Herndon in Virginia. Players will participate in Q&A sessions, pose for team photos, sign autographs and provide tips to youth players.

The visits are part of Team UP, which was launched in 2015 as the Nationals Youth Baseball Uniform Program. In an effort to support and promote kids playing baseball, the Nationals provide, at no cost to the leagues, a Nationals T-shirt or jersey and cap to every child playing baseball or softball in a District of Columbia-sanctioned Little League or the District of Columbia Parks and Recreation Rookie League. Now in the program's fifth year in the District, more than 5,500 children playing baseball or softball in D.C. will receive their uniform tops and caps from the Nationals for the 2019 spring and fall seasons.

In 2017, the Nationals and Inova Sports Medicine began a partnership with Virginia District 4 Little League and Virginia District 7 Cal Ripken Babe Ruth League, expanding in 2018 to include Virginia District 10 Little League. Approximately 12,000 youth players playing in these leagues during the spring and fall seasons will receive Nationals-branded uniform tops and caps.

By providing the uniforms at no cost to these leagues, the Nationals aim to break down financial barriers that can prevent kids from playing baseball and softball. To date, the Nationals have saved member leagues nearly $1 million.

In addition to Saturday's player visits, youth players are also given the opportunity to experience a major league game at Nationals Park through a complimentary ticket offer.

More information on Team UP can be found here.