The Washington Nationals have gotten off to a fast start offensively. Despite injuries to Trea Turner and Stephen Drew, they are on pace for an historic year.

It’s only been nine games, but this year’s Washington Nationals have a chance to compare favorably to three of the greatest teams of all time: the 1961 New York Yankees, the 1976 Cincinnati Reds and the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies.

Through the first nine games of 2017, the Nationals have posted some impressive offensive numbers. As a team, the Nationals are batting .300 and have hit 13 home runs. They have scored 49 runs and have stolen six bases. Their team OBP stands at .371. Extended over an entire 162-game season, these numbers come out to a .300 average with 234 home runs, 882 runs scored, and 108 stolen bases with an OBP of .370.

Of course, no one expects the Nationals to play 162 games as hot as they are right now, but they have been on quite a pace. Let’s see just how hot.

Three of the greatest teams of all time are the 1961 New York Yankees, the 1976 Cincinnati Reds and the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies. The ’61 Yankees had a lineup that included Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Yogi Berra. The ’76 Reds were part of the Big Red Machine era and were led by Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, and Tony Perez. Finally, the the ’80 Phillies were led by Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose and Greg Luzinski. Let’s take a closer look.

The 1961 New York Yankees

1961 was an incredible year. Down the stretch of the season, two men, one a beloved icon and the other an outsider, pursued the unthinkable. With about a month left in the season, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle had 51 and 48 home runs, respectively, and Babe Ruth‘s untouchable record of 60 home runs in 1927 was in sight. The chase nearly destroyed Maris and a late-season injury derailed Mantle’s pursuit. But in the end Roger Maris hit 61 home runs and the Yankees won the 1961 World Series.

The ’61 Yankees won 109 games in the regular season to claim the American League title and defeated the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 in the World Series. For the year as a team they batted .263 with an OBP of .330 while hitting 240 home runs. They also scored 827 runs and stole 28 bases.

The ’61 Yankees lineup featured C Elston Howard (.348, 21 HR, 77 RBI, .387 OBP), 1B Bill Skowron (.267, 28 HR, 89 RBI, .318 OBP), 2B Bobby Richardson (.261, 3 HR, 49 RBI, .295 OBP), SS Tony Kubek, (.276, 8 HR, 46 RBI, .306 OBP), 3B Clete Boyer (.224, 11 HR, 55 RBI, .308 OBP, LF Yogi Berra (.271, 22 HR, 61 RBI, .330 OBP), CF Mickey Mantle (.317, 54 HR, 128 RBI, .448 OBP), RF Roger Maris (.269, 61 HR, 141 RBI, .372 OBP). Johnny Blanchard (.305, 21 HR, 54 RBI, .382 OBP) was their best bench option.

1976 Cincinnati Reds

Sparky Anderson and the “Big Red Machine” ruled baseball from 1970 to 1979. During that period they averaged more than 95 wins per year. In 1976 the Reds won their fourth and final world championship of the seventies and many people consider it the end of the era. Bench, Rose, Perez, Joe Morgan, Dave Concepcion, and Ken Griffey all became household names during the run.

The ’76 Cincinnati Reds won 102 games in the regular season to claim the NL West crown, defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 in the NLCS and swept the New York Yankees 4-0 in the World Series. For the year, the team batted .280 with an OBP of .357 while hitting 141 home runs. The Reds also scored 857 runs and stole 210 bases.

The ’76 Reds starting lineup was C Johnny Bench (.234, 16 HR, 74 RBI, .348 OBP), 1B Tony Perez (.260, 19 HR, 91 RBI, .328 OBP), 2B Joe Morgan (.320, 27 HR, 111 RBI, .441 OBP), SS Dave Concepcion (.281, 9 HR, 69 RBI, .335 OBP), 3B Pete Rose (.323, 10 HR, 63 RBI, .404 OBP), LF George Foster (.306, 29 HR, 121 RBI, .364 OBP), CF Cesar Geronimo (.307, 2 HR, 49 RBI, .382 OBP), RF Ken Griffey, Sr. (.336, 6 HR, 74 RBI, .401 OBP). Dan Driessen (.247, 7 HR, 44 RBI, .362 OBP) was their best option off the bench.

1980 Philadelphia Phillies

The 1980 Phillies were known as the “Cardiac Kids” because they played so many close games, often blowing leads only to come back late to win. Riding the strong left arm of Steve Carlton, the Cy Young Award winner, and the incredible play of third baseman Mike Schmidt both defensively and offensively, the ’80 Philadelphia Phillies persevered and excelled. With Mike Schmidt also winning the MVP for the National League in 1980, the Phillies became only the 18th team all-time to have both the MVP and the Cy Young Award winner in the same year. The “Cardiac Kids” finally ended the era of the “Big Red Machine”.

In 1980 the Philadelphia Phillies won 91 games to claim the NL East. They went on to defeat the Houston Astros 3-2 in the NLCS and won the World Series by defeating the Kansas City Royals 4-2. For the year the team batted .270 with an OBP of .327 while hitting 117 home runs. They scored 728 runs while stealing 140 bases.

Their starting lineup was C Bob Boone (.229, 9 HR, 55 RBI, .299 OBP), 1B Pete Rose (.282, 1 HR, 64 RBI, .352 OBP), 2B Manny Trillo (.292, 7 HR, 43 RBI, .334 OBP), SS Larry Bowa (.267, 2 HR, 39 RBI, .300 OBP), 3B Mike Schmidt (.286, 48 HR, 121 RBI, .380 OBP), LF Greg Luzinski (.228, 19 HR, 56 RBI, .342 OBP), CF Gary Maddox (.259, 11 HR, 73 RBI, .278 OBP), RF Bake McBride (.309, 9 HR, 87 RBI, .342 OBP). Lonnie Smith (.339, 3 HR, 20 RBI, .397 OBP) was their first option off the bench.

The Nationals’ Hot Start

No one is saying that the 2017 Washington Nationals will be in the company of these great teams of the past. However, it is interesting to compare the lineups and the season totals. Will Bryce Harper prove to be the Mickey Mantle, Johnny Bench or Mike Schmidt of his day? He certainly has the tools. Is Daniel Murphy the equal of Joe Morgan, Pete Rose or Yogi Berra? The Nationals’ hot start gives us reason to ask, “How do today’s lineups compare to the greats of the past?” I believe favorably, and maybe not just for the short term.

The Nationals’ long-term starting lineup of Trea Turner, Adam Eaton, Harper, Murphy, Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and Matt Wieters stands up against most if not all of the great lineups since 1960. On pace to hit .275 as a team with 225 home runs and a team OBP of .335 while scoring 800 runs, the Nationals may be able to give the Cubs and Dodgers a run for their money.

If Washington can continue to hit enough to overcome their shaky bullpen or if their bullpen gets resolved, the Nationals should be in the hunt until the end and perhaps go down as one of the best offensive teams of all time.