Former Nat Lane Thomas will become an instant postseason legend for the Guardians

Last week, I examined every former Washington Nationals player currently in the postseason with other clubs. One of those names, a former trade deadline steal in Lane Thomas, has already made himself an instant legend in Cleveland Guardians history with yesterday's Game 1 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

The Guardians, who won the American League Central Division with a record of 92-29, faced the upset Kansas City Royals, who defeated our Beltway rival Baltimore Orioles with a two-game win in the Wild Card Round.

Their biggest acquisition at the trade deadline came in the form of Lane Thomas, a popular national player during our rebuild, in exchange for infielder Jose Tena, left-handed pitcher prospect Alex Clemmey and shortstop prospect Rafael Ramirez Jr.

Despite getting off to a slow start after being traded to Cleveland, Thomas finished the regular season on a winning streak and carried his momentum into the start of the Guardians' playoff run. On Saturday, he started in center field, ranked 5th in the order and wasted no time in making his presence felt in his first postseason batting attempt. Thomas unloaded on a first-pitch slider from Tigers starter Reese Olson and sent Progressive Field into a frenzy with a 3-run home run sent deep into the left field slots.

Thomas' attack gave the Guardians a 5-0 lead in the first inning, which was all the Guardians needed to earn a 7-0 win in Game 1. We here at District on Deck will continue to push for Thomas and many of the former Nats to perform well in the postseason (not all, as I can't bring myself to win for the Phillies or Mets).

While José Tena provided some fun moments in his first extended MLB stint with the Nationals, it's definitely great to see Lane Thomas finding early success in the playoffs. We Nats fans had grown fond of the lane train that was once taken over for Jon Lester's body, but deep down everyone probably knew he wouldn't be a long-term fit for the club.

With the presence of James Wood, Jacob Young, Dylan Crews and other top outfield prospects set to make their way to DC in the coming years, it was no surprise that Mike Rizzo pulled the trigger when he finally got a deal it made sense to move him.

Which former national team player would you have the most success with in the postseason? As always, please let me know at X, @DCBerk.