Washington Nationals are poised to (finally) breakthrough
Will 2018 be the year the Washington Nationals finally end their string of heartbreaking playoff losses and get past the NLDS?
A tale as old as time played out yet again last October. After making quick work of the NL East, the Washington Nationals entered the playoffs with sky-high expectations, and despite making things interesting, the team was left picking up the pieces after another empty trip to the postseason. In four trips to the playoffs since relocating from Montreal, Washington has yet to win a series.
After this most recent playoff collapse, the Nationals decided to move on from manager Dusty Baker and settled on highly-respected coach Dave Martinez to take over the reins. Martinez walks into a perfect situation. Yes, expectations are still high for the Nationals, but the rookie skipper has an easy path back to the playoffs and a star-studded roster.
The Nationals really do have a star-studded roster. The team still finished third in the NL in runs last year despite losing Bryce Harper for nearly two months and seeing sparkplug center fielder Adam Eaton land on the shelf with a torn ACL after only 23 games. This is a dangerous lineup that can hurt you from each spot.
Washington’s lineup is dominant, but the rotation features arguably the best one-two punch in the league with Max Scherzer, who won his second NL Cy Young last year, and Stephen Strasburg, who finished third and was nearly as good as Scherzer. Behind the pair of aces, the Nationals have a solid group of veterans in Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark and enough prospects to pick through for the fifth spot.
The team’s only weakness last year was the bullpen, but that will not be a concern after a series of moves last year netted the Nationals Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson and Brandon Kintzler. Washington looks locked and loaded for another playoff run, and they should win at least one series if they can get out of their own way.
90. <ul><li><strong>2017 Record: </strong>97-65; lost in NLDS to Chicago Cubs</li><li><strong>Projected 2018 Finish: </strong>1st Place</li><li><strong>Key Additions: </strong>Matt Adams, Dave Martinez (manager)</li><li><strong>Key Losses: </strong>Jayson Werth, Matt Albers, Dusty Baker (manager)</li></ul>. National League, East. . Washington Nationals. 1. player
Best Case Scenario
The Nationals have been living in a best-case scenario universe for the past two years, with relatively few injuries slowing down their domination of the NL East. If that continues, there’s no reason to expect this team to give up its stranglehold on the division title. The teams below the Nationals are still a year or two away from being ready to challenge, and the New York Mets are the New York Mets.
The only easily discernible weakness for the Nats last year was the bullpen, and those issues were addressed by the acquisitions of Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson and Brandon Kintzler at the deadline last year. Having all three for a full season makes the Nationals path to another crown even easier.
After years of waiting, the Nationals finally get to trot out Trea Turner for a full season. The future All-Star was inexplicably kept in the minor leagues for most of 2016 and played only 98 games last year while dealing with minor injuries. On a per-162 basis, Turner has averaged 23 home runs and 75 steals over the past two years. He is going to be a problem for opponents to deal with all year.
Washington has the best lineup in the National League, and it gets even better with a full season from Turner and Adam Eaton. The Nats ring up over six runs a game, pitch the lights out, run away with another division title and finally win a round in the playoffs.
Worst Case Scenario
It is virtually impossible to envision a scenario where the Nationals don’t win the NL East again this year. The worst-case scenario really only applies to the NLDS. This must be the year the Nationals win their franchise’s first playoff series.
Could the Nationals somehow fail to make the playoffs? Sure. For that to happen, Harper must be injured or struggle like he did in 2016. Scherzer and Strasburg must both spend extended time on the DL, and at least one more injury must take a bat out of the starting lineup. That did happen in 2015 when the Nationals missed the playoffs, but it is a very unlikely scenario for the 2018 Nats, who do have more depth than they did that year when injuries to Strasburg, Rendon, and Zimmerman hampered the squad.
Team MVP
Bryce Harper — OF
Before he suffered a scary knee injury last year slipping on a wet base, Bryce Harper was well on his way to winning a second NL MVP, or at least a top-three finish. Despite missing nearly two months while rehabbing, Harper finished the year hitting .319/.413/.595 with 95 runs, 27 doubles, 29 home runs and 87 RBI in only 111 games.
Harper is locked and loaded for a big year heading into free agency. Assuming Trea Turner and Adam Eaton play full seasons, Harper will hit with plenty of traffic on the bases, making it impossible for pitchers to avoid giving in to him. The 25-year-old has elevated his game to another level and has put himself back in the conversation for best player in baseball with Mike Trout.
Prediction
The Nationals will breeze their way through the regular season yet again, and look to put an end to a string of painful playoff losses. After years of failing to get over the hump, Washington finally wins not one, but two playoff rounds. In the World Series, though, the Nationals come up just short of preventing the Houston Astros from going back-to-back. This may be the last year Harper plays in DC, but it will be a memorable one.