Washington Nationals News: Why the Nats can win the NL east in 2016
By Pablo Roa
Today’s District Daily discusses why the Washington Nationals still have what it takes to win the NL East next season and how Trea Turner is one of the fastest players in the game.
Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Richard Justice writes an interesting column discussing why the Nationals have what it takes to win the NL East in 2016. As Justice notes, the Nationals had a very disappointing season in 2015, but have the pieces necessary to turn things around and return to their winning ways next season.
In his column, Justice discusses some of the key players the Nationals have going into next season who can help lead the team back to the postseason, such as Max Scherzer, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. Justice also notes that the team has plenty of depth in their roster, which could help the Nationals better overcome the injury issues that brought them down last year.
Of course, as Justice notes, the Nationals will have to stay healthy to win the division in 2016. The team saw many of its most important players spend extended time on the disabled list last season, and in order for them to succeed, they’ll need oft injured players like Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth to stay in the lineup.
But if the Nationals can stay healthy, they should, as Justice writes, have what it takes to win the division. They’re talented, they brought in some key additions in Daniel Murphy and Ben Revere, and they have one of the best managers in baseball in Dusty Baker. Only time will tell if any of that can translate into wins next season.
Also in today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Andrew Simon discusses the fastest players in the majors. As Simon notes, Nationals prospect Trea Turner, who is known for his impressive speed, was one of the fastest players in the game last season.
According to Simon, Turner hit the 21 mph-mark running around the bases more times per plate appearance than any other player in 2015. Turner is the Nationals’ shortstop of the future, and his speed is just one of the many reasons to be excited about the young infielder.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Yes, you can still believe in Nats
I still believe in the Washington Nationals. That’s not the popular opinion it once was, is it? No big deal there. Sometimes, things take a little longer to click. Ask the Kansas City Royals about that.
They Royals had some bumps in the road on the way to two straight American League championships. They stayed the course, though, believing in both their talent and their plan. They are a good reminder for the Nationals that winning is difficult, that getting the right mix is an inexact science.
And luck is a factor, too. That’s the one thing baseball people hate to discuss publicly. The important thing is to have stable and relentless ownership, competent people and a smart plan. The Nats have all three. Read full article here.
Zoom service: Statcast reveals fastest players
It’s rare for teams to get a lot out of a player picked in the annual Rule 5 Draft. So when the Rangers snatched Delino DeShields from the Astros last offseason, there wasn’t much reason for high expectations.
As it turned out, Texas found the fastest man in the Majors in 2015 — at least by one measure.
DeShields became the regular center fielder for the American League West champions in his age-22 season, playing in 121 regular-season games and starting 110. Over that time, Statcast™ tracked him reaching a top speed of at least 21 mph on the basepaths on 132 occasions, easily the most of any player. Only seven others did it at least 50 times. Read full article here.