Washington Nationals 2016 Player Preview: Ryan Zimmerman

By Matt Weyrich | Mar 3, 2016

Aug 25, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) acknowledges the fans after hitting a grand slam against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

Ryan Zimmerman enters the 2016 season with a full bill of health and a lineup that will be depending on his performance to complement teammate Bryce Harper. What are his expectations this season?

When the Nats made Ryan Zimmerman their first ever draft pick as a D.C. franchise, they passed on a couple of big names to get him. Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki, and Andrew McCutchen, are among those who were drafted in the first round after Zim, who was picked fourth overall out of the University of Virginia.

While Braun and McCutchen went on to capture MVP awards and Tulo is one of the top shortstops in all of baseball, the impact Zimmerman has made on this franchise is simply immeasurable. That is not to say it was purely a better decision to draft Zim, but rather that no one should be disappointed that they did.

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The former Face of the Franchise will be entering his 11th major league season in 2016, looking to stay healthy after playing in less than 100 games in two consecutive seasons. He will start at first base on Opening Day for the second year in a row, and should be completely settled in both with the glove and at the plate come first pitch.

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Bryce Harper may be making all the headlines in this Washington lineup, and deservedly so, but don’t sell Zimmerman short. When healthy, he is easily the second best hitter on the team. At age-31, he is still at the tail end of his prime. Given a full season this year, Zim might be making a bigger splash than one might think.

Between 2006 and 2013, Zimmerman played in 100 or more games every single season, including six years of 140 or more and one full 162-game season. Over that eight-year span, he averaged slightly more than 22 home runs and 33 doubles per season while compiling a .284/.351/.476 slash line. Granted he remains on the field, who’s to say that he can’t have those kind of numbers this season?

On Tuesday, Mike Petriello of MLB.com tweeted about how Zimmerman’s exit velocity on his swings were much higher in the latter part of last season, when he was healthy after having the plantar fasciitis injury on his left field for the early portion of the year:

Ryan Zimmerman tried to play through a bad foot for three months. Guess which ones: https://t.co/rYZlyIL3O8 pic.twitter.com/YaQklKZMu4
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) March 1, 2016

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Projected to bat fourth in the lineup, behind Harper and Anthony Rendon and in front of Daniel Murphy and Jayson Werth, Zimmerman should have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs and cross the plate himself. The Nats are not being heralded as the no-doubt World Series champs heading into this season, but that doesn’t mean their lineup isn’t a force to be reckoned with. And what happens when the game is on line? Mr. Walk-Off himself steps into the batter’s box.

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