March 18, 2013; Viera, FL, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche (25) hits a home run against the Detroit Tigers during the spring training game at Space Coast Stadium. Detroit beat Washington 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

There are so many unknowns in Spring Training that it is hard to take anything from it. So when you see Rafael Soriano getting singled to death and giving up several runs against the Detroit Tigers yesterday, you wonder. Was he working on things? Has he lost something? So far this Spring he has a 11.57 ERA and a .409 OBA. Using Baseball Reference’s OppQual which takes into consideration the average batter he is facing, Soriano is facing somewhere in between an average of AAA and Major League competition as of before his appearance in yesterday’s game. So the fact he’s getting hit isn’t as concerning as if he was facing guys who weren’t even close to the majors.

On a positive note, Jordan Zimmermann had his sinker working and pitched outstanding. He pitched six innings allowing only one hit to lead off the game. After that, he retired 18 straight batters and got 14 ground ball outs. With a Tigers lineup including Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, that’s mighty impressive.

Continuing with the positive, Wilson Ramos went 3/3 and raised his average this Spring to .444. If Ramos is healthy and continues to make strides as he did last year before the injury, he will not only be the starter over Kurt Suzuki but he will provide the Nationals with something they didn’t really have last year – offense from the catching position.

Adam LaRoche, who has only been hitting .143 this Spring provided the only scoring for Washington with a solo homerun off of Max Scherzer. Drew Storen worked around a hit and a walk by striking out the side in his inning of work.

March 05, 2013; Viera, FL, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche (25) gets a base hit during the spring training game against the Houston Astros at Space Coast Stadium. Washington defeated Houston 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Starter Dan Haren looked great as the game began, retiring the first six batters he faced with nasty stuff, but allowed a run in the third inning as the Astros struck first with a Tyler Greene walk and a Jose Altuve single. In total, Haren pitched three innings, allowing two hits, a walk, and two strikeouts. He was replaced by lefty long reliever Zach Duke, who continued his great spring by allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out two en route to three scoreless innings. Duke is well on his way to being the only lefty in the Opening Day bullpen. Rafael Soriano, the new closer and $28 million man, made his debut with a shutout inning, allowing one hit, although the runner was nabbed on a steal attempt. Soriano has stated his wish to not face any NL East opponents during Spring Training, which means his action will be limited. The Nats did not allow another hit from the eighth inning on, as Tyler Clippard and non-roster invitee Jeremy Accardo combined for three strikeouts.

On the offensive side of things, Danny Espinosa was the star. He went 2-3 with one run scored and two RBI, doing most of his damage with a two-run single off Wesley Wright, kicking off what would be a five-run sixth. With Espinosa on first, Brad Peacock, who the Nats traded away in the Gio Gonzalez deal, hit Kurt Suzuki with a pitch and allowed a Chad Tracy single to give the Nats their final 7-1 advantage. Suzuki was 1-1 with a walk and two runs scored. Other Nats who did damage were Jayson Werth, who was 1-3 with an RBI, DHing Ryan Zimmerman was 1-3 with a run scored, and SS Zach Walters was 0-1 with a run scored as a pinch runner.

Next Game: Tomorrow at Philadelphia, 1:05 PM.

February 20, 2013; Viera, FL, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Rafael Soriano (29) poses for photo day at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

ZiPS: 54.1 IP, 54 K, 18 BB, 1.18 WHIP, 3.31 ERA, does not project saves

MLB.com: 64 IP, 63 K, 23 BB, 1.20 WHIP, 2.53 ERA, 39 SV

CBSSports: 54.1 IP, 54 K, 17 BB, 1.03 WHIP, 2.40 ERA, 41 SV

ESPN Fantasy: 56 IP, 61 K, 19 BB, 1.14 WHIP, 2.89 ERA, 37 SV

Averages: 57.1 IP, 58 K, 19 BB, 1.14 WHIP, 2.78 ERA, 39 SV

It says something about how good Soriano has been that the above stat-line would be one of the worst of his career. Even if he does follow these slightly conservative numbers, he would be one of the league’s top closers and a valuable asset in any bullpen. While his numbers from 2012 may seem unsustainable, given his 3.32 FIP, Soriano’s career ERA is more than half a run lower than his career FIP, meaning that FIP may not be a good indicator for him. He also had a very sustainable baBIP, 25 points above his career mark. These peripheral stats, combined with Soriano’s return to the NL, would indicate that his stats could only improve in 2013. While this might be a bit much to hope for, it’s not unrealistic to expect Soriano to continue being in the conversation for the best closer in baseball. In fantasy he’ll be owned in every league, with all the stats you hope for out of an elite closer. At the end of the Nats’ bullpen, he should stop opponents cold, just like he has his entire career.