Oct 12, 2012; Washington, DC, USA; Washington National catcher Kurt Suzuki (24) forces out St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma (38) at home during the fifth inning of game five of the 2012 NLDS at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout this series, I will be noting players on the 40-man roster and confirmed non-roster invitees. At catcher, there is no more Jesus Flores, but there is still some depth in the organization.

In the first installment of our “Predicting the Nationals” series, we take a look at the men behind the mask using ZiPS (published at Fangraphs) and Bill James’s pre-season predictions (from the Bill James Handbook).

A note before we begin: Obviously, playing time is not totally adjusted. Just take the rates as if they had those at bats. I don’t think there will be 1,634 plate appearances from the catcher position. This is just to get an idea of what the major prediction systems are offering for the Nationals this season.

Kurt Suzuki
ZiPS: 509 PA, .263/.308/.400, 12 HR, 62 RBI, 5.1 BB%, 11.8 K%, 2.2 WAR
James: 424 PA, .247/.306/.360, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 6.4 BB%, 14.3 K%

Wilson Ramos
ZiPS : 311 PA, .260/.314/.411, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 6.8 BB%, 17.4 K%, 1.6 WAR
James: 486 PA, .269/.324/.426, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 6.8 BB%, 15.0 K%

Jhonatan Solano
ZiPS : 264 PA, .247/.281/.360, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 4.2 BB%, 14.8 K%, 0.8 WAR

Sandy Leon
ZiPS: 374 PA, .240/.300/.338, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 7.8 BB%, 20.9 K%, 1.4 WAR

Carlos Maldonado (Non-Roster)
ZiPS: 176 PA, .200/.282/.303, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 9.7 BB%, 27.3 K%, 0.1 WAR

Leon made his debut for the Nationals on May 14 against the Padres, following a season-ending injury to Wilson Ramos that required the Nationals’ management to fill a void at back-up catcher behind Jesus Flores.  Much to the dismay of many, Leon would last just three full innings and one at-bat before having to leave the game with a high-ankle sprain.  The catcher’s cleat seemed to get caught in the dirt during a collision with Chase Headley at home plate, ending a big-league stint for the young 23-year-old.

Aug 02, 2012; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Sandy Leon (41) tags out Philadelphia Phillies left fielder John Mayberry Jr. (15) at home plate during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

Following a trip to the 15-day DL and rehab assignment in Harrisburg, Leon would return to an off-and-on back-up role with the Nationals on July 19 against the Mets.  In 12 total games played for the Nats, Leon batted for a commendable .267 average with two doubles, two RBIs, and four walks.  The catcher tore up Double-A and Triple-A while he wasn’t with the Nationals, as he batted .322 with 19 doubles, 3 homeruns, and 26 runs in 64 game appearances.

Season Highlight: Certainly a July 22 game against the Braves for Leon, in which he went 1-4 with a double and 2 RBIs.

Previous Reviews:
Xavier Nady
Chien Ming Wang
Mark DeRosa
Henry Rodriguez
Carlos Maldonado
Brad Lidge
Ryan Mattheus
Ryan Perry
Rick Ankiel
Jesus Flores

This year looks to be a little different.

The Nationals have held the lead in the NL East since Tuesday, May 22nd. They’ve been alone in first place all but one day, when they were temporarily tied with Atlanta on Sunday, July 3rd. After picking up their 70th win of the season Friday night in Arizona, the team sits 4.5 games ahead of the Braves, nearly equal to the biggest lead in the division they’ve held all season. With just 12 more victories in the team’s final 49 games they’ll finish above .500 for the first time in franchise history.

So what does this mean for the organization come September? Quite a bit, actually.

First and foremost, there will likely be a different view towards expanding the roster as of September 1st. For a change, players will be called upon to provide depth and fill specific roles, rather than just to get them acclimated to life as a big leaguer.

There are five players currently on the 15-day DL who could/should be activated by the start of September who’ll need to be added back onto the active roster.

Ian Desmond could be Washington's biggest September addition, depending when he makes his return from the DL. (Image Credit: Brad Mills-US PRESSWIRE)

Ian Desmond is easily the big name of the group, as the shortstop has been in the midst of a career season and will be a welcome addition to the lineup on an everyday basis. He’s been out of action since early July with a partially torn oblique muscle, though he’s started to take ground balls and make throws in the past week. His return will allow Danny Espinosa to move back over to second base and Steve Lombardozzi to slide back into a utility role, something he’s arguably better suited for. His return will also likely mean less playing time for Cesar Izturis and Mark DeRosa (when he returns from an abdominal strain), the type of veterans who in years past may have been released as the summer came to a close to make room for one of the younger players who the team wanted to find at bats for.

Right-handers Henry Rodriguez and Chien-Ming Wang are also expected back around the start of September, adding a pair of arms to the bullpen for the season’s stretch run. Rodriguez is on the shelf with a back strain, something that really may have been more precautionary than anything. While he’s struggled with consistency this year, there is clearly still some belief within the organization that his potentially electric right arm will be a valuable piece of the team’s success moving forward.

Wang has been rehabbing for much of the year, with mixed results. He was shut down this week, however, after experiencing some additional discomfort in his right hip. He, coupled with John Lannan, was to provide the rotation depth this team expected it would need once September rolled around – particularly if/when Stephen Strasburg is shut down for the year due to his innings limit.

Catcher Jhonatan Solano will also come off the DL before September begins, and will likely end up spending a week or two at Triple-A before rejoining the Nationals team. He and Sandy Leon could both find their ways to Washington, providing some added depth behind the plate and potential bat options off the bench.

But in addition to the returns of Desmond, DeRosa, Rodriguez, Wang, and Solano and the expected callups for Lannan and Leon there are two other likely candidates to be on the team’s September roster – outfielder Corey Brown and right-hander Ryan Perry. Both have seen time in Washington this year, only to return to the minor leagues due the limits of a 25-man roster. Both could play important roles down the stretch.

That makes nine players who could be factors in a few weeks. Nine players who are already on the 40-man roster and would not require the team to lose anyone elsewhere in order to make room. Nine players who won’t be simply be up to get at bats as an early look ahead to 2013.

Washington’s in a strong position with September on the horizon for once. It’s a position most Nationals fans are welcoming.