A Look Back: The Washington Nationals’ 2012 Season
Sep 8, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson during the seventh inning of a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. The Nationals won 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
The date is October 1, 2012. The 96-63 Washington Nationals are losing to the 80-79 Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 in the bottom of the 9th inning in Game 160. The Nationals are in first place in the NL East and lead the division by three games over the Atlanta Braves. A positive outcome in this game is looking slim, as left fielder Michael Morse steps up to the plate to face Jeremy Horst, who is coming in for the save.
Then the PA announcer stops the game to make an announcement. The Atlanta Braves have lost 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Nationals have clinched the NL East. Suddenly, the outcome of this game does not matter. The Nats go down 1-2-3 in the 9th. The crowd doesn’t care. Players are popping champagne, high fiving fans, celebrating like they’ve never celebrated before. All is well in Nats Town.
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Looking back on the 2012 season, fans and analysts alike tend to focus on the things that went wrong over the course of that breakout season for the DC franchise. The Strasburg shutdown. Drew Storen‘s blown save. Cardinals go on to the World Series. But is that all there was to the 2012 season? What about that 19-year old kid who bursted onto the scene to win Rookie of the Year honors? Wasn’t there a guy who won 20 games? How many players made the All-Star team? Silver Sluggers, Gold Gloves anyone?
From the good to the bad, here’s a look back at the 2012 season for the Washington Nationals.
Next: The Rookie
Apr 12, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) hits a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
The Rookie
19-year old phenom Bryce Harper made his MLB debut on April 28, 2012, where he went 1-for-3 with an RBI. The rookie outfielder didn’t stop there though, as he went on to post a .270/.340/.477 slash line with 144 hits, 22 home runs, 98 runs scored, 59 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases in 139 games. He earned his first All-Star appearance, and finished the season winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
How historic was Harper’s teenage season? Among all players in MLB history to complete a season under the age of 20 with at least 100 games played, Bryce ranks 2nd in home runs, 3rd in doubles, 5th in hits, 5th in RBIs, 2nd in walks, 3rd in OPS, and 2nd in stolen bases. He is the first teenager to play more than one position defensively since Tony Conigliaro did it in 1964. He finished ahead of Ken Griffey Jr. in every offensive category other than RBIs and strikeouts.
The Nationals had a .592 winning percentage after Harper’s call up (84-58). Still not enough for you? He hit 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th in the lineup. He played in all three outfield positions and had eight outfield assists.
But never mind the stats, Bryce Harper was the sparkplug for a young club bursting onto the scene. He ignited the Nationals’ offense to finish as the 5th highest scoring club in the National League. He singlehandedly drew fans to the ballpark, giving spectators a show to see on a daily basis.
Next: The Shutdown
The Shutdown
Every fifth day, Nationals’ manager Davey Johnson knew he had an ace out on the mound. Stephen Strasburg pitched 159.1 innings, in which he made 28 starts, going 15-6 and earning a 3.16 ERA, 1.155 WHIP, 197 strikeouts, and only 48 walks. However, the young ace did not make a start after September 7th, as 2012 was his first season following Tommy John surgery. The Nationals organization decided to preserve his arm as a precautionary action for the future.
The shutdown was widely debated across baseball, as the Nationals were in first place in the NL East and would almost certainly be needing Strasburg if they were to make a deep postseason run. Looking back now, would he have made an impact?
In Game 1, Gio Gonzalez pitched 5 innings, giving up two runs (both earned) on one hit and seven walks in the Nats’ 3-2 win. As Washington won, having Strasburg on the mound would not have made much of a difference. In Game 5, Gonzalez took the mound again, and while he was not dazzling, he certainly out dueled opposing pitcher Adam Wainwright. iIt was the bullpen that blew the game.
Ultimately, the Nationals made the right decision. The team was young and had a bright future ahead of them. They were built to win for a long time and wanted to preserve that security blanket by ensuring the health of their young superstar. While Strasburg may look back at the 2012 season as a missed opportunity, he can also look forward to a higher chance of a long and healthy career.
Next: The Award Winners
Sep 9, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche (25) reaches for the ball for the force out of Atlanta Braves third baseman
Chris Johnson(23) during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Award Winners
The Nats were the best all-around team of the 2012 regular season. Finishing with an MLB-leading 98 wins, a top-10 offense, and a top-two pitching staff, the Nationals were clear favorites after the end of the regular season. Many individual players had breakout seasons, contributing to the team in more ways than one. Here are the regular season awards for the Washington Nationals:
Ian Desmond (All-Star, Silver Slugger) – Desmond had the best season of any shortstop in the league, hitting 25 homers and swiping 21 bases on his way to hitting a career high .292.
Gio Gonzalez (All Star, Top-3 Cy Young) – The 21-game winner led the National League in wins, HR/9, and K/9 en route to his best season of his career.
Bryce Harper (All Star, Rookie of the Year) – See slide two.
Stephen Strasburg (All Star, Silver Slugger) – Even with his shutdown, Strasburg still managed to stand out, pitching Opening Day and making an appearance in the All Star game. He also had quite the season at the plate, hitting .277 with five extra base hits and seven RBIs.
Adam LaRoche (Gold Glove) – The calm, collected first baseman was an anchor at his side of the diamond, making the pick look easy and running away with a Gold Glove.
Davey Johnson (Manager of the Year) – The 69-year old skipper led the Nationals to their first winning season in DC. He took a young team and pushing them to the top of the league.
Next: The NLDS
Apr 10, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) in the dugout during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The National League Division Series
The St. Louis Cardinals, fresh off of beating the Atlanta Braves in the first ever NL Wild Card game, came into the series hot and ready to take on the No. 1 seed Nationals. The potent lineup consisting of Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday, and Carlos Beltran ranked 2nd in the National League in runs scored. Their rotation was a force to be reckoned with as well, as the tandem of Adam Wainwright, Kyle Lohse, Lance Lynn, and Jake Westbrook helped lead the Cardinal starters to a 3.62 starters ERA, 3rd in the NL. Keep in mind that the first two games of this series were played in St. Louis, with the last three games played at Nats Park.
Game 1: Nationals 3 Cardinals 2
-Ian Desmond went 3-for-4 with a run scored, Michael Morse went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Tyler Moore had a two-out, two-RBI single in the 8th inning to win the game
-Gio Gonzalez got a no decision after yielding two earned runs, one hit, seven walks, and five strikeouts over five innings.
-Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright went 5.2 innings in which he gave up one earned run, six hits, three walks, and ten strikeouts
-Drew Storen pitched a 1-2-3 9th to earn the save
Game 2: Nationals 4 Cardinals 12
-Carlos Beltran went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs, Jon Jay went 2-for-5 with 1 run scored and 3 RBIs, Allen Craig went 3-for-5 with one home run and two runs scored
– Even in a loss, Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, Adam LaRoche went 1-for-4 with a home run as well.
–Jordan Zimmermann earned the loss as he gave up five earned runs on seven hits. He did not walk a batter and he struck out two over the course of three innings.
-Lance Lynn got the win despite not starting the game and giving up two earned runs on three hits, striking out five batters, and walking one in three innings of relief.
Game 3: Cardinals 8 Nationals 0
-Jon Jay went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Matt Holliday went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs and Pete Kozma went 1-for-5 with one home run and three RBIs in the win.
-Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-4 and Ian Desmond went 3-for-4. However, the Nationals stranded 11 runners in the loss.
-Starter Edwin Jackson pitched 5 innings, giving up four earned runs on eight hits. He struck out four batters and walked one.
– St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter pitched 5.2 innings of shutout baseball, scattering seven hits and walking two while striking out two.
Game 4: Cardinals 1 Nationals 2
-Adam LaRoche went 1-for-2 with his second home run of the series, but it was Jayson Werth‘s walk-off home run off Lance Lynn in the bottom of the 9th inning that sent the Nats to a Game 5.
–Ross Detwiler gave up one run (0 ER) over six innings on three hits. He walked three batters and struck out two.
-Kyle Lohse pitched seven innings, giving up the Laroche home run on two hits. He struck out five and walked one in the no-decision.
Game 5: Cardinals 9 Nationals 7
-Let’s cut right to the chase: Up 7-5, the Nationals sent Drew Storen to the mound to close the game and send the Nats to the NLCS. Storen blew the save, giving up four earned runs on three hits and walking two batters.
-Adam Wainwright only pitched 2.1 innings after making the start, giving up six earned runs on seven hits. He struck out five batters, did not walk anyone, and gave up three home runs. Those three homers were hit by Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, and Michael Morse.
-For the Cardinals, Carlos Beltran went 3-for-4 and scored two runs, Pete Kozma went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, including the game winning two-run single against Storen, and Daniel Descalso went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored, and three RBIs.
-In the heartbreaking loss, Bryce Harper went 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored, and two RBIs, Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Plus, catcher Kurt Suzuki went 3-for-4.
The Nationals finished the season with a bitter taste in their mouths, so close to the NLCS, yet coming up with nothing. Since that series, the Nats are 2-11 against the Cardinals. As the 2015 Nationals get set to face them in their first three game series of the season, the players look ahead to put their past struggles behind them and take down their National League foe.