A Look Back: The Washington Nationals’ 2012 Season

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

(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