Washington Nationals News: Nats close to setting team, personal records

Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.

The 2015 season has been disappointing for the Nationals. The team was heavily favored to win the NL East and storm into the postseason with World Series aspirations. Now, with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Nationals trail the Mets by 6.5 games and are unlikely to make the playoffs.

While the team as a whole was unable to live up to expectations this year, there are several positives that can be taken from an otherwise underwhelming 2015 season. Namely, the team and its players have a chance to set several personal and club records before the regular season ends.

In today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s James Wagner discusses several personal records that Nationals players could set this season, along with a few team records that could be broken as well.

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Of course, headlining these records is Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. The 22-year-old leads the National League in almost every major offensive category and is a favorite to win the NL MVP award in the offseason. Harper would be the first Nationals player to earn that distinction, and he’ll probably end up with his name on several club records as well.

Other players who could set personal records include starter Max Scherzer and infielder Ian Desmond.

Also in today’s Daily, Victor Morton of the Washington Times discusses some interesting comments made by general manager Mike Rizzo regarding Matt Williams and the future of the Nationals.

Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.

Nationals close to setting team, personal records

(James Wagner, Washington Post)

As the season winds and the Nationals’ already long odds of reaching the playoffs become more unrealistic, there are a few individual marks and team records (2005-) for key players to keep an eye on.

Bryce Harper

>>> Harper is hitting .342 with a .471 on-base percentage and .672 slugging percentage. No National has ever won MVP, a league batting title or led the league in on-base percentage or slugging percentage.

>>> With four more runs, Harper (116) can break Alfonso Soriano’s Nationals record for most runs in a season (119 in 2006). Read full article here.

Mike Rizzo won’t commit to bringing back Matt Williams as Nationals’ manager

(Victor Morton, Washington Times)

In a scheduled weekly radio interview on Wednesday, Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo was noncommittal on whether Matt Williams would be back next year.

When asked on the “Grant & Danny” show on 106.7 The Fan whether Williams would be back, he parried the question and noted that the Nationals’ season has been a disappointment, relative to expectations. They trail the New York Mets by 6.5 games with just 12 to play. Read full article here.

Next: Rapid Reaction: Nats Can’t Capitalize Off Orioles Mistakes

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