Washington Nationals Editorial: 2015 Naughty Or Nice List

Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Naughty List: Ian Desmond

A lot of pressure was on Ian Desmond to contribute in a contract year in 2015, but the Nats’ shortstop was unable to shake off his fielding woes. He made 27 errors in 2015, which was the most he has had in a single season and was three errors higher than his 2014 total.

Early on in the season, Desmond’s yips in the field translated to his offensive performance. The 30-year-old had a slash line of .211/.255/.334 with seven home runs and 24 RBI’s. He hit under .200 in June and July. In the second half, his numbers did improve in the second half when he had a slash line of .262/.331/.446 with 12 home runs and 38 RBI’s.

Ultimately, Desmond did finish the 2015 season with 19 home runs, but he snapped his streak of three straight 20 home run seasons. Plus, while his WAR of 2.0 was second on the team, it was his lowest WAR total since 2011 (1.1).

While the Nationals will miss Desmond’s leadership and he was the last player on the team to be picked by the Montreal Expos (1999 MLB Draft), Desmond’s struggles earn him a little bit of coal this Christmas. Currently, he is still a free agent and it doesn’t sound like he will sign anytime soon. Plus, the Nats are hoping the gift they acquired last December from the San Diego Padres, Trea Turner, turns out to be a very good shortstop in Washington DC for a long time.

Next: Naughty List #3