Today’s District Daily features stories on the rival Mets’ stellar rotation and the competition for the Washington Nationals Opening Day shortstop job.
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.
In today’s Daily, ESPN’s Buster Olney discusses the top-10 starting rotations in baseball — starting with the No. 1-ranked New York Mets.
Of course, it ‘s not surprising that the Mets have the best rotation in the majors. The young arsenal of Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler has the potential to be one of the best starting rotations in history, and like Olney says, it’s easily the best group of starters in the game right now.
Still, it’s important for the Nationals to watch the Mets’ rotation closely, given that New York will likely be the team’s strongest rival for the NL East title in 2016.
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Of course, otherworldly rotations don’t always guarantee pitching success or wins. The Nationals entered last season with the same distinction the Mets have now — their incredible rotation of Max Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg, Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez was supposed to be unstoppable and lead the team to an easy division title.
But, much like the rest of the team, the rotation floundered. The Mets, on the other hand, had arguably the best rotation in the game and it helped lead them to the World Series.
If the Nationals can stay healthy in 2016, they could have what it takes to fend off the Mets and win the division. But with the Mets’ five-ace rotation and talented roster, taking back the NL East crown will not be easy, and it’s a race that will likely go down to the wire.
Also in today’s Daily, Federal Baseball’s Patrick Reddington discusses who the Nationals could tab as the Opening Day shortstop. As Reddington notes, shortstops Trea Turner, Danny Espinosa and Stephen Drew will all compete for the position during Spring Training.
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.
MLB’s top 10 rotations: Mets an easy No. 1
When Ben Zobrist was a free agent earlier this offseason, the two teams with the best chance of signing him used their own version of the same sales pitch. The Cubs and Mets worked to convince Zobrist that their respective futures offered a chance for him to be part of something great: future postseason appearances, and possibly a shared immortality in one of the world’s biggest markets.
The Cubs won out, but there might be a few moments when Zobrist regrets his choice — such as when he’s standing in the batter’s box trying to figure out a way to reach base against the Mets’ incredible starting pitching. Read full article here.
Who will start at short for the Washington Nationals on Opening Day?
(Patrick Reddington, Federal Baseball)
Will it be Opening Day Trea? Opening Day Danny? Opening Day Drew? Will the Washington Nationals‘ rookie infielder Trea Turner start the season at short in the majors? Will veteran infielder Danny Espinosa get an opportunity to start at short now that Ian Desmond has left the nation’s capital? Was Stephen Drew signed to serve as a bridge to the near-future when Turner takes over at short with Espinosa as the Nats’ utility infielder?
Who’s going to play up the middle with new second baseman Daniel Murphy, who signed a 3-year/$37.5M deal with the Nationals this winter? Read full article here.