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Washington Nationals 2016 Player Preview: Daniel Murphy

By Ricky Keeler

Aug 2, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy (28) rounds the bases on his home run during the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 2, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy (28) rounds the bases on his home run during the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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What should the expectations for Daniel Murphy be in his first year in DC?

While the Washington Nationals were criticized for missing out on some top free agent targets, they were able to land one quality free agent position player. The Nats ended up signing Daniel Murphy a three-year, $37.5 million. By signing Murphy, the team now has a permanent second baseman and Anthony Rendon can move back to third.

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Last season, for the New York Mets, Murphy had a slash line of .281/.322/.449 with 14 home runs and 73 RBI’s in 130 games. His 14 home runs were a career-high and his 73 RBI’s were the second most he has had in a single season (78 back in 2013).

If fans thought the Nationals would be getting Murphy from the playoffs, they might be in for a rude awakening. During that great postseason run, Murphy hit .328 with seven home runs and 11 RBI’s and had home runs against Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Jon Lester, and Jake Arrieta.

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Even though Murphy, who will be 31 on April 1, isn’t much of a power hitter, he does find ways to get on base. He was in the top five in singles and the top ten in hits in the National League each of the last two seasons. Plus, he has had 37+ doubles in each of the last four years.

While Murphy is a good on-base guy and doesn’t strike out often, his defense still leaves a huge question mark. He has 37 combined errors in the last three seasons. In addition, if you go back to 2014, his -16 runs saved, according to Fangraphs, is the second worst total of any second baseman in baseball that’s played at least 1,000 innings (Roughned Odor of the Rangers – -18).

Murphy does bring some versatility to the lineup as well in his ability to hit in numerous spots in the order. He had 100+ at-bats last year hitting second, fifth, or sixth. But, his best spot in the order was in the number two spot, where he hit .370 with six home runs and 21 RBI’s to go with a .425 on-base percentage.

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Also, if you look at hitting with men in scoring position, Murphy had the best average on the Mets (.309), the most RBI’s (54), and tied for fourth in home runs (three) in 110 at-bats (third most on the team). So, when I look at what Murphy’s expectations should be, his defense might cost the Washington Nationals a couple of games, but at the same time, he is going to be one of the better contact hitters on the team, hit about 13-17 home runs, and be a good contributor in the lineup for the Nats.

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