Washington Nationals August 2016 Month In Review

As we head into the month of September, we take a look back at how the Washington Nationals did in the month of August

During the month of August, the Washington Nationals finished with a record of 17-11. Their 17 wins were the most the team has had in any month this season. From July 31-August 31, the Nats lead in the NL East went up from four games over the Miami Marlins to nine games over the New York Mets.

Even though the Nats had their best win total in any mond, there were still some low points in the month. Stephen Strasburg had one of his worst months of the season and had to go on the disabled list August 22 because of elbow soreness. A.J. Cole entered the rotation and has done a decent job in two starts.

As far as how the offense did, they were one of the best in the National League. Trea Turner had 45 hits out of the leadoff spot, which was two shy of the franchise record. Plus, Bryce Harper got back on track, just to name a few highlights. Their best team accomplishment was on August 20 when they scored eight runs in the fourth inning against the Braves.

On defense, the Washington Nationals had their fair share of struggles. Back on August 21 against the Atlanta Braves, the team made five errors in an extra-inning loss at Turner Field.

While the trade deadline had already come and gone, the Washington Nationals made a couple of deals to strengthen their bullpen. First, they added Sean Burnett from the Twins, who should be one of the call-ups once the rosters expand to 40 players. Then, they acquired Marc Rzepczynski from the Oakland A’s to be the second left-hander in their bullpen along with Oliver Perez.

With that being said, check out my grades for the offense, starting rotation, and the bullpen for the month of August:

Next: Offense