Washington Nationals: Opening Day 2017 Roster Projection

With Spring Training games beginning tomorrow, how will the Washington Nationals roster look on Opening Day? We take a guess as exhibition play gets underway.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Washington Nationals will play their first exhibition game of the spring when they take on the New York Mets at Port St. Lucie (1:10 p.m ET). We are over a month away from the Nats beginning their 2017 regular season campaign April 3 against the Miami Marlins at Nats Park.

Spring Training is always an interesting time because you never know what storylines will come from it. The biggest storyline has to be the new facility in West Palm Beach and it will be interesting to see games being played there beginning February 28 against the Houston Astros (1:10 p.m ET, MASN).

Every spring training, there is always that one surprise player that ends up making a good impression on the coaching staff and ends up making the 25-man roster. Some of those examples include first baseman Clint Robinson 2015 and reliever Matt Belisle last year. Who will that player be this year?

Today, I wanted to make my Washington Nationals roster projection and what it might look like on Opening Day. Keep in mind a lot of things can happen between now and Opening Day in terms of injuries or roster moves.

With that being said, this projection will go in this order: starting lineup, bench, starting rotation, and bullpen. Keep in mind these projections are being made before the official signing of Matt Wieters. So, without further ado, let’s start with who I think should be the leadoff hitter:

CF Adam Eaton

It was a tough call to decide who the leadoff hitter should be on this team. While Dusty Baker has two good options, Eaton would be the choice for me. Back in December, I wrote that Eaton should be the leadoff hitter over Turner, so I would stick with that prediction.

In 2016, Eaton saw 3.78 pitches per plate appearances out of the leadoff spot. That was actually a downgrade from the 4.03 pitches per appearance he saw in 2015 (151 games). While Turner did a good job at the leadoff spot down the stretch, Eaton should get the first opportunity.

If you look at the 2016 White Sox, the most surprising stat from their team had to be who led their team in stolen bases. You would think it would be Eaton, but it ended up being third baseman Todd Frazier (15 stolen bases).

While Eaton stole 14 bases last year, he only attempted 19 total stolen bases. With Baker and first base coach Davey Lopes emphasizing aggressiveness on the bases, Eaton seems like he can be a player that easily get to 20 steals in that scenario.

Yes, the Washington Nationals gave up a lot of young pitching to get him. We can debate in the future whether or not it ends up being a good deal for them. But, for now, the Nats have themselves a good top of the order hitter with speed and one that can make some good defensive plans in center field.

Plus, it allows last year’s center fielder to move to his natural position.

SS Trea Turner

When Turner got the call up from triple-A Syracuse last season, the lineup got an instant spark. Despite having to learn a new position, Turner did not miss a beat as he hit .342 and had 13 home runs in 73 games en route to finishing in second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.

Of course, Turner will be one of those possible leadoff options that Baker can turn to during the season. But, I think he can do a good job hitting in the number two spot. For one, it would make for some interesting options for Baker if he wants to go to the hit-and-run strategy.

But, with Turner’s 13 home runs last season, I think he can be a good power option out of the number two spot. He did have 3.8 pitches per plate appearance last year, so he can take some pitches and work the count. However, at times, he was very aggressive at the plate.

During this spring training, it will be interesting to watch Turner play shortstop on a full time basis again. But, another aspect of his game to watch will be how he works the count in some of these exhibition games.

One thing’s for certain, if Eaton can get on base on a regular basis and with Turner’s ability to hit triples, the Nats could find themselves with more instant offense in the first inning of games in 2017. At the very least, those two can set up the power hitters that follow them in the lineup.

RF Bryce Harper

Harper should stay in the third spot in the batting order because it allows him to get that extra at-bat in each game because he hits in the first inning. While Harper drew headlines for his Dallas Cowboys hat early on in spring training, he hopes to make storylines with his performance at the plate.

The Nats right fielder had a great first month of the season last year, but his performance at the end of the season left a lot to be desired. Yes, injuries played a factor, but only having one home run after August 31 isn’t what fans are looking for.

When you watch Harper this spring, my advice would be not to look for Harper to hit a lot of home runs this spring. Instead, watch to see if he can catch up to the fastball or if he is being patient with the way he takes pitches.

Spring training stats don’t mean much, but Harper has walked 23 times over the last two spring trainings and has led the Washington Nationals in both of those seasons.

Asking Harper to replicate his MVP season from 2015 might be a tall order. However, if he is closer to the 2015 numbers than 2016, Washington Nationals fans will be excited. As for Harper, he is looking to put last year’s end of the season struggles behind him:

“I like that feeling of ‘What have you done for me lately?’ It’s always been that way my whole life.” (h/t Thomas Boswell, Washington Post)

With two years left on his deal, Harper will look to make a statement that he deserves a big payday after the 2018 season is over, regardless of which team decides to give him the money.

2B Daniel Murphy

Coming into the 2016 season, no one knew what to expect from Murphy in his first season in a curly W uniform. The second baseman ended up making a great first impression as he was the runner up to Kris Bryant for the National League MVP award.

At times last season, it was Murphy and catcher Wilson Ramos who would end up carrying the team when superstars such as Harper would go through a slump. As for Murphy, he didn’t have a batting average lower than .265 in any given month.

Heading into the 2017 season, there will be more expectations on Murphy than ever before. However, with the swing change he made with the Mets towards the end of the 2015 season, maybe this is the new Murphy.

The only question I would have for him heading into spring training would be about the hamstring injury he had last season. If Murphy can avoid those hamstring issues throughout the season, he should be on track to play in over 130 games for the sixth consecutive season.

Due to Murphy’s ability to get doubles and how he doesn’t strike out, he is an option for any place Baker wants to use him in the lineup. But, the best option would be to put him behind Harper so that if teams decide to pitch around him, Murphy can make them pay and drive in the key runs like he did in the NLDS against the Dodgers last year.

LF Jayson Werth

Werth is another one of those hitters that Dusty Baker can put anywhere in the batting order for the Washington Nationals. Yes, he’s in the twilight of his career, but the Nats left fielder still brings value to the team.

Last season, he was one of the best hitters on the team at taking pitches and making the pitcher work. His 4.6 pitches per plate appearance was the most on the Washington Nationals and the most in all of baseball according to ESPN (Mike Napoli was second – 4.57).

If Baker wants to separate Turner and Eaton at the top of the order, Werth is a good player to put in the number two spot because he works the count and he can hit the ball to the right side and move the runner over.

While he only hit .259 in 94 games out of the number two spot last season, Werth did a good job of drawing walks. His 57 walks were the most of any number two hitter in the NL and the third most in all of baseball (Jason Kipnis and Josh Donaldson were the only players with more).

Last spring training, Werth did appear in 16 games, so that would be the number I would expect him to be at this spring because the Nats will want to be careful with how much they use both him and Ryan Zimmerman.

Heading into his age 38 season, Werth can still bring power to the plate and has a good eye for pitches. That makes his role extremely valuable, regardless of how he does this spring training.

3B Anthony Rendon

Unlike 2015, Rendon got a chance to play in a full spring training last season and was able to stay healthy. When he is on the field, Rendon is one of the better third basemen in the National League. Last year, he hit 20 home runs for the second time in his career and he was one of the team’s best hitters during the second half of the season.

After the All-Star break, Rendon hit .291 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI’s and had a .357 on-base percentage. With all the talent at the top of this lineup, Rendon is a fit for the sixth spot because of how he played in that spot a season ago.

Out of the sixth spot in the lineup, the Washington Nationals third baseman hit .309 with seven home runs, 18 RBI’s, and had an on-base percentage of .399 in 35 games. His 38 hits were also tied with Aaron Hill for the ninth most of any number six hitter in the National League.

While you can never predict injuries, Rendon is one of those hitters that you can pencil in for 15-20 home runs when he’s on the field. He did not have a good postseason in 2016, but that shouldn’t carry over into the regular season in 2017.

In addition to being a strong power hitter, Rendon is patient at the plate and waits for his pitches. In the two seasons in which he has played more than 100 games, he has seen about four pitches per plate appearance (3.97 in 2014 and 4.02 in 2016). If that trend continues, expect another breakout season from the third baseman.

1B Ryan Zimmerman

The question with Zimmerman heading into the 2017 season is how healthy he will be for the duration of the season. While he played in over 100 games last season for the first time since 2013, he had a negative WAR (-1.1) for the first time in his 12-year career.

Now, the Washington Nationals did bring in Adam Lind for some insurance off the bench at first base. With that being said, the Lind signing doesn’t necessarily mean Zimmerman will play next. In fact, as seen last year, Baker shows a lot of trust in his veterans to get the job done.

Zimmerman was one of those players who put the ball in play a ton last season, but didn’t have much luck as he didn’t make a lot of fly ball contact. According to Fangraphs, he only hit a flyball 34.7% of the time last season, which was his lowest percentage since that aforementioned 2013 campaign.

While five games is a small sample size, Zimmerman might’ve found something in that NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was 6-for-17 in that series with a pair of doubles and a pair of RBI’s.

Baker might play it cautious with Zimmerman this spring in terms of how much playing time he gets. Right now, the only thing fans should be worried about with Zimmerman this spring is whether or not he makes it to Opening Day healthy and ready to go. Then, everyone will find out whether or not he can bounce back.

C Matt Wieters

With the Washington Nationals signing Wieters to a two-year, $21 million deal (opt-out after this season), he will be the Opening Day catcher once the deal is official. Dusty Baker now has more lineup flexibility with the 30-year-old (turning 31 in May) being a switch-hitting catcher.

Wieters is a much better hitter from the left side than the right side. Last season, when he was the starting catcher with the Baltimore Orioles, 14 of his 17 home runs came as a left-handed batter against a right-handed pitcher.

Now two years removed from his Tommy John surgery, his arm should be a lot better in terms of throwing out baserunners. The only issue for him defensively is pitch framing, but that shouldn’t hurt him in D.C. with the talented rotation he will have the chance to catch.

The best aspect of Wieters is definitely his power. If you take away the two years that he missed because of injuries, he has hit at least 17 home runs in four of the last six seasons. Last season, his 17 home runs were fifth in the American League among catchers in a year in which he made the American League All-Star team.

Yes, Wieters had a low on-base percentage, but getting on base at a high rate is not what the Washington Nationals paid to do. If he can hit 15+ home runs and help out pitchers like Joe Ross, he will be more than worth the $10.5 million that the organization is going to pay him this year.

 Now, let’s take a look at who will be on the bench.

C Jose Lobaton

Since the Washington Nationals signed Wieters, that would mean they are more likely to start Pedro Severino in triple-A to allow him to get regular playing time. That opens the door for Lobaton to be the backup catcher.

Right now, I don’t think the Washington Nationals are going to keep all three catchers. It makes more sense for them to keep Lobaton over Derek Norris since Norris can probably get back more in a trade and Lobaton has more experience catching this rotation.

Lobaton did play in only 39 games last season, but you could make the case his Game 2 home run against Rich Hill was one of the biggest home runs the Washington Nationals had last season. Plus, he did .323 over his final 31 at-bats of the regular season.

It’s clear when you watch Lobaton catch that the starting pitchers love throwing to him. The main pitcher that he catches often is Gio Gonzalez. Gonzalez got off to a good start last season when Lobaton was behind the plate, but then Baker switched it up and put Wilson Ramos there for a May outing against the New York Mets.

This season, Lobaton will be making over $1.5 million and that’s a good deal for the Washington Nationals. He has the knowledge to catch the talented starting rotation and he isn’t a bad option to have to hit once or twice a week because he can occasionally come up big in the clutch.

The Washington Nationals have some talented young catchers in the organization when you consider Severino, Spencer Kieboom, and Raudy Read. But, for a team looking to win now and accomplish its goals in 2017, Lobaton makes sense as the team’s backup catcher because of his veteran presence.

OF Chris Heisey

One of the strengths for the Washington Nationals bench last year was the ability to hit the long ball. The Nats had 12 home runs in pinch-hitting situations last year, which was the third most of any team in the National League.

While Chris Heisey struck out 15 times as a pinch-hitter, he did have three solo home runs, which was tied with Stephen Drew for the team lead in that category.

One of the weird stats that Heisey had last season was in the month of August. Out of the 30 at-bats that he had, ten of them ended in a strikeout. Also, he had just five hits, but four of them ended up being home runs.

If the Washington Nationals had come back to win Game 5 against the Dodgers last year, Heisey’s two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh that cut the deficit to 4-3 would’ve gone down as one of the most memorable home runs in the team’s short history.

Heading into this season. Heisey is on a one year guaranteed deal compared to the minor league deal he was on last season. He can play either of the corner outfield spots, so he does have outfield versatility.

With the familiarity that Dusty Baker has with Heisey from his time managing the Reds, Heisey is the kind of player the Nats would like to see bat in a big spot because he can provide the key home run when they need it.

1B Adam Lind

Unless Ryan Zimmerman gets hurt during spring training, the odds are the Washington Nationals will only carry two first basemen on the Opening Day roster. This is because Daniel Murphy also has the ability to play at first as well.

The two candidates for that spot would be Adam Lind or Clint Robinson. Right now, you have to give the edge to Lind because of his ability to hit the long ball. He has hit 20 home runs in each of the last two seasons and 20+ home runs in three of the last four years.

Last season, Lind hit 15 of his 20 home runs at SAFECO Field, which is impressive when you consider it’s not a hitter friendly ballpark. He also made line drive contact over 20% of the time, which was an upgrade from his time with the Brewers (18%). That stat is courtesy of Fangraphs.

After a down 2016, Robinson will have a lot to prove in spring training. While Robinson can play left field a little bit, Lind does have that experience as well. However, he has not played at the position since 2010. Plus, Robinson did struggle last year as a pinch hitter (.184, one home run, four RBI’s, 11 strikeouts)

Lind or Robinson would help out in the power department, but with the Nats giving Lind a one-year deal and a mutual option for a second year right before spring training, it would make more sense to project him as the backup first baseman right now over Robinson.

INF Stephen Drew

When the Washington Nationals traded Danny Espinosa to the Los Angeles of Anaheim, it was clear that they had to bring Drew back to D.C. Mike Rizzo and the front office did just that as Drew agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million (made $3 million last season).

Drew appeared in 70 games for the Nats and hit .266 with eight home runs and 21 RBI’s. Three of those home runs came while being a pinch-hitter and his six RBI’s were tied with Jayson Werth for the most on the team in those situations.

Since Baker likes to give his players days off whenever he can, Drew is valuable to the team for his versatility in the infield. In 2016, he played 21 games at second base and 12 games at both shortstop and third base.

In late July, Drew went on the disabled list due to vertigo-like symptoms. When he came back off the DL in September, he helped out the Nats in their push for the NL East title. Over the final 52 at-bats of the regular season, he hit .308 with a home run, five RBI’s, and an on-base percentage of .393.

Since Drew should make the team, it allows Wilmer Difo to play everyday in the minor leagues as he continues to develop. With Drew back, the Washington Nationals now have the veteran utility infielder he needed. He surprised some people in 2016 and it shouldn’t be surprising if he puts up the same production this year.

OF Michael Taylor

If there’s one intriguing roster battle to watch this spring training, it’s the battle for the final outfield spot between Brian Goodwin and Michael Taylor. This was my toughest decision. My choice would be to go with Goodwin, but my guess is it will end up being Taylor who gets the final spot.

Both of these players have position versatility in that they can play all three outfield positions if needed. Goodwin got the call up in August last year. While he only played in 22 games, he hit .286 with five RBI’s.

The question for this spring training is whether he can impress the coaching staff enough to go with him over Taylor (both have one minor league option left). Taylor was on last year’s postseason roster, but was sent down to triple-A Syracuse during the season.

Taylor has disappointed at times over the last two seasons, but he has had some good spring training numbers. If you combine 2015 and 2016, he has nine home runs and 23 RBI’s during the exhibition season.

With that last spot, the Washington Nationals might want to add some speed since they don’t have a pinch-running option on the bench who could steal a base late in the game. Taylor may have the edge there. But, Goodwin didn’t even attempt to steal a base last year at the big league level (15 steals in Syracuse).

In the end, Taylor will do enough to get the job, but Goodwin won’t be too far away. So, we have projected all the hitters. Now, it’s time to look at the pitchers and we start with the rotation.

Max Scherzer

The big question surrounding Scherzer is going to be if he’s on the Opening Day roster because of his injury. The Washington Nationals ace withdrew from pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic because of a stress fracture in the knuckle of his ring finger.

Over the last four years, Scherzer has made no more than six starts in any given spring training. It’s safe to say that number is not going to be that high this season.

The most important thing for the Washington Nationals right-hander is his health. With the other injury question marks in this rotation (Stephen Strasburg and Joe Ross), the Nats need Scherzer to make as many starts as he can.

But, as I wrote earlier this month, the Nats need to make sure they stay cautious with Scherzer. Yes, pitching in a third straight Opening Day would be a great honor, but the organization would rather him pitch in September than in April.

Yesterday afternoon, there seemed to be good news for Scherzer as pitching coach Mike Maddux told the media he would throw off the mound this weekend:

When he’s healthy, Scherzer has proven that he’s one of the best in the game. Any given night that you watch him pitch, there’s a chance that history can be made. Over the last two seasons, he has thrown a pair of no-hitters and has struck out 20 batters in a single game.

However, if Scherzer’s injury doesn’t get better, that opens the door for someone like Austin Voth to make his Major League debut should Scherzer have to go on the new ten day disabled list to open 2017.

Tanner Roark

Roark will not be with the Washington Nationals for the full spring training because he will be pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Since he’s in the designated pitcher pool, he will make only one start in Pool C against Colombia, the Dominican Republic, or Canada.

His spring training was much different in 2016 compared to 2015 because he was used as a reliever during the ’15 season. It’s safe to say Roark’s spot is in the starting rotation after going 16-10 with a 2.83 ERA last year.

Even though participating in the World Baseball Classic can worry some fans because of the injury risk, having Roark only make one appearance isn’t the worst thing and it allows him to stay on a somewhat normal routine.

Then, he can come back from Miami to West Palm Beach and get himself ready for the regular season. Plus, who knows if he ends up being used as a starter or reliever in any of Team USA’s first three games.

Last spring training, Roark showed good command of pitches. He walked only three batters in five outings, which was the lowest of any Washington Nationals starting pitcher. That trend didn’t continue in the regular season as he walked 73 batters, 14 more than the second highest (Gio Gonzalez – 59).

When Roark has been in the starting rotation (2014 and 2016), he has proven to be one of those pitchers the Nats can depend upon when they need a win. Now that he has shown that, the expectations will be higher for him in 2017 to be a top of the line pitcher.

Stephen Strasburg

If Scherzer can’t pitch on Opening Day, it would seem the favorite to pitch in that game would be Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg missed the postseason last year because of a strained flexor mass in his right elbow. So far, it seems as if Strasburg is healthy and ready to go for the 2017 season:

Before getting injured last year, Strasburg was 13-0 at one point in the 2016 season and seemed to be a candidate for the National League Cy Young. He heads into the first year of his new seven-year, $175 million deal. Right now, the right-hander in a spot where fans want him to live up to the contract. He needs to pitch like a number two starter behind Scherzer if the Nats want to achieve their World Series aspiration.

In spring training last season, Strasburg struck out 19 batters in four starts. This includes a nine-strikeout outing he had in five innings against the Yankees on March 23. Results aren’t everything in spring. However, it will be interesting to see how much he uses the slider, a pitch he unveiled last season, in addition to his fastball and changeup combination.

Since the second half of the 2015 season, Strasburg has been one of the better pitchers in the game when healthy. Now, the organization is hoping that they can at least get 25 starts from him, something that hasn’t happened since he made 34 starts back in 2014.

Gio Gonzalez

This offseason, the Washington Nationals decided to pick up Gonzalez’s $12 million option. While you may criticize that decision, it was a smart move by the organization considering the lack of quality pitching on the free agent market this winter.

For me, the key word for Gonzalez in 2017 is consistency. During the month of April, the left-hander had a 1.42 ERA in his first four starts. Then, the struggles began. In three of the final five months of the seasons, team had an opponents batting average of .290 or higher.

When looking at Gonzalez this spring, the one major thing to look out for is his confidence. With that being, his strong April last year was preceded by a spring training in which he had more walks (12) than strikeouts (11).

Heading into his age 32 season, the Washington Nationals need Gonzalez to be more dependable than he has been. They need him to pitch at least six innings a night and put the team in a position to win. He didn’t do that in the postseason last year as he couldn’t get out of the fifth inning in Game 3 of the NLDS.

Yes, Gonzalez is not the pitcher that he was in 2012 when he won 21 games and had an ERA under three. At the same time, it’s not unreasonable to expect him to finish the 2017 season with an ERA under four.

Gonzalez has been durable for the Washington Nationals. He has made 30 or more starts in four of his five seasons in the nation’s capital. There’s no question that he is durable. Now, in 2017, he needs to have consistency in addition with his durability.

Joe Ross

When you watch Ross pitch, he usually has great poise on the mound. That changed in Game 4 of the NLDS last year when he went 2.2 innings and gave up four runs. In fairness to him, it was only his fourth start off the disabled list (shoulder inflammation).

Like Gonzalez, Ross has a strong April last season. He had a 0.79 ERA in his first four starts and held opponents to a .195 average. Then, as the season went on, the ERA got higher and the batting average against got higher. In early July, he went on the DL because of the aforementioned shoulder inflammation.

During the first week of spring training, Ross talked to Jamal Collier of MLB.com about some of the changes he has made this winter to his delivery:

Fixing it is a minor tweak, one that has been pointed out by his throwing partners and that he has noticed by looking at his reflection. “It feels natural — then next thing I know, my arm’s way back here,” he said. (h/t Jamal Collier, MLB.com)

As the number five starter, Ross isn’t under as much pressure compared to the other four starters. But, in his third season, he is still looking to finish a season where he doesn’t have to go on the disabled list. With the Nats lack of rotation depth, that might be a need this year more than previous year.

For the final part of our roster projection, it’s time to look at the bullpen:

Sammy Solis

One of the pitchers who gained the full trust of Baker and the coaching staff as the 2016 went on was Solis. During the NLDS against the Dodgers, he appeared in all five games. He did give up a run in game five, but he was the pitcher Baker went to in any big situation during the middle innings.

During the months of May and June, Solis held the opponents to a below .200 batting average in each of those months. He combined for 29 strikeouts and 11 walks in 24 innings of work. The only problem for him last year was staying on the field.

Last season, the 28-year-old left-hander went on the disabled list in July with a knee injury and then went back on the DL a month later due to inflammation in his left shoulder. When he came back off the second DL stint, he only got to pitch in three games before the postseason.

Solis does a great job of getting both lefties and righties out, so he is a versatile pitcher that the Washington Nationals can turn to in any situation against any hitter. Plus, he has the ability to go two or three innings if needed. So, while the Nats will have a long man, Solis kind of serves as the backup long man as well.

Whatever Solis’s role is in 2017, he will play a critical part in the middle innings for the Washington Nationals, if he is able to stay healthy.

Vance Worley

If there were one pitcher that I would say has the best chance to make the roster as a non-roster invitee, it would be Worley. The former Baltimore Oriole signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals in January.

Right now, Worley is in a competition with A.J. Cole and Austin Voth for the long man spot that was held by Yusmeiro Petit (signed with the Los Angeles Angels). Worley appeared in 35 games for the Orioles (four starts) and had a 3.53 ERA.

So, why would Worley get the edge over Cole? Right now, Cole still has to serve a three game suspension from throwing behind Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang last September. If the Nats put Cole on the Opening Day roster, they would have to play a man down for the first three games.

If you look at Worley’s pitch arsenal, he doesn’t strike many hitters out. His 5.8 strikeouts per nine innings last year was the lowest he has had in a year in which he has appeared in more than ten games. But, as a long man, he wouldn’t necessarily have to rely on the strikeout to get hitters out.

That being said, if the strikeouts are going to be low, he can’t be putting runners on base via the walk (3.6 walks per nine innings last year). Since Cole and Voth have options and the Washington Nationals would probably like to keep them as starting pitchers at triple-A for now, Worley would make the most sense as the one non-roster invitee to find his way to the Opening Day roster.

Oliver Perez

Like Roark, Perez will be going to pitch in the World Baseball Classic. For the third time in his career, he will be participating in the WBC for Team Mexico. His first season with the Washington Nationals was a disappointment.

Over 64 games, the 35-year-old left-hander had a 4.95 ERA, struck out 36 batters, and walked 20 in 40 innings. Perez struggled big time in the month of September as he had a 12.61 ERA and opponents were hitting .360 against him in nine appearances.

One of the main problems for Perez last season was the control of his pitches. While he did have over ten strikeouts per nine innings for the fourth straight season, his 4.5 walks per nine innings were much higher than his 2015 total with the Diamondbacks and Astros (three).

The highlight for Perez’s 2016 season wasn’t really his pitching. His bunt in the 15^th inning on April 24 against the Twins ended up helping the Washington Nationals tie the game thanks to a throwing error by John Ryan Murphy. Plus, he had a double in a July game against the New York Mets at Citi Field.

Now, Perez did pitch well during winter ball as his Mexican League team reached the Caribbean Series final. During the series, he threw three perfect innings and he had 13 strikeouts in 7.2 innings during league play.

While winter ball doesn’t have the same talent level as the big leagues, can Perez carry that success from winter ball into the regular season? In the final year of his two-year contract, the left-hander will look for much better results in 2017.

Shawn Kelley

Right now, as we complete this Opening Day roster prediction, the closer spot belongs to Kelley. He had a chance to be in that role last season when Jonathan Papelbon went on the disabled list in June. The 32-year-old right-hander made 67 appearances last season, which was a career-high.

Of course, Kelley’s season ended on a bad note when he had to leave Game 5 of the NLDS due to an injury. But, from all accounts, he is feeling good and ready to go for the regular season. In fact, he made the case that being a closer might actually help his arm going forward:

Plus, he has the mentality that you would want in a closer. He also said earlier this month that he wants to make sure the lack of a closer right now won’t create problems for the rest of the bullpen:

In the second year of his three-year deal, the Washington Nationals will hope for Kelley to duplicate his 2016 season. He had a dominant month of September as the eighth inning guy heading into the postseason. Depending upon what happens the rest of the spring, the Nats may need that success in the ninth this year.

Koda Glover

For me, the X-factor of the entire spring is Glover. He could fill a multitude of roles for this team. He could either be on the Major League roster or start the year in triple-A preparing for the closer role. According to Roster Resource, he does have two options left, so the Washington Nationals can choose to take it slow with him.

Last season, the 23-year-old right-hander only got to appear in 19 games. He did not get the opportunity to pitch in the postseason because of a hip injury. Now, he is in the competition for the closer role after he surged up to the major leagues last season. Keep in mind he was drafted in the eighth round of the MLB Draft in 2015.

While Glover could learn the ninth inning in the minor leagues, it would be good for him to start the year in the majors. He could start to pitch in the sixth and seventh innings and earn the trust of Baker and Maddux. If he succeeds, he can gradually inch towards the closer role.

When he came up to the Major Leagues, Glover had an average fastball velocity of over 96 miles per hour (according to Fangraphs). Plus, he showed a nasty slider, which he used more than his heater.

If Glover can stay healthy and doesn’t show any issues with his hip, he should be on the Major League roster. Yes, the Nats have other options such as Trevor Gott that they could turn to, but my prediction is he does enough this spring to get a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Enny Romero

Romero is another wild card thrown into the mix for a bullpen spot. When compiling these predictions, it came down to Romero or Joe Nathan, who received a non-roster invite to spring training. Nathan has the experience, but will he find a better opportunity to get more appearances with another team by his March 24 opt-out date?

More from District on Deck

• Latest DraftKings Sportsbook Promo Code in Maryland: Bet $5, Win $200 Guaranteed
• Nationals Claim Jeter Downs Off Waivers
• Washington Nationals Minor League Spotlight: Robert Hassell III
• Washington Nationals Tuesday Q&A
• 3 Free Agents the Nationals Should Gamble On

As for Romero, the Washington Nationals acquired him from the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this month in exchange for pitching prospect Jeffrey Rosa (pitched in the Gulf Coast League). With no minor league options left, the 26-year-old left-hander either has to make the team or the Nats can designate him for assignment.

When you talk about Romero, the first thing that stands out about him is the fastball. Over the past two seasons, the average velocity on his fastball has been 96 miles per hour (Fangraphs). The only question with that fastball is can he control it and avoid giving up too many free passes?

Last season, his walks per nine innings went up from 3.9 to 5.5. But, to be fair, he made 29 more appearances last season compared to 2015. If Romero can control his pitches this spring, he can find a home in D.C. If not, that opens the door for Nathan or maybe even another left-handed non-roster invitee in Neal Cotts.

If you agree or disagree with any of my roster predictions, feel free to share them in the comments section below. Tomorrow, it will be great to finally watch some exhibition baseball games.