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Washington Nationals Ten Seasons Later: Jon Rauch

By Ricky Keeler |
Mar 13, 2017; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; A view of a Washington Nationals hat and sunglasses in the dugout during a spring training game between the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2017; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; A view of a Washington Nationals hat and sunglasses in the dugout during a spring training game between the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Today, our look back at the 2008 Washington Nationals continues with the team’s saves leader, Jon Rauch

As our look back at the first Washington Nationals team to play their home games at Nats Park continues, we take a look at one of the key members of the bullpen. Since the conversation around this year’s team is about the closer spot, let’s look at the player that had the most saves for the organization in 2008.

During that 2008 season, right-hander Jon Rauch had 17 saves, which is a lot when you consider the team only won 59 games that season. Rauch did not end up finishing the season in D.C. On July 22, the team traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks for infielder Emilio Bonifacio. Less than a month later, he hit a home run against Roger Clemens:

In five seasons with the Washington Nationals organization, Rauch had a 3.24 ERA and had 23 of his 62 career saves. He actually was on the last Montreal Expos team. Back in 2004, the White Sox traded him to Montreal at the trade deadline as part of a deal that sent outfielder Carl Everett to the windy city.

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If there’s one thing that Rauch was known for during his time with the Nats, it was his durability. He appeared in more games than any pitcher in baseball back in 2007 (88). He had two years of 80+ appearances and his 231 career appearances are 22nd on the team’s all-time list.

During his career, the then 29-year-old always stood out on the mound because of his height (6”11). He was 17-for-21 in save situations in 2008 and had 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He had some periods of dominance, including the month of May when he had a 0.63 ERA and held opponents to a .149 average in 12 appearances.

As a reliever, Rauch had four pitches in his arsenal. He had a fastball that averaged out at 92 miles per hour (according to Fangraphs), a slider, breaking ball, and changeup. In fact, 2008 was the year in which he had the highest average velocity of his career.

After he was traded to Arizona, Rauch struggled in 26 appearances. He had a 6.56 ERA, walked 3.5 batters per nine innings, and gave up six home runs. If you compare that from his time with the Nats, he gave up five home runs in 22 more outings.

In the end, Rauch bounced around from team-to-team after the 2009 season. He played with the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and the Miami Marlins before retiring after 2014.

Next: Glover In Driver's Seat For Closer

The Washington Nationals along with the Twins (21 saves in 2010) were the teams in which Rauch got a chance to save games on a frequent basis. He showed his durability in D.C. and had the third highest FIP (3.09) of his career (courtesy of Baseball Reference). In a year full of struggles, Rauch had some good moments in the ninth inning for the Nats.

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