Washington Nationals: Ranking The Past Opening Day Lineups
By Ricky Keeler
2014 – 26.4
In the second of their three NL East titles, the Nats won 96 games in Matt Williams’ first year as manager before losing in the NLDS to the San Francisco Giants.
During this season, the Nats had five of their nine Opening Day starters with a WAR over three and nobody had a negative WAR in that lineup. The best player in that lineup that season was second baseman Anthony Rendon (6.6).
Rendon ended up finishing the season in the top five in MVP votes. He was third on the team in home runs (21), RBI’s (83), and on-base percentage (.355). Plus, he was second in .OPS (.824).
Right behind Rendon on the WAR leaders for that team were Jayson Werth (4.1) and his .394 on-base percentage, Ian Desmond (3.9) and his 24 home runs and 24 stolen bases, and Denard Span (3.7), who had a team high 31 steals.
That year, Stephen Strasburg made his third Opening Day start. In 2014, the team had five starters with double digit wins (Strasburg was fourth with 14). He had the most strikeouts (242) and innings pitched of any starter that season (215).
On Opening Day at Citi Field, Strasburg struck out ten New York Mets over six innings, but gave up four runs in the first two innings. Trailing 5-4 in the ninth, the Nats rallied as Span hit a game-tying double against closer Bobby Parnell.
One inning later, it was a Desmond sacrifice fly and a three-run home run by Rendon against former Nats starter John Lannan that helped the organization get a 9-7 win over New York.
Now, to the number one team on the countdown, which may come as somewhat of a surprise: