Washington Nationals: Top five storylines heading into the second half
By Drew Douglas
5. Will Ryan Zimmerman return to his early-season form?
After battling injuries and struggling mightily over the last few years, Ryan Zimmerman has finally resembled the young superstar that Nats fans grew to love throughout their early years back in DC. At the end of April, Zimmerman owned a .420/.458/.886 slash line with 11 homers, 29 RBI’s, and 22 runs scored.
Zimmerman was leading the MLB in most offensive statistical categories, and was finally performing like everyone knew he could. Unfortunately, he has regressed significantly each month. He hit .319 with four homers in May, .283 with four homers in June, and has hit .217 without a homer so far in July.
Over the last calendar month, Zimmerman’s .244 batting average ranks 140th among qualifiers, so he has fallen off quite a bit. His .636 on-base plus slugging also ranks 164th.
Despite his recent struggles, he is still putting together an incredible season. He is currently in the top ten in the National League in doubles (22), RBI’s (63), batting average (.330), slugging percentage (.596), on-base plus slugging (.969), total bases (177), and extra base hits (41).
One possible cause for his recent struggles is fatigue. Over the last three seasons, the most games he has played is 115. However, he is currently on pace to play 147 games, which would be his most since 2013. To put things into perspective, he was still a third baseman in 2013, so it’s been a while.
It would be huge for the Nats if Zimmerman is able to return to his early-season form, and he would make this already potent lineup even more dangerous. At this pace, he is a near-lock to be named the NL Comeback Player of the Year. If he is able to return to his early-season form, he would also have quite the case to be named NL MVP.
It will be interesting to see if the All-Star Break helps Zimmerman find his swing again and if he receives some additional off-days down the stretch to keep him fresh. The Nats need Zimmerman to continue his incredible season and lead them on a deep postseason run.