Washington Nationals bullpen uncharacteristically strong

The Washington Nationals typically begin the season with a weak bullpen, but that is not the case this year. How will it impact the team?

At this time last season, the Washington Nationals bullpen was an enormous question mark. Mid-season acquisition Mark Melancon had bolted for San Francisco, leaving the Nats without a proven closer.

After falling short in the Kenley Jansen sweepstakes, the Nats decided to address their closer need in-house. They were lacking a proven closer, but they had plenty of quality relievers and most people assumed they would be alright.

Boy, were we wrong. Blake Treinen won the closer’s role in Spring Training, but pitched his way out of it very quickly. Shawn Kelley and Koda Glover, the other two finalists for the job, got their opportunities, but struggled due to various injuries.

With all of the Nats’ struggling relievers, their bullpen ranked among the worst in the league throughout the first half. Then, Mike Rizzo worked his magic by acquiring Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, and Brandon Kintzler at the trade deadline and everything was right in the world.

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Now, with the big three still intact heading into 2018, the Nats have a strong bullpen heading into the season for the first time in what seems like forever. Doolittle, Madson, and Kintzler form a dominant trio in the back-end of the bullpen, making any lead feel safe.

Middle-inning relievers are being valued more and more by the day in today’s game, and the Nats’ middle relievers have the potential to be some of the best in the league.

Glover, a 24-year-old set-up man, is one of the most electric relievers to ever don the curly W. If he is able to remain healthy, he will do a fantastic job setting things up for the big three.

Similar to Glover, Enny Romero is another electric young reliever. The 26-year-old lefty routinely hits triple-digits, resembling former Nats reliever Felipe Rivero. If Romero is able to harness his control and stay healthy, he is a perfect left-handed counterpart for Glover.

The Nats’ other big left-hander in the bullpen is Sammy Solis. Solis’ 2017 numbers were not great, due to a horrendous first half spent battling injuries, but he is a solid reliever. As things currently stand, Solis projects to be a makeshift long reliever who can also retire big left-handed hitters.

Finally, Kelley is looking to bounce back in 2018. His first season with the Nats, 2016, was excellent, but he fell off of a cliff in 2017. He has undergone two Tommy John surgeries throughout his career, and they appeared to impact his performance in 2017. If he is able to rebound in 2018, he can be a dominant set-up man.

Next: Taking a look at the Nats' 2018 schedule

The Nats managed to win 97 games in 2017, despite having the worst bullpen in the league in the first half. They are all but guaranteed to win the NL East again in 2018, but their solid bullpen could lead them to the first 100-win season in team history.

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