Washington Nationals: Predicting the 2018 Opening Day lineup
By Ron Juckett
C MATT WIETERS
.238-.246 Avg. 9-13 HR 37-49 RBI .293-.308 OBP
Sorry, fans of J.T. Realmuto and Jonathan Lucroy. Wieters holds the best chance of being the starting catcher on Opening Day.
Wieters dropped 25 pounds this off-season on a healthy diet. Overuse last year led to second-half fatigue, and he is trying to avoid that again. Even with Harper possibly hitting free agency, the individual pressure to perform is higher with Wieters. He wants one more big contract.
Unless he wows the staff in West Palm Beach, Wieters will hit eighth in the traditional no-hitting catching spot. Whether Pedro Severino or Miguel Montero is the backup, on this day it will not matter.
We forget how well Wieters handles his pitchers. If you are looking for a reason Gio Gonzalez found his groove, look no further than behind the plate. As the on-field coach, Wieters is top notch.
At the plate? Not so much.
A sharp drop in production triggered Wieters to remain in Washington to fill out his contract. At 31, he hopes for another decent pay day with a chance to be a designated hitter in the future. In an alternate universe, perhaps catching with the Nats again in 2019.
For that to happen, his workload must drop and Wieters has to re-find his way at the plate. Last April, he hit over .300. When feeling recharged, he is productive.
Perhaps the combination of weight loss and a solid backup will boost Wieters. The Nats need him if they make a deep run.