Washington Nationals: Staff predictions for 2018
By Ron Juckett
Ross Shinberg, Staff Writer
Most Nationals fans will agree that 2018 is “World Series Or Bust” for the team. My take on this season is that it is “World Series Championship Or Bust.” With the real possibility of Bryce Harper leaving for free agency next fall, it is now or never for the Nationals.
The good news is that the Nats will get back to the playoffs with little trouble. The Mets are inconsistent, the Braves and Phillies are too young, and the Marlins look more like an AAA club than a major league club. Washington should win the division with time to spare in September.
With the division as weak as it is, the possibility is real for the Nats to run up their win count and get home field advantage throughout the NL playoffs. I think they will, and it’s a big reason I think the Nats will win the NL pennant.
But in the World Series, I predict the Nats will lose to their Spring Training buddies, the Houston Astros. As of right now, the Astros are the best team in the MLB, and they only got better with the addition of Gerrit Cole.
As for a bold prediction for the 2018 Nationals, I am going historically bold. Besides winning his first Cy Young award, Stephen Strasburg will throw the first perfect game in the MLB since Felix Hernandez did so back in 2012.