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Washington Nationals visit Joey Votto and the Reds to begin the year

By Drew Douglas |
GOODYEAR, AZ - FEBRUARY 23: Joey Votto
GOODYEAR, AZ - FEBRUARY 23: Joey Votto
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It required an extra day of waiting, but the Washington Nationals begin the season in Cincinnati today! We have you covered on what to watch for.

After a long, uneventful offseason, the Washington Nationals are finally ready to begin the year. They had to wait a day longer than most teams, due to heavy rain in Cincinnati, but they will begin their season today.

Opening Day is a time of optimism. Every team starts out 0-0, and everyone has a shot to make the postseason.

For Nats fans, the Opening Day optimism comes with lofty expectations. For the rebuilding Reds, on the other hand, Opening Day will be one of the most optimistic days of the year.

Barring anything unexpected, this will be one of the few times that the Nats and Reds have the same record.

The Reds finished 10-19 in Cactus League play, and while spring training stats are irrelevant, this is likely a good representation of what is to come in the regular season. They finished 68-94 last year, good for last in the National League Central.

This is no longer the team that won 90 games in 2013, but better times are on the way. The Nats had their fair share of miserable seasons before becoming a contender.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at what to watch for during the Nats’ opening series in Cincinnati.

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 Bryce Harper’s Opening Day brilliance

Baseball’s best players often thrive when the lights shine bright. This has proven to be the case with Bryce Harper, who has an outstanding Opening Day track record.

Realistically, Opening Day is just a day; the game counts just the same as any other regular season game. However, Opening Day is seen as a big deal.

While there is some debate on whether Harper is the best player in the league, it is clear that he is the best player in the league on Opening Day. Throughout his career, he has hit five Opening Day homers.

As of right now, Harper is tied with Albert Pujols and Ian Kinsler for the most among active players. However, that could easily change later today. To put things into perspective, Kinsler is the younger than Pujols, but still 10 years older than Harper.

The fact that Kinsler and Pujols have hit five Opening Day homers is impressive, but they are 10 and 13 years older than Harper. The Nats’ superstar has had an illustrious career thus far, but this is one of his most incredible feats.

All eyes will be on Harper to see if he can continue his Opening Day home run streak, but his contract status is also a popular storyline. Will this be his last Opening Day with the Nats? Only time will tell.

Regardless of Harper’s future, we must enjoy his 2018 season, beginning with Opening Day.

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Lack of a supporting cast in Cincinnati

When people think of the Reds, they think of Joey Votto. He is among the best players in the league and is undoubtedly the face of the franchise.

Votto had another great year last year, hitting .320 with 36 homers, yet the Reds had one of the worst records in baseball. This is no fault of Votto’s; he receives very little support from his teammates.

Of course, the Reds have Billy Hamilton in center field. The 27-year-old speedster may be the fastest player in the league, but he struggles to get on base. If he cannot find his way on base, his speed is worthless.

Along with Votto and Hamilton, Adam Duvall and Scooter Gennett highlight the Reds’ roster.

Duvall had a breakout year in 2016, being named a National League All-Star. His power catches people’s eye, as he has hit 64 homers in the last two years, but his game is one-dimensional.

Like most power hitters, Duvall struggles to hit for average. He is also a below average outfielder in left field. He can hit homers with the best of them, but that is about all that he provides.

Gennett is similar to Duvall, in the respect that he has good pop, but he is a better overall hitter. In 2017, he slashed .295/.342/.531 with 27 homers. While he had a solid season, it was unlike anything he had done before. It will be interesting to see if he can repeat his performance in 2018.

If he is healthy, Votto should have yet another productive season. What his teammates do, however, remains to be seen.

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Pitching matchups

Getting the nod on Opening Day is one of the highest honors a pitcher can receive, and both the Nats and Reds have elected to honor a veteran.

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For the Nats, the decision was easy. Max Scherzer will make his third Opening Day start for the Nats. Stephen Strasburg received the honor last year, but that was only because Scherzer was recovering from an injury.

Meanwhile, Homer Bailey will start for the Reds. He has been their ace for a while, but this will be his first Opening Day start. While starting on Opening Day is exhilarating, Bailey is happy just to be on the roster.

Bailey has been hurt for the past three season openers, so being on the Opening Day roster is a nice change of pace.

For the second game of the year, Strasburg and Luis Castillo will face off.

Castillo, 25, is still young, but made a good first impression last year. In 15 starts, he pitched to a 3.12 ERA.

One of Castillo’s biggest weapons is his triple-digit fastball, but that does not faze Anthony Rendon. Last year, Rendon went 2-for-2 with two homers against the flamethrower.

In the series finale, Gio Gonzalez will be opposed by Sal Romano.

Romano debuted last year, so the Nats have never seen him, but Matt Adams took him deep when the Braves visited Cincinnati. Like Castillo, Romano’s fastball is nearing triple-digits.

Next: Where should Trea Turner hit in the lineup?

Opening Day is always fun, but this year should be especially fun for the Nats. Although it is just one game, it signals the start of what could be a historic season for the franchise. After a long offseason, Opening Day is finally here!

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