Washington Nationals: Three takeaways during slump
By Ron Juckett
THE BAD
Safe to say the Ryan Zimmerman experiment this spring failed.
Zimmerman is late on fastballs and ahead on off-speed pitches. Outside his home run, he looks terrible. His OPS+ of 20 bears that out. But, that is not the worst on the team.
Before his paternity leave, Miguel Montero’s OPS+ is -54. Taylor, despite his stolen bases, is -14. Remember, an average hitter scores 100. Wilmer Difo’s OPS+ is 52 and Wieters was 36 before his injury.
Go back to the home opener. Sixth inning, bases loaded and nobody out. And, the runners never moved. Those are the mistakes that will bite over the course of the season. Turner getting caught in a rundown Sunday night, same thing.
When teams get deflated, bad things happen. Washington cannot let mistakes linger. They must stop dwelling on them.
Although what happened with Anthony Rendon’s ejection was beyond stupid, the Nats must stop constantly arguing strike calls. As long as the umps are consistent, Washington must adjust. Else, close calls go the other way.
Nearly 200 words and no mention of A.J. Cole. Pressure is not his friend. Another stinker and he might find himself with Enny Romero clearing waivers. Cole deserves better, but he must perform.