Washington Nationals: The west coast and Quaker State beckons
With the Washington Nationals finished with a large chunk of divisional play, we take a look at upcoming teams the Nationals will face and some of the intriguing matchups each team presents.
To start the 2018 regular season, the Washington Nationals received a heavy dose of divisional foes. In fact, 12 of their last 16 games have been from the National League East.
Against the Atlanta Braves, the two teams drew even at three apiece. The Braves outscored the Nationals 27-24, but 13 of those runs came in one game on April 3. That was the weird A.J. Cole start, where he hit his first career home run while giving up ten earned runs over 3.2 innings.
The two series against the New York Mets were opposites. During the series in D.C., it was the beginning of the end of the season for some Nats fans. A series sweep of the home team put the Mets firmly in first place of the division. But, when the teams met in the Big Apple, the Nationals took control of the series early before collapsing in the final innings of the final game.
The Nats also played series against the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies. The Nats were backed by dominant outings in each series by Max Scherzer, who combined to throw 13 innings with just two earned runs and 21 strikeouts. Scherzer retired the final 20 batters he faced against Colorado.
Now, the team’s focus heads west as they will take on some familiar west coast opponents. This post gives a brief outlook to what the Nationals will face over the next couple of weeks, and some intriguing matchups to watch.
The Washington Nationals might be looking forward to getting out of the dismal D.C. weather. And who can blame them when the high temperature in L.A. is forecast to be 76 degrees?
While the temperature might be conducive for great hitting, it will be a brutal task for either side. The projected starters for the three games are as follows:
- Friday, April 20: Max Scherzer vs. Clayton Kershaw
- Saturday, April 21: Stephen Strasburg vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu
- Saturday, April 22: Jeremy Hellickson vs. Alex Wood
With both sides sending aces to the mound, each game will likely be low scoring and close.
The Dodgers have not flashed excellent form to start this season. They are in third place in the N.L. West with a 8-9 record. But it’s important to note this team is without arguably its most important position player, Justin Turner, who broke his wrist in Spring Training. This has led to extended playing time for Logan Forsythe, who has a negative WAR according to Fangraphs.
One key matchup to watch in this series is the two bullpens. For the Dodgers, two-time All Star Kenley Jansen has struggled mightily with an 8.10 ERA and two blown saves. Along with Wilmer Font (11.32 ERA) and Scott Alexander (6.48 ERA), the bullpen depth might be limited.
On the Nationals side, Brandon Kintzler and Sean Doolittle have yet to flash their 2017 form. And Ryan Madson got rocked in his last outing. In games that are expected to be close, whichever bullpen can find ways to pitch clean innings will have a massive advantage in this series.
After their Sunday Night Baseball date in L.A., the Nats will travel north to take on the San Francisco Giants. The Giants are similar to the Dodgers in a few ways. The Giants sit in fourth place in the N.L. West with a 7-10 record, but this team is incomplete.
Four-time All-Star Madison Bumgarner broke his hand in Spring Training and is not expected to return until June. This team’s rotation is still good, but it’s not as fearsome without him. The team ranks 10th in team ERA (3.51) and 9th in batting average against (.231).
The real issue with the Giants is their inability to hit. The team ranks 26th in the MLB in team OPS (.644). San Francisco had a similar struggle last season, so the team brought in two potent bats to try and rectify it.
The more prominent name of the two is former Pirates superstar Andrew McCutchen. His batting average is .209, which is terrible. The team also added longtime Tampa Bay Ray Evan Longoria. His batting average is a more respectable .241. But it’s safe to say offensive limitations might be a lingering issue for the club.
The key players in this series will be the Giants left-handed bats. Players like Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Joe Panik will be crucial. It’s all about helping out Buster Posey. We know Posey will get his hits. But who else will help him?
The Nationals strength this season has been their starting pitching, which includes four right-handers. If no other player outside of Posey hits, it could be a quick and quiet series in the Bay Area.
After an off-day, the Nationals will fly back to D.C. for a ten-game home stand. The first three games will be against the 2017 N.L. Wild Card champion Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs are cruising as they sit atop the N.L. West at 12-5.
This team will likely be the toughest test for the Nationals in the next few weeks as the Diamondbacks do everything well. Their pitching is excellent with a fearsome three-man tandem of Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, and Zack Godley. And that’s not to mention the team leader in pitching WAR, Patrick Corbin, who threw a one-hit shutout against the Giants earlier in the season.
This team also hits well. MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt is off to a great start and A.J. Pollack, now fully healthy, is raking. Leadoff man David Peralta has come on for this team, batting .356.
There is no glaring weakness with this team. The well-roundedness of the club along with 2017’s Manager of the Year Torey Lovullo make them a World Series contender.
There are lots of matchups to watch with two heavyweights squaring off, but one specifically to keep an eye on is the strikeout pitchers of Arizona against the Nationals lineup.
Greinke, Ray, and Corbin all have strikeout percentages north of 29% this season, which is exceptional. This might spell trouble against a Nationals lineup that has some strikeout issues. Michael A. Taylor, Wilmer Difo, Ryan Zimmerman, and Matt Wieters are all strikeout prone.
While the top of the lineup is not as vulnerable to strikeouts, having them on base does the team no favors when the middle and bottom of the order can’t put the ball in play, let alone drive them in.
April 30 – May 3: Pittsburgh Pirates
The home stand continues when the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town. This team is surprising all of baseball with their start. Their 12-6 record earns them the top spot in the N.L. Central.
After trading away Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole, many believed this team would begin the rebuilding process by tanking. Apparently, manager Clint Hurdle didn’t get that memo.
A star does not lead the Pirates, but as a team they collectively produce. Their .773 team OPS ranks 6th in the MLB. Starling Marte and Corey Dickerson shoulder the load offensively, both of whom have slugging percentages over .525
Their pitching, however, leaves much to be desired. But their ace, Jameson Taillon, is fantastic and a budding star who is not receiving a lot of media attention. His 0.89 ERA is exceptional, albeit unsustainable.
What’s even more remarkable about him is that he is pitching at this elite level even after missing a big chunk of last season after undergoing treatment for cancer.
One key matchup to watch is the Pirates lineup against the Nationals big strikeout pitchers, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. The Pirates lineup is among the league’s best in not striking out. Their team strikeout rate is 17.8%. Compare that to the strikeout percentages of Scherzer (38.4%) and Strasburg (24.8%), and something will have to give.
The Pirates, like the Boston Red Sox in the American League, annoy pitchers by fouling pitches off, having a keen eye and walking a lot. It’s a team effort to knock a starter out of a game. And if this happens, the Pirates can feast on an inconsistent Nationals bullpen.
May 4 – May 6: Philadelphia Phillies
The last series before heading back west will be against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies sit at 10-7, good for third place in the N.L. East. Despite the number of young players on their roster, the team is playing good baseball.
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One of those young players is the team’s best hitter, Rhys Hoskins. Despite playing in only 50 games last season, he made a name for himself by posting a .259/.396/.618 slash line. He is only getting better this season, improving his batting average by 68 points and his OBP by 90 points. In addition, his walk rate (21.4%) is nearly as high as his strikeout rate (22.9%).
The Phillies also made a splash in free agency, signing former Cubs ace Jake Arrieta to a three-year deal. In only two starts with the club, his impact has been felt. His groundball percentage of 67.6% is elite, helping him to support a 3.38 ERA.
The player to keep an eye on during this series is rookie Scott Kingery. This 23-year-old showed impressive power in the minors, combining for 26 HR’s last season between AA and AAA. He already has two this season along with 12 runs batted in and three stolen bases. His combination of power and speed is a rarity for a player hitting out of the six spot in the lineup.
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Much like Trea Turner and Michael A. Taylor, Kingery can wreak havoc on the basepaths, either by stealing bases or trotting around them. Keeping him between home plate and the third base dugout must be a priority for the Nats pitching staff.