Sean Doolittle is having a dominant year so far. Should he represent the hometown Washington Nationals at the All-Star Game in D.C.?
The Washington Nationals acquired Sean Doolittle along with Ryan Madson from the Oakland Athletics in July of last season. Since his arrival in our nation’s capital, Doolittle has claimed the closer role and stabilized the Nationals’ bullpen.
This season he’s elevated himself into one of baseball’s most dominant closing pitchers.
Doolittle hopes to become the first Nationals reliever to make the All-Star team since Tyler Clippard was selected to represent the National League back in 2014. The Nationals closer has been brilliant since his acquisition last season, converting 37 of 39 Save opportunities.
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While Max Scherzer and Gio Gonzalez will get a lot of consideration to represent the Nationals in the Mid-Summer Classic, Doolittle has been the ace of the bullpen. He should not be overlooked simply because he’s a reliever.
Previously an All-Star with the Athletics in 2014, Doolittle is having a career year with the Nationals in 2018. In 27 games this season, he’s 2-2 with a 1.57 ERA. The southpaw closer is third in the National League with 16 Saves.
At this pace, Doolittle could and should post career highs in Saves, Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts. He’s averaging well over 10 k/9 and batters are hitting just .141 against him this season. He’s made the 9th inning his own and Nationals fans breathe a little easier when he’s on the mound.
The NL is loaded with talented closing pitchers like Kenley Jansen, Wade Davis, and Brad Hand. It’s easy to overlook Sean Doolittle despite his impressive numbers. He may not be flashy or exciting, but he goes about his business on the mound like a true professional.
Fans of the Washington Nationals have had to suffer through years of Drew Storen, Rafael Soriano, and Jonathan Papelbon. While each had their moments of brilliance, there was always a level of nervous energy when they took the moment.
Rarely is there any of that nervousness when Sean Doolittle comes out to close out the game. And Washington Nationals fans would love nothing more than to see him close out the 2018 All-Star Game at Nationals Park.