District On Deck
FanSided

Washington Nationals: Our staff’s midseason review

By Brian Foley

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals and the National League walks back to the dugout after a strikeout in the fourth inning against the American League during the 89th MLB All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals and the National League walks back to the dugout after a strikeout in the fourth inning against the American League during the 89th MLB All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Washington Nationals Bryce Harper
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The Washington Nationals are loaded with questions at the midway point; the District on Deck team is here with the answers.

After a smooth ride to the division title in 2017, the Washington Nationals will have to scrap and claw their way back up the standings for any shot at October baseball. The Nationals sit at just 48-48 for the season and a lifeless 11-22 since June 10.

The Nationals rank 15th in baseball in OPS (.724) and 13th in ERA (3.87), which are both down from last season’s respective spots of 4th and 6th. The clubhouse is once again saddled by injuries, but this year, Davey Martinez and co. have failed to overcome the depleted roster.

A team who was expected to waltz home in the National League East needs to try and come from behind. But the talent is certainly there to make a run if they can come flying out of the gate against the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers.

With a crucial second-half upcoming, and the franchise’s biggest offseason ever looming soon after, the writing staff here at District on Deck dove into seven key topics surrounding the team, including awards predictions, playoff chances, and of course, Bryce Harper.

A special thanks to our writers who assisted with this story, including site expert Blake Finney, and contributors Monty Taylor, Tom Sileo, Ross Shinberg, Sean Addis, Thelton Hughes, Steven Helms, and Colby Dunaway.

Let’s dive in.

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