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Washington Nationals: Matt Adams should get the most starts at first base

By Blake Finney |
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 15: Matt Adams #15 of the Washington Nationals in action against the New York Mets during their game at Citi Field on July 15, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 15: Matt Adams #15 of the Washington Nationals in action against the New York Mets during their game at Citi Field on July 15, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Even though the Washington Nationals welcomed back Ryan Zimmerman this week, it should be Matt Adams who draws the majority of the starts at first base.

Washington Nationals stalwart Ryan Zimmerman returned from the disabled list on Friday. However, at the very least in the short-term, Matt Adams should be the one picking up most of the first base starts.

Adams has arguably been the team’s most impressive hitter throughout 2018. The big left-handed bat possesses a .285 average, a .919 OPS, and a 146 wRC+.

And his consistency over the course of the season has also been impressive. He’s only had one hitless stretch of three starts or more, and his OPS hasn’t been below .870 since April 24th.

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All adds up to him being a reliable above-average bat in the lineup, but he’s been particularly effective against right-handed pitching. He’s 11th in MLB in OPS and 12th in wRC+ against right-handers in all of baseball this season, with a minimum of 100 PAs.

With stats like these, Matt Adams should absolutely be starting in the heart of the lineup almost every time against right-handed pitching. Exceptions can be made to this, such as if Zimmerman hasn’t started in a while and the pitcher has neutral platoon splits.

But Zimmerman makes a perfect platoon partner because of his success against left-handed pitching this season. Against southpaws, he’s batting .324 with a .925 OPS and a 155 wRC+. All of these ranked third on the team among those with at least 20 PAs.

That leaves Mark Reynolds as the odd man out in this scenario. While the Nats managed to catch lightning in a bottle early, he’s been one of the streakiest hitters on the team, and difficult to rely on for consistency.

Since May 30th, Reynolds has just a .220 batting average, .696 OPS, and an 86 wRC+, essentially making him a below average option now. That leaves Zimmerman and Adams to pick up the mantle.

You could also argue, given how the season has played out, you need to play Adams in the short-term to boost his trade value. In the midst of an excellent season, were he made available, he could net a nice prospect or two for a contender seeking a power lefty.

Next: Nats should not trade Bryce

Matt Adams deserves a large amount of playing time moving forward for the Washington Nationals. In a lineup that has struggled for consistency, it makes little sense to leave their most consistent hitter out regularly.

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