2007 Washington Nationals
The 2006 Washington Nationals were bad, and the next year’s squad didn’t prove to be much better. The 2007 Nats finished with 73 wins, earning them the seventh seed in our competition.
There is not a lot to like about this team, except for one player starting to come into his own. Ryan Zimmerman‘s true sophomore season provided fruitful results after a fantastic rookie campaign.
Zimmerman played in all 162 games, placing him on a list with names such as Jimmy Rollins and Grady Sizemore as players to play in each game.
Zimmerman, then at third base, clubbed 24 home runs, drove in 91 runs and recorded 174 hits, the third most of any year in his illustrious career.
In the bullpen for the Nats, Saul Rivera made himself a reliable option for rookie manager Manny Acta. Rivera only played five seasons in the MLB, but 2007 was his best.
Rivera pitched to the tune of a 3.68 ERA over 93 innings. His 115 ERA+ and 3.42 FIP shows he pitched above average during this season.
Much like the 2006 team, the 2007 Nats need a lot to break right for them to win this tournament. Despite their better record, this team might be worse than the 2006 Nats.