Washington Nationals Ultimate Simulation: Meet the New School Nats

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The top four Washington Nationals teams are all from the post-2012 era and earn the top four seeds in the Ultimate Nationals Simulation.

In our next Ultimate Nationals Simulation article, we will look back upon the “best” of the later years of the Washington Nationals and unveil the top four seeds in this tournament.

If you missed Monday’s introduction to the simulation, you can check it out below.

Related Story. Introduction to the Ultimate Nationals Simulation. light

After 2011, the Nationals blossomed into a baseball powerhouse. It all started in 2012 when the Nats won 98 games and would’ve had home-field advantage throughout the MLB playoffs.

That team had it all. Well, except for a playoff series victory. Despite Jayson Werth‘s heroics in Game 4 of the NLDS, the Nats fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in one of the most infamous moments in D.C. sports history.

The team regrouped in 2014 and, despite clinching home field yet again, were dispatched by the future World Series champion San Francisco Giants in four games. Then under new manager Dusty Baker, the Nats got back to the playoffs in 2016 with arguably their most talented roster yet.

After Wilson Ramos tore his ACL in September, hope began to falter. The Los Angeles Dodgers, or Clayton Kershaw if we’re honest, broke and shattered it in the NLDS, winning games four and five. Once again, the Nats got back to the postseason in 2017. But we don’t need to go through this ordeal again.

Despite the postseason letdowns, these four teams provided some of the best single-season performances in Nationals history. The rosters are littered with Cy Young contenders, All-Stars, and perhaps some future Hall-of-Famers.

Is one of them good enough to be ordained the best Nationals team of all-time?

2016 Washington Nationals

The 2016 Nationals are loaded. 95 wins, a Cy Young award winner, an MVP candidate, four other All-Stars, and a new manager looking for a second wind.

Leading the charge on the mound is the blue and green-eyed beast himself, Max Scherzer.

Scherzer led all 2016 Cy Young vote-getters in WAR, pitcher wins, innings pitched, and tied Madison Bumgarner for most games started. On top of that, he led the MLB in strikeouts with 284, WHIP at 0.968, and in strikeout to walk rate with an impeccable 5.07.

Daniel Murphy left the 2015 season on one of the biggest “heaters” in MLB history. After hitting a home run in six consecutive postseason games, Murphy picked up exactly where he left off.

The new Nats slugger led the league in doubles with 47, slugging percentage at .595, OPS at .985, and lost the batting title to D.J. LeMahieu by mere decimal points as the latter sat out late on to preserve his average.

Murphy made the All-Star team, won a silver slugger for second basemen, and finished second in the MVP voting to Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant.

Despite being the fourth seed in the tournament, the 2016 Nationals are a team to fear. The biggest weakness on this team is its bullpen, but with names like Mark Melancon and Felipe Vazquez holding down the fort, it’s only a minor issue.

2014 Washington Nationals

The 2014 Nationals went into the playoffs with the most momentum possible.

Jordan Zimmermann threw the first no-hitter in Nationals history in Game 162, giving them their 96th win. Zimmermann’s fellow staff mate, Tanner Roark, broke out for this team. He posted a 2.85 ERA in 198.2 IP along with a 1.09 WHIP and 131 ERA+.

However, the real star of this team is the one they call “Tony Two Bags.” Anthony Rendon broke out more substantially as he led the team in WAR at 6.6, 1.7 more wins than the second best on the team Zimmermann at 4.9.

Rendon finished fifth in the MVP voting and won the silver slugger award for third basemen. He slashed .287/.351/.473 with 21 HRs and 17 SBs. He also led the league in runs scored with 111 runs and finished with a 2.1 defensive WAR.

This Nationals team was the birth of the “grind-it-out, keep the line moving” Nationals. No player eclipsed 27 home runs, yet six players had an OPS+ above 100.

That is how this Nats team will win the competition, entering as the #3 seed. They don’t excel significantly in any area, but they are more than competent in many.

The 2014 Nationals are greater than the sum of its parts. That balanced approach will lead them to success.

2017 Washington Nationals

The 2017 Nationals were buyers. Enter Adam Eaton, Howie Kendrick, Adam Lind, Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, and Brandon Kintzler. The addition of these veteran presences was welcomed and pushed the Nationals to 97 wins.

One other veteran, however, stole the show. Stephen Strasburg posted his best season to date, finishing third in the NL Cy Young voting. He posted a league-best 2.72 FIP and a 2.52 ERA in 175.1 innings with a 1.01 WHIP and 10.5 K/9.

After his unprecedented 2015 season, Bryce Harper dipped back down in 2016. He bounced back well in 2017. Despite playing in only 111 games, Harper clubbed 29 home runs and drove in 87 runs. He led his team with a 1.008 OPS, which would have been good for fifth in the league if he qualified.

As the #2 seed in the tournament, the 2017 Nats are in a great position to advance multiple times. This team will be one of the few in the tournament led by its pitching. The top three players on the team regarding WAR are Max Scherzer, Strasburg, and Gio Gonzalez.

This team also has the best bullpen of any team in this tournament. The additions of Doolittle, Madson, and Kintzler might be enough to put this team over the top.

2012 Washington Nationals

Started from the bottom now we’re here! The Nationals won 98 games in 2012, which earns them the number one seed in our competition.

More from District on Deck

Where do we even start? How about with a guy that grew one of the best beards in Nationals history?

Adam LaRoche did it all in 2012. He won the gold glove for N.L. first baseman, the silver slugger award for first basemen, and finished 6th in the MVP voting.

He led the Nats with 33 home runs, 100 RBI, 67 walks, and with a .853 OPS. He even led the league in sacrifice flies with nine. Talk about being a well-rounded player.

Additionally, Jordan Zimmermann pitched an excellent season. He posted an ERA of 2.94 in just under 200 innings. His BB/9 of 1.98 ranked 9th in the MLB among pitchers with more than 190 innings.

As a stark contrast to the 2017 Nats, the 2012 Nats will look to hit the baseball to death. This team is chock full of powerful bats, including LaRoche, Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman, and Jayson Werth. With Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg backing up Zimmermann, then followed by Tyler Clippard and Craig Stammen in the bullpen, this is a team to be feared.

Tomorrow we will debut the quarterfinals matchups. They are as follows:

(1) 2012 Nats vs 2006 Nats (8)
(2) 2017 Nats vs 2007 Nats (7)
(3) 2014 Nats vs 2011 Nats (6)
(4) 2016 Nats vs 2005 Nats (5)

Next. Ultimate Simulation: Quarterfinals. dark

The field is set. The teams have been introduced. It’s time to start simulating some games! Check back tomorrow for the first round of games as we try to find the Washington Nationals team to rule them all.

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