Washington Nationals Ultimate Simulation: Meet the New School Nats

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 11: Jayson Werth (L) #28 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with his teammates as he jumps on home plate to score on his solo game-winning walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game Four of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park on October 11, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

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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.

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