Washington Nationals: Four x-factor players for the Nats in 2019

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The Washington Nationals had a disappointing 2018 season. There are some key x-factor players that the Nationals need to play well for a better 2019 season.

Obviously, players like Max Scherzer, Anthony Rendon, and Juan Soto need to play well if the Washington Nationals are to have success in 2019. But there are some other key players that need to have good years to help the Nats improve over their 2018 disappointment.

In past seasons, players like Tanner Roark, Ryan Zimmerman, and many others have been the x-factors to the Nationals having incredible seasons. Last year, Soto was the biggest x-factor player for the team.

The Nationals had a poor 2018 season. With many key players returning, the 2019 season has the potential to be a great season for the Nats, but just as with any other team, it isn’t just the stars that need to perform well to win.

The Nationals have multiple x-factor players who will help decide the story of the 2019 season. In 2018, the team in general struggled. While Max Scherzer had a great season and so did Juan Soto, other players had underwhelming years which led to a let-down.

This team has shown they can be one of the best in the majors when they are playing well. Hopefully, 2019 can be a return to the top of the division and can lead the Nationals to a deep run in October.

In this article, we’ll take a look at four players that could play a huge role in helping the Nationals return to the postseason in 2019. They could be the difference between a repeat of 2018 or a deep postseason run.

Stephen Strasburg

Stephen Strasburg is one of the biggest factors to a successful 2019 campaign. If he can remain healthy, he can give the Washington Nationals another ace at the top of the rotation. Obviously, health is the biggest issue as he spends time on the DL quite often.

When Strasburg is healthy, he can be one of the best starters in baseball. In 2017, Strasburg stayed relatively healthy, and he was able to translate that into finishing third in Cy Young voting. A return to that kind of form could take the Nationals to the next level.

With Strasburg at his best, the Nationals become legitimate contenders in the NL. He showed that he can pitch well in the postseason too when he shut down the Cubs in the 2017 NLDS. The right-hander is the player the Nats need to take them from good to great.

Imagine how dominant the Nationals can be if Scherzer, Strasburg, and new addition Patrick Corbin have great seasons. You could argue they would be the best starter trio in the majors.

The starting rotation didn’t have their best year last year. They combined for an ERA of 4.03 in 2018 compared to an ERA of 3.63 the previous season. They also combined to post a record of 55-53 in 2018 compared to 72-47 in 2017.

The Nationals have all they need for a successful 2019, and Stephen Strasburg may be the biggest factor in how successful this season is. If he is dominant and stays healthy, the Nationals could be favorites to reclaim the division title.

Victor Robles

Since Bryce Harper hasn’t signed with anyone yet, the Washington Nationals projected outfield for 2019 will be Juan Soto, Victor Robles, and Adam Eaton. While all three of these players could be on this list, Robles might be the most important.

Assuming Soto can somewhat repeat what he did last year, he becomes an important bat in the middle of the Nationals lineup. Eaton will need to stay healthy to be effective, but he will be a solid piece in the lineup. The wild card is Robles.

In a limited sample size of 21 games last season, Robles flashed his amazing potential. He showed off his glove, speed, and ability to hit for average.

He’ll give the Nats another speedy player on the bases. With him and Trea Turner, the Nationals could finish the 2019 season with two 40+ steal players. This will hopefully open up the Nats offense and can lead to more runs.

Robles can give the team a dependable CF who can field and hit at a high standard. Last season, the two primary players in centerfield were only good at one and not the other.

Michael Taylor brought the Nationals Gold Glove level defense in center, but his bat was abysmal. Bryce Harper was the exact opposite. Having Robles will be great if Harper returns because it will allow Harper to go back to a corner outfield position where his defense won’t hurt the Nationals as much.

Robles is going to be an important piece for the Nationals. He can be someone who will make this offense incredible. The outfielder is set to play a major role for the Nationals in 2019, and he can help the team forget 2018 with a great 2019.

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Matt Adams

With Matt Adams returning, the Washington Nationals have both Adams and Ryan Zimmerman ready to cover first base for 2019. Whoever mans first is going to be a key bat in the lineup that can help get the Nats over the hump, but Adams could have more of an impact than Zimmerman.

The former St. Louis Cardinal gave the Nats a solid first baseman before he was traded. Zimmerman struggled prior to the All-Star break, and Adams helped to fill the hole he left. After Adams left, Zimmerman found his way at the plate again, but Adams could play a key role for the 2019 season.

The Nats could use a platoon at first with Zimmerman and Adams for 2019. Adams will be pivotal to the Nationals success since he will be in the lineup against right-handers. If he can provide another solid bat in the lineup, he could force pitchers to face the batters ahead of him.

Assuming Harper doesn’t come back, Adams would become even more important. He would need to drive in runs and help make up for the production Harper brought.

With the addition of Brian Dozier, the Nationals will have plenty of power in the middle of the lineup. But Dozier struggled to hit for average last year, while Adams hit for .257 with the Nationals last year. Matt Adams should have lots of opportunities to drive in runs, and hopefully, he can do just that.

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Matt Grace

There are lots of guys in the Washington Nationals bullpen that could be on this list, but Matt Grace may be the biggest x-factor of them all. Grace is the only truly reliable lefty reliever other than closer Sean Doolittle.

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As we saw in the postseason, having a shutdown lefty reliever can give a team a great advantage. Grace had a sneaky good year in 2018 posting a 2.87 ERA over 59.2 IP with 48 Ks. Those numbers should give the Nationals confidence to use him extensively for 2019.

The Milwaukee Brewers showed how valuable a shutdown lefty can be. If Grace can play a similar role for the Nationals that Hader plays for the Brewers, the Nats can feel better when they pull their starter. Grace may not provide the strikeout numbers that Hader will, but he does have a great ability to limit runs.

If Matt Grace can be a reliable option, it will give Dave Martinez flexibility in the bullpen to draw favorable matchups late in games. With the addition of some veteran right-handers, Grace is really the key to a great bullpen for the Nationals in 2019.

The Nationals are projected to have three lefties in the bullpen with one being closer Sean Doolittle. That leaves Matt Grace and Sammy Solis. Solis struggled in 2018. He posted an ERA of 6.41 over 39.1 IP. This leaves Grace as the only reliable left-hander for mid-late game situations.

Next. Looking ahead at the Nats' 2019/20 FAs. dark

If the Washington Nationals can get big contributions from the players mentioned above, they have an excellent chance to rebound in 2019.

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