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

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.

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