Washington Nationals: Mid-Term Report Card: The Outfield

During the All-Star Break, District on Deck will review and grade the play of each position group on the Washington Nationals roster.

The Washington Nationals lost a certain outfielder in the offseason, but the unit as a whole is humming along just fine.   Let’s review and grade each outfielders’ performance so far this season.

Juan Soto is perhaps the biggest All-Star snub in 2019.  The 20-year-old outfielder is slashing .300/.406/.537.  The only other qualified players to hit better in each category than Soto are Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger, and Christian Yelich.  GRADE: 95%, A

Since joining the Nationals, Gerardo Parra has been a merely average hitter as displayed by his 96 wRC+.  However, he’s done so much more for this team than any advanced statistic can show.  His clutch hitting is pristine, and his outgoing personality is infectious and has changed the mood in the Nationals clubhouse and dugout.  The Nats are 32-20 with Parra on the roster and 15-22 without him.  GRADE: 90%, A-

Victor Robles started the season on fire, posting a 1.078 OPS.  Since April 12th, his OPS is .714.  In his first full season in the MLB, Robles is doing just fine.  He’s going to work out the kinks and hopefully lower his 24.2 strikeout percentage.  With a healthy summer, he has a chance to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases.  He has 13 and 12, respectively.  GRADE: 80, B-

If there is one word to describe Adam Eaton, it is “steady.”  He’s not the hitter he used to be with the White Sox, but he still finds ways to get on base.  He has increased his walk rate to over 10% and is in the Top 50 in the MLB in pitches seen per plate appearance.  He no longer hits for power as his .383 slugging percentage is awful.  His defense is average, which is about where his overall grade is.  GRADE: 75%, C

This was the make-it-or-break-it season for Michael A. Taylor, and it did not work out for him.  With a career-worst 47 wRC+ and career-high 37.6 strikeout percentage, the Nats could not afford to give him more plate appearances.  At the end of June, he was optioned to Double-A Harrisburg.  GRADE: 50%, F