Washington Nationals: Three Reasons For Optimism Despite The Slow Start
Has Washington finally started to heat up?
For the third straight year, Washington has fallen flat on its face to start the season. But despite being last in the NL East at 20-23 and 2.5 games back of the first-place Mets, the Nationals have recently started to show signs of life. After dropping three of the four to the Chicago Cubs, the Nats bounced back by sweeping the Baltimore Orioles.
Yes, the O’s are no world beaters, but Washington has to take advantage of weaker competition, and that they did. Tested early and often in the three-game series, the Nats found themselves in an early hole Saturday, down 6-1 before the offense came roaring alive. Except for Jon Lester, every member of the starting lineup recorded a hit. Unsurprisingly, Washington went on to win in a slugfest, 12-9.
One of the biggest struggles for the team this season has been falling behind. Once the Nats give up the lead, that is usually the nail in the coffin. So it was a breath of fresh air when Washington was able to come from behind and win on both Saturday and Sunday.
Despite still having a -12 run differential, the offense has finally started to look alive. Known for being dreadful with runners in scoring position (RISP), Washington was 14 for 39 in such opportunities.
Over the next three weeks, the team will be facing an uphill battle, encountering multiple divisional foes in addition to some of the top teams in the league. However, here are three reasons to believe the Nats are finally turning their season around.
The rest of the NL East has been just as bad
No one in the NL East has yet to seize the opportunity of the division’s struggles as a whole. After winning the NL East three years in a row, Atlanta has become stagnant. Ronald Acuna Jr. is playing out of his mind, but the majority of his offense is holding him back. Injuries and inconsistencies to the starting rotation haven’t helped.
Philadelphia has lost seven of their last ten and have a -15 run differential. Miami is still a few years away from being a serious threat.
New York may be in first, but they are basically running a Triple-A team due to their plethora of injuries. Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, Jacob deGrom, Michael Conforto, Noah Syndergaard, Carlos Carrasco, Brandon Nimmo, and Taijuan Walker are all on the IL. With that much talent sidelined, it is nearly impossible to stay atop the division.
Even with all of Washington’s struggles, they are only 2.5 games back of the Mets. With no one in the division taking advantage, Washington is still in the thick of it. Stephen Strasburg recently returned from the IL, while Daniel Hudson is performing at an elite level. The division’s struggles, mixed in with Washington on the verge of finally clicking bodes well for the team’s future.
Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber are finally clicking
Brought in during the off-season to provide some much-needed pop, Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber were a major reason for the team’s slow start. They both started the season on the COVID list and when they finally returned, both looked out of whack.
Their timing was thrown off and they struggled because of it. Josh Bell hit .119, with two homers, five RBIs, and an OPS of .464 in the month of April, but has hit .277, with three homers, 13 RBIs, and an OPS of .796 since the calendar flipped to May. In Friday’s game against the O’s, Bell recorded his first three-hit night as a National, driving in a run in a 3-0 win.
On the season, Kyle Schwarber is hitting .234, with eight homers, 22 RBIs, and an OPS of .798. He already has two walk-off homers on the season, but has only recently started to consistently produce. Against the O’s, Schwarber went 5-12, with one homer, four RBIs, and two walks.
Washington’s offense has excelled at getting on base, but has been dreadful with runners in scoring position. With Schwarber and Bell heating up, the middle of the Nationals lineup becomes so much more potent. Now, Juan Soto finally has protection behind him, allowing the lineup to reach its full capabilities.
Trea Turner is playing at an MVP level
The 2020 season saw Trea Turner reach superstar status after finally breaking out. In 59 games, he hit .324, with12 homers, 41 RBIs, and an OPS of .982. Unfortunately, he was snubbed for the All-MLB team at shortstop.
Instead of letting it get to him, Turner has taken the 2021 season by storm, hitting .324, with 10 homers, 25 RBIs, and an OPS of .903 through 43 games. He leads all NL shortstops (minimum 100 plate appearances) in fWAR and batting average. He’s second in OBP, SLG, wRC+, OPS, and stolen bases.
Despite injuries flaring up and players being put on the COVID list, Trea Turner has still found a way to be the most consistent bat in the lineup. Dave Martinez has continually tinkered with the lineup, having the speedster lead off one day and hit second the next. Regardless of where he was moved, he produced from every spot.
Turner’s bat has kept Washington in games and his glove has significantly improved from a year ago. Last year he had -5 DRS and a -2.9 UZR. He also posted -1 outs above average (OOA). This year, he has two DRS and a .7 UZR, while posting 0 OOA.
On the basepaths, he hasn’t been his usual base-stealing threat, not wanting to risk getting out with Soto batting behind him. Now that he has multiple ways to hurt opposing teams, Turner will single handily keep Washington in games.