Washington Nationals are thankful this season has more than 60 games
The Washington Nationals are thankful this season has more than 60 games. Or are they? The news just keeps getting worse. The day’s transactions communicated that a vital part of the bullpen was headed to the injured list, and an expensive piece of the bullpen has been moved to the sixty day injured list.
With the 2021 version of the Nationals landing with a sixty game record of 26-34, the same mark they had a year ago in a shortened-season. A year ago the team won seven of their last nine games, while this Nats team has won just two of the last six.
Unfortunately, the two seasons have mimicked one another in both failed expectations and dreadful results.
Sixty games through the 2021 season the Nationals find themselves where the 2020 Nationals did.
A year ago the season began with a whimper when Juan Soto was sidelined because of COVID protocols. Same scenario, different player (several players), this year. Last year Stephen Strasburg missed a large portion of the year with injury. Same scenario this year. A year ago the starting first baseman hit .203. This year, the first baseman is different, and his average is .219. Injuries, poor hitting. inconsistency, poor hitting, questionable managing, and poor hitting. Basically sums up the year through sixty games.
As bad as the 2021 Washington Nationals have been, they are only eight games back in a division no one seems to what to run away and hide with. This would lead one to believe the Nationals could win a game or two and get right back in the thick of things. They will need to score a few runs to do so.
Expectations for the 2020 season were high, coming off a World Series title the year before. The band was back together, with a lot of familiar faces re-signed to make a run at a second consecutive playoff appearance. The results were a bunch of aging players failed to get out of the gate and limped to a last place finish.
Expectations for the 2021 season were high, with three (presumed) healthy starting pitchers and two big bats added to a lineup featuring Soto and Trea Turner. Goes without saying the Nationals have failed to meet those expectations.
Next. The Soto Shimmy. dark
The difference between the 2020 and 2021 seasons is, this year sixty games is only a third of the season while last year, it was the season. There is time to turn things around, though for the Nationals the added time will be necessary to get trade chips healthy, not win games.