Nationals: 3 early-season takes that look really stupid right now
Another series loss, this time at the hands to the lowly Miami Marlins. A Marlins team who is one of only three teams in the National League who have fewer wins than the Washington Nationals. Sitting with a record 54-72, the only thing to look forward to this season is what draft position the Nats will end up with.
There was a time (okay, before the first game of the season was played) when baseball life looked good in Washington. Fresh faces in the batting order. A clean bill of health for some pitchers. Even after a slow start and a plague of injuries, the Nationals put together a 19-9 month of June and sat just two games back of first place entering July.
The Nationals have won 14 games since.
Time to turn back the clock and shine the light on some takes we had at the beginning of the year, because there were a few outlandish predictions on our part. Hey, if you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?
3 early season takes that look completely foolish now.
3. “Multiple Nationals pitchers will earn Cy Young votes.”
Backed by statistics, definitely. Wishful thinking, probably. Did we come close? Not even. The 2020 season was the first since 2011 a Nationals pitcher didn’t earn a Cy Young vote. We had high hopes the Nats weren’t going to make it back to back years without votes. We were wrong.
Max Scherzer will indeed get a vote or two, though it will be mainly because of how his numbers have been boosted since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 8-4, 2.76 ERA, he put up with the Nationals isn’t bad, but his 4-0, 1.55 ERA, while wearing Dodger Blue is exceptional. He continues to pile up the strikeout numbers as well.
We knew health was going to be an issue, and Stephen Strasburg was unable to keep off the Injured List. He made just five starts all season. Patrick Corbin had an outside chance, though his 2021 has been horrendous. He currently leads the league in losses, earned runs allowed, and long balls given up.
Erick Fedde is your staff ace and his numbers will leave him off all Cy Young ballots, and rightfully so.