Washington Nationals

Washinton may have finished in fifth place in the NL East but their 81-81 record was respectable and for a while they looked liked snapping Atlanta's streak.

Pitching

For the umpteenth time Livan Hernandez lead MLB in innings pitched and that was whilst carrying a few niggling injuries down the stretch. He is a workhorse and an under-rated ace and should continue to be the bedrock for the whole pitching staff.

John Patterson showed glimpses of being an emerging star last year and was a huge reason why the Nationals stayed atop the East for much of the early part of last season. If it was a case that he ran out of gas rather than the league catching up to him he should be able to build on that performance.

The back end of Washington’s rotation will likely be comprised of Tony Armas, Ramon Ortiz who are all pitchers who have never fully fulfilled their promise. Brian Lawrence would have been a big part until he tore his labrum in ST and is now out till August but even he took a backward step in his development last year while pitching in the friendly confines of Petco Park so who knows what he‘ll be like when he returns?

The Nationals bullpen was solid last year and much of that was down to the emergence of Chad Cordero as one of the NL’s elite closers. He doesn’t have the most electrifying stuff but uses great control and savvy to shut down opponents and is practically automatic.

Defence

Brian Schneider has lived in relative obscurity playing for the Expos/Nationals but he is slowly emerging as one of the better catchers in the NL. His mechanics might not be the smoothest but he has a strong arm and keeps runners honest. When Schneider’s not behind the plate Robert Fick can deputise and he’s a good defender, at worst, at several positions.

The left side of the infield will be a strength for Washington. Cristian Guzman is a rangy shortstop, especially on artificial turf, with a strong arm and at third Ryan Zimmerman will start winning Gold Gloves every year once Scott Rolen is out the way. On the right side Jose Vidro might not be the most mobile (well he really isn’t mobile at all) but he makes the plays on the balls he gets to and while Nick Johnson might have lapses in concentration he is a decent first baseman when his brain is in gear.

It’s a wonder that Jose Guillen is not a bigger name, he has a cannon for an arm and could easily play centre if Marlon Byrd isn’t hitting or if they want to move Ryan Church to right. No matter what they will have good depth which leaves the question where does Alfonso Soriano play? The obvious choice would be left where he has never played before but he is athletic enough to play and with his speed he should outrun any bad reads he might make whilst adapting to his new role.

There is impressive depth with Damian Jackson, Royce Clayton and Michael Tucker all capable of playing multiple positions to a high standard.

Offence

When on, Guzman is a triples machine and a good table setter but has developed a reputation for having a poor work ethic in recent years. If he wants to, Guzman can be an igniter for this offence but if he can’t do the job things become less clear with Marlon Byrd the only other real option but he was chased out of Phillie because he couldn’t do the job there.

Jose Vidro has spent a lot of time on the DL the last two years and questions are starting to arise as to whether or not he’s still the hitter he was a few years back when he was an All Star. The addition of Soriano will add to the pressure for Vidro to perform. He may not be the most disciplined hitter but Soriano will still rack up offensive numbers and is usually a good bet for a 30-30 season.

Ryan Church has a classic swing which should see him up his power numbers from last year. If he can’t provide a boost offensively then Washington will need Larry Broadway to emerge and replace Johnson at first. Johnson posted respectable RBI numbers last year but he is short of the power you’d expect from a first baseman.

Rookie Watch

Ryan Zimmerman cracked the Major League roster less than a year after being drafted and given his age (21 at the start of the season) he can still improve. He’s already a Gold Glove calibre fielder and the club have tried him at shortstop but third is his natural position.

At the plate he has a very advanced approach to hitting for someone his age with good discipline and pitch recognition and as he gets older, more experienced and stronger he should post very good offensive numbers. He is the complete package and a good bet for Rookie of the Year honours.

Larry Broadway should be given a good look at first during Spring Training. He plays a solid first base and has decent enough power to bat in the middle of the line-up and with a team that lacks a bonafide slugger and is carrying a first baseman who does well to hit 20 long balls a year, at age 25 the time is now for Broadway to make his claim to a big league job.

Management

Frank Robinson’s managerial career seems to have gone like his playing career; he does a great job but somehow seems to be overlooked. Signed up by MLB to manage the Expos whilst they asset stripped the organisation and in all that chaos he still managed to keep them respectable. Now with a team that is far more stable (not hard) than it was he still manages to make this team a tough one to face even with all the injuries and a lack of any real superstars. When will people start giving him credit?

The front office is headed by Jim Bowden who built a pennant winning team in Cincinnati when he had serious money to spend but as soon as the money stopped being made available the team went on a steady decline into mediocrity. He has earned the nickname ‘Trader Jim’ and is prone to making plenty of moves which is maybe not the best thing for a team looking to gain some stability.

Outlook

The pieces are here for a potential playoff push but young players need to come through and someone needs to stand up behind Hernandez in the rotation. Robinson should be able to get the youngsters going but how much patience will Bowden have if things don’t go right?