Will Washington Nationals win it all in 2015?
It is said that ‘the grass is always greener on the other side.’
Saying that quote to the Washington Nationals franchise on the eve of the 2015 Major League Baseball season could not be more evident.
Prior to their move to Washington in 2005, the franchise played in Montreal. They changed their franchise name from the Expos to Nationals and, since implementing these changes, their future has gone from rags to riches. Fans are attending games at Nationals Park and appear to really care about baseball.
During their stay in Montreal, they could not draw flies to the stadium. They couldn’t attract major free agents to the city either. However, Washington appears to be a city where pro baseball players want to play and fans want to see success on the field.
There are three reasons why the Nationals will not only get to the World Series, but also win the whole enchilada in 2015.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Reason No. 1 is the depth of starting pitching led by free agent signee Max Scherzer. The starting pitching of the Nationals has to be considered one of the best in the National League and perhaps in all of baseball. After Scherzer, the starting five boasts Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez. Wow!
Opposing managers and batters will have fits facing Washington in a series. Scherzer won 18 games with the Detroit Tigers last season. Adding him to Washington’s already potent four starters gives you a combined 72 wins during the 2014 season. Manager Matt Williams will think it is Christmas all summer because skippers in his position lick their chops hoping to get a starting rotation as good as his.
Even if the Nats need to employ a spot starter or have one of their five face time on the DL, Tanner Roark went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA last season from within the rotation over 31 starts. Signing Scherzer wasn’t even a necessity — it was more of a luxury.
Maturity is the second reason the Nats will succeed. While other teams have lost key assets to their roster’s the Nationals have kept their core players intact. There are a good mix of youth and veterans who have faced the rigors of a season in the nation’s capital.
There’s no reason not to expect outfielder Bryce Harper as well as infielders Anthony Rendon and Ian Desmond to have phenomenal production during the season. They are the young stars of the lineup to go with veterans Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth.
The third and perhaps most favorable reason the Nats will win it all lies in them being part of a relatively weaker National League East division. The Nationals look to have luck on their side because they’re part of a division not as dangerous in comparison to the Central and the West in the NL.
There are no clear cut frontrunners in the Central and the West. Meanwhile in the East, the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are just not being considered threats for Washington. In my opinion the other four teams are all rebuilding to certain degrees, taking two steps forward and two steps backward and are not on the cusp of dethroning the Nats. Washington is not immune to some gaping holes, but those issues are not as pressing as the holes on the other four teams.
The 25-man roster in the U.S. capital should hold their heads high because they can potentially be part of a future dynasty. They will win the World Series in 2015 by my estimation. Even if they do not win a championship, through it all they have proven that they indeed have a great mix of youth and veterans and are ready for a push to envious future statuses.