Despite winning the NL East three out of the past five seasons, the Nationals haven’t made it past the NLDS in any of their playoff appearances. With the 2017 season on the horizon, let’s take a look at how Washington shapes up.
After failing to make the postseason in 2015 and watching the division rival New York Mets make it to the World Series, the Washington Nationals bounced back in 2016 and took the NL East crown. An impressive feat after a down year from Bryce Harper and an injury-plagued second half for Stephen Strasburg.
Newly acquired Daniel Murphy, sensational rookie Trea Turner and Max Scherzer carried the Nationals into the playoffs for the third time in five seasons. With the second-best record in the NL, they faced off against the NL West-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.
In a hard fought series, the Dodgers proved victorious despite their 2-1 series deficit. The Nationals needed just one win in Game 4 or Game 5 to advance to the NLCS. They failed to win either game. Game 5 resulted in a nightmarish seventh inning collapse where four pitchers combined to give up four runs. Clayton Kershaw earned his first career save in Game 5 and the Nationals walked away with another disappointing NLDS loss.
The Nationals now look toward the 2017 season as a chance for a deep playoff run. With one of the strongest rosters in baseball, the Nationals looked poised for championship contention. Here’s what they need in 2017.
A Better Season from Harper
After winning his first MVP award in 2015, Harper seemed ready for another MVP campaign in 2016 with a great April. The following months turned into a nightmare for Harper. He struggled and finished with a .243/.373/.441 slash line, 24 home runs, 86 RBI and 84 runs.
For a typical player, those numbers don’t seem bad at all. For Harper, those numbers are not what the Nationals expect from an MVP-caliber player. In 2015, Harper hit 42 home runs, drove in 99 runs, scored 118 times and owned a slash line of .330/.460/.649.
Compare the two seasons and clearly 2016 was a down season for Harper. With the Mets’ pitching staff healthy and ready for 2017, the Nationals need Harper to return to MVP form if they want to defend their NL East title.
A Healthy Season for Strasburg
With his past two seasons revolving around injuries, Strasburg needs his health in 2017. Last season, Strasburg suffered an elbow injury and missed most of September and the NLDS.
Throughout Strasburg’s career, he’s dealt with injuries including Tommy John surgery. 2016 started off well for the right-hander, but the Nationals need a full season of success from him in 2017. When Strasburg is healthy, the Nationals possess one of the best rotations in baseball.
With the 2017 regular season just two and a half weeks away, let’s take a look at the Nationals’ offseason additions, the players they lost, along with a team projection and some predictions.