Washington Nationals: Matt Wieters’ 2018 expectations versus reality

Coming off a poor 2017 campaign, a slightly slimmer Matt Wieters will look to have a much better year for the 2018 Washington Nationals. What are the expectations for him next year and what is the reality of reaching them?

When the Washington Nationals signed catcher Matt Wieters late last offseason, it was out of need. If they had not made a move, the Nationals would have opened the year with Jose Lobaton and Derek Norris behind the dish. The former struggled for most of the year as the backup while Norris had off-the-field issues aiding in his year-long slump.

Wieters ended up getting the most innings behind the plate for the Nationals. Unfortunately, there weren’t many quality games among the 123 he appeared in during 2018.

In 465 plate appearances, Wieters hit a career-worst .225/.288/.344. His defensive numbers also had a negative impact on the team. Wieters was among the worst when it came to pitch-framing, something the Nationals already knew about before signing him.

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Wieters last year. He was arguably one of the worst starting catchers in baseball who didn’t lose his job. If the Nationals had any alternatives, Wieters would have surely sat on the bench more often.

2018 Expectations

Wieters has reportedly worked hard to get in better shape for the upcoming season. At 32, it’s necessary for any athlete to put in extra work. While this may not translate into more success, it’s nice to see Wieters put in the effort.

The expectation for Wieters next year includes a much brighter 2018 season. By contrast to last year, even a below-average showing would shine brighter.

The four-time All-Star is expected to hit closer to his career .252 average. We should also hope to see him hit more than the ten home runs he did with the Nationals last year. Earlier in his career, Wieters regularly reached the 20 home run plateau. It’s doubtful he gets there again.

2018 Reality

The sad reality for Wieters is that he may very well be cooked. Catchers at his age rarely put together a career-year. Considering he has already logged nine MLB seasons and gone through Tommy John Surgery, it’s hard to fathom an All-Star year in 2018.

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Still, a rebound could happen. Something close to what he did in 2016 with the Baltimore Orioles is a reasonable high-point to aim toward. In his last season with the O’s, Wieters batted .243/.303/.409. He also hit 17 home runs in his first full season since 2013. I expect a batting line slightly slimmer than this with a few fewer home runs to go with it.

Defensively, Wieters will continue to decline further. His pair of Gold Gloves are long in the past and relics Washington Nationals fans can only dream about experiencing.

Wieters is what he is. That, unfortunately, is a guy who will bat eighth for all of 2018 and make a lot of outs at the plate.

Some Positive Spin

On the plus side, low expectations for Wieters does mean the Washington Nationals will think ahead. It’s doubtful they add a veteran like Jonathan Lucroy quite yet. Instead, we should see them allow Pedro Severino and Raudy Read an opportunity to fight it out at the MLB level.

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Catcher is a position that requires balance or an extreme on offense or defense. Wieters no can no longer do any of these. With this knowledge, the Nationals can prepare for the future before it bites them.