Washington Nationals: Trea Turner, Victor Robles give D.C. a faster future
Between Trea Turner and top prospect Victor Robles, the Washington Nationals are building a swift team.
Within the next year, the Washington Nationals may have a rare luxury. Assuming Trea Turner doesn’t lose the starting shortstop gig and Victor Robles is MLB-ready for 2019, the Nationals will employ two speedy players.
Stolen bases are a lost art. Only a handful of players will swipe 30 in a season. Turner is a player who should easily reach 50 in a healthy season. If projects are right, Robles is good for at least 30 and possibly more.
Through parts of three big league seasons, Turner has an average of 66 stolen bases per 162 games. In his 98 games played last year, he stole 46. Amazingly, this was still good enough for third in the league.
Robles is fast, but may not possess the stolen base qualities Turner does. His season-best is 37, accomplished in 2016 during the 110 games he played. Translate this to a full big league season, and it’s not likely to equal 40.
However, it’s still unclear just how high Robles’ ceiling goes. As one of the top prospects in baseball, there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll even develop into a fantastic Big League player.
More Speed for the Washington Nationals
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Turner and Robles aren’t the only two Washington Nationals with wheels. Adam Eaton is good for about 15-20 when healthy. Combine this with a projected 50 for Turner and another 30 from Robles; this trio can challenge for 100 stolen bases in a season. Considering the Nationals had 108 total in 2017, this is a huge jump.
More speed could come from Wilmer Difo if he ends up as the team’s starting second baseman in 2019. Daniel Murphy’s contract is set to expire after the upcoming campaign, leading some to believe Difo could replace him. While it’s certainly a step down on offense, Difo is far more affordable. He’s also faster and would steal about the same number of bases as Eaton in a starting role.
Although I see the Nationals trading Michael Taylor, he too can add to the stolen base total. Despite not living up to expectations, Taylor has consistently stolen bases. The average of 22 per 162 games played speaks for itself.
Speed is a dangerous yet overlooked weapon. It’s one a team can use against their opponent. Often overlooked, it can help teams through slumps and distract the pitcher.
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Baseball is often described as a chess match. The roster the Washington Nationals have made it much less gentlemanly. Just ask Jake Arrieta and Miguel Montero about what they experienced last year.