MVP Candidates Everywhere You Look
Third baseman Anthony Rendon came into his own at 27 last season, hitting .301/.404/.533 with 25 home runs, while the speedy 24-year old SS Trea Turner stole 46 bases while getting caught only eight times.
The other side of the diamond was even more productive. 1B Ryan Zimmerman had a renaissance season, batting .303/.358/.573 to go with 36 home runs. Those were his best numbers by far in years, however, and he is unlikely to repeat them.
Daniel Murphy, on the other hand, seems able to do whatever he wants these days.
Slashing .322/.384/.543 with 23 home runs and an NL-leading 43 doubles is both astounding and de rigueur for Mr. Murphy. And as he will only be 33 this year, the Nats have excellent reasons to expect similar if slightly declining numbers.
To all of that, they will add team spark plug/lead-off hitter CF Adam Eaton (.297/.393/.462), just back from injury. That’s enough offense for any team.
But Washington has never neglected the pitching, either: Last season, the Nationals had three of the top six pitchers in the Cy Young voting.
And they still lost in the NLDS.