Washington Nationals Dave Martinez Is A Good Manager

The Stalwarts

Adam Eaton plays everyday in right field. He bats second. End of story.

The closest the Nats come to a platoon in right is calling Eaton “Spanky” when he hits the other way and “Mighty Mouse” when he pulls the ball. He sits about once a month, usually against a tough lefty, but that’s less of a rule now that Gerardo Parra has taken the backup spot from Michael A. Taylor.

In center, Victor Robles sees more variance than most. When Taylor was with the club, Robles played some right field. This little bit of creativity didn’t go that well, as Robles seemed lost in right even as he found his footing in center. When Taylor was exiled to Harrisburg (where, sad to say, he belongs), Robles turned into the best defensive centerfielder in the game.

Offensively, the 22-year-old Robles bats eighth, though he’s one of the few names Martinez doesn’t write in permanent marker: leadoff 3 times, second 23 times, sixth 3 times, seventh 18 times, eighth 28 times, and ninth 24 times.

But even that much variance is misleading. He mostly hit ninth at the beginning of the year when Martinez wanted to ease him in. (That’s also partially why he bunts so friggin’ much.)

Martinez moved him up to second during the dark period when some combination of Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, and Juan Soto were on the shelf. With most of the major players healthy now, Robles mostly banks on batting in front of the pitcher.

Parra gets the nod in center when Robles needs a breather – about twice a month. It’s not a ton of rest, but hey, at least it’s something. Everybody needs a day off every now and again, right?

Wrong.

If healthy enough to play, Soto, Rendon, and Turner play. They play left, third, and short. They bat cleanup, third, and leadoff.

That’s a pretty nifty-lookin’ .394 OBP Soto’s rockin’ – might could try batting him second, you might say. No. He bats cleanup.

He’s fast as they come, but that .477 slugging suggests Turner could give it a go as a middle-of-the-order bat (.345 OBP). No. Turner bats leadoff.

Maybe Martinez has his studs in the wrong spot (Soto should absolutely bat second), but he definitely has them in their spots. I’m willing to bet this is something his player’s value.

If there is a wildcard on the Nats’ roster, it’s Parra. The 32-year-old DFA claim serves many masters: he’s the fourth outfielder, primary left-handed pinch-hitter, home run dance captain, and clubhouse spirit animal (a baby shark).

More often than not, the Nats starting lineup will read Turner-Eaton-Rendon-Soto-Adams-Dozier-Gomes-Robles. Parra, Kendrick, and Suzuki swap in here-and-there as the primary bench players. These roles are about as fixed as any top-11 in the majors.

So what the hell are they going to do with Asdrubal Cabrera?