Washington Nationals: Top three disappointments of the early season
We are two weeks into the season now and as the Washington Nationals sit in the middle of the NL East, time to reflect on what has gone wrong thus far.
The Washington Nationals were set to defend their World Series title, shortened season or not. In the offseason, they brought back a lot of the pieces who contributed to the historic playoff run a year ago and even added a couple of fresh faces as well.
Even though Anthony Rendon skipped town for greener grasses along the West Coast, the three-headed pitching monster featuring Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin were primed to lock down hitters as they did in the 2019 postseason.
More from Washington Nationals
- MLB trade deadline: Nationals and Mets for sale, plus wish lists for Phillies, Braves, Marlins
- MLB trade talk: 5 contending teams who should trade for Nationals 3B Jeimer Candelario
- Mike Rizzo and the Washington Nationals front office: A mid-season grade
- Washington Nationals: Jeimer Candelario is having a resurgent season
- Braves, Nationals, Mets, Marlins, Phillies: The good, bad and injured in the NL East
Through the first week and a half of the season, the team sits at a game under .500 and in the middle of the pack in the National League East (Marlins and Phillies have played half as many games).
The Nationals are coming off a four-day break because the Marlins were on the schedule and baseball has been shut down in that part of Florida, and a fourth because of a scheduled off day.
Time to look at what has gone wrong in the early going for the Washington Nationals.
The Washington Nationals defense has been completely atrocious.
A year ago manager Davey Martinez stressed fundamentals were how the team was going to distance themselves from the rest of the pack. Well, this year the team has distanced themselves, though in the wrong way.
The Nationals have the worst fielding percentage in the National League and have committed the second-highest total of errors. Only the San Francisco Giants (who have played three more games) have committed more errors.
Starlin Castro leads the charge with three errors, in only thirty-six chances. Trea Turner has committed two errors on the year (ironically both came on the same play).
Not only are the middle infielders booting the ball, but they also are not turning double plays either. Giving extra outs as well as failing to erase base runners two at a time, is a disheartening combination.
Pitchers have contributed two errors to the mix as well.
Could the abbreviated spring training or shorted “summer camp” schedule have taken time away from fielding practice? Regardless of the time devoted, these are professionals who have been involved in thousands of these types of plays. They need to be made.
If the team wants to go anywhere this year, they need to clean up the mistakes.
If the Washington Nationals are to repeat, Kendrick and Thames need to wake up!
Howie Kendrick was the hero of the postseason last year for the Washington Nationals. He hit the grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers to knock them out of the playoffs. He won the NLCS Most Valuable Players by knocking around St. Louis Cardinals pitching for four games. He hit the go-ahead two-run, foul pole ringing, home run in Game 7 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.
Kendrick spurned other offers in free agency, to return to the District of Columbia for the title defense. His value even heightened after it was learned National League teams would adopt a designated hitter for the shortened season.
Eric Thames was the prized “new” acquisition of the Nationals in free agency this offseason. After his time playing abroad and three years with the Milwaukee Brewers, Thames had earned a reputation as a home run hitter.
Paired with Kendrick, the Nationals were going to have a lethal one/two punch at DH.
The punches haven’t been thrown yet.
The two have combined to hit .188 with two extra-base hits and two runs batted in. This duo has been counted on to provide clutch hits, yet neither one of them has a hit with two outs and runners in scoring position.
Washington Nationals injuries and COVID-positive tests could be responsible for the slow start.
In the Washington Nationals four losses this year, they have a combined five runs. Something tells me if Juan Soto was plugged into the lineup that number would be a little higher, which may even lead to another win or two.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Soto was the first Nationals player to test positive for COVID-19 once the season began and has not appeared in one of the team’s seven games thus far. He has recently been cleared to return to the field and not a moment too soon. His bat is needed in a lineup that only has one player with multiple home runs on the season.
While Stephen Strasburg has not landed on the injured list, he has still not made his season debut. The 2019 World Series Most Valuable Player, owner of a brand new 7 YR/$245M contract, has been sidelined with a nerve issue in his hand. To date, he has missed two starts and potentially two opportunities for the Nationals to walk away winners.
Wander Suero may not sound like a vital piece to the puzzle, though he is. He led all Nationals relievers in appearances last season and struck out more hitters than innings pitched. There is no injury listed for Suero and there is also no timetable for his return.
Some could point fingers to the injury bug for why Will Harris has floundered thus far. Harris has given up three runs in an inning and a third and has landed himself on the shelf for at least ten days.
Next. Shohei Ohtani injury news is a potential huge blow. dark
Thankfully for the Nationals, their season is only seven games old. Unfortunately, there isn’t much time in this shortened season to get the mistakes corrected.