2012 Washington Nationals Predictions
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
The Washington Nationals haven’t had a lot to get excited about since the team first moved to Washington back in 2005. However, there are a lot of people who think the Nationals are primed to become a serious contender in the NL East after finishing third in the division in 2011 with an 80-81 record. Not only is Washington expecting a full season out of their ace, Stephen Strasburg, but they went out and traded for Gio Gonzalez to give them another young and potent arm at the top of their rotation. Here is a look at the Nationals projected starting lineup, starting rotation, and closer situation.
Starting Lineup
Wilson Ramos (Catcher) – Ramos is coming off a fine rookie season, where he finished 4th in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. He hit .267 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI in just 113 games. Pretty impressive numbers for a kid who just turned 24 in August.
Adam LaRoche (First Base) – LaRoche’s first season in Washington really never got going. The veteran suffered a shoulder injury in spring training that eventually ended his season in May. The question is whether or not he is fully recovered. When healthy he has the talent to hit 25 home runs and drive in 85+ RBI.
Ian Desmond (Shortstop) – The Nationals are hoping Desmond can become the leadoff hitter they have been looking for, but as of now he provides more question marks than answers. He hit just .253 with an on-base percentage of just .298 last year. To his credit he got better as the season went on, but he still as a lot to prove.
Danny Espinosa (Second Base) - Espinosa got people excited early in his rookie season, with 16 home runs before the All-Star break. However, he didn’t exactly finish up the year on a positive note. Espinosa ended up hitting just .239 with 21 home runs.
Ryan Zimmerman (Third Base) - Zimmerman wound up playing in just 101 games because of a torn abdominal muscle, and as a result he hit just .289 with career-lows in home runs (12) and RBI (49). Zimmerman hit 58 home runs and drove in 191 runs the previous two season, which has me thinking he is going to bounce back big in 2012.
Michael Morse (Left Field) – After hitting .289 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI in 98 games in 2010, Morse exploded for 31 home runs with 95 RBI with an impressive .303 batting average. With a healthy Zimmerman hitting ahead of him there is no reason he can’t duplicate those numbers this season.
Roger Bernadina (Center Field) – Bernadina has the talent to be an everyday player, but he has struggled to put it all together. In 91 games last year he hit just .243 with seven home runs and 27 RBI. Washington also added veteran Mike Cameron as an insurance policy, but both figure to be riding the bench if the Nationals elect to bring up 19-year-old phenom Bryce Harper.
Jayson Werth (Right Field) – The Nationals are counting on Werth to bounce back after a horrible first season in Washington. Werth hit just .232 with 20 home runs and 58 RBI in 150 games last year. In his previous two seasons with Philadelphia he hit .281 with 63 home runs and 184 RBI, so there is plenty of reason to be optimistic that he can get it figured out in 2012.
Projected Rotation
Stephen Strasburg (RHP) – Strasburg missed most of last season recovering from a torn elbow ligament, but was able to make five starts at the end of the season. He went just 1-1 in those games, but had a 1.50 ERA and 0.71 WHIP. What really impressed me is the fact that he had just two walks in those five starts. I see no reason why he won’t be one of the best starters the NL has to offer.
Gio Gonzalez (LHP) - Washington traded away four players to land Gonzalez, and he was worth everyone one of them if he pitches like he has the last two seasons in Oakland. Gonzalez went 16-12 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 32 starts last year, backing up his strong 2010 season where he went 15-9 with a 3.23 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. The 26-year-old lefty has racked up 368 strike outs the last two years, and many believe his best years are still ahead of him.
Jordan Zimmerman (RHP) – With the return of Strasburg and the addition of Gonzalez, a lot of people are overlooking the 25-year-old righty. There were a lot of question marks surrounding Zimmerman in 2011, who was returning from Tommy John Surgery, but he didn’t disappoint with a 3.18 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 26 starts.
John Lannan (LHP) - Lannan bounced back from sub-par run in 2010, where he went just 8-8 with a 4.65 ERA and 1.56 WHIP, with arguably his best season as a professional. Lannan posted a career-low 3.70 ERA and set a career-high with 10 wins.
Chien-Ming Wang (RHP) – Wang finally made his Nationals debut on July 29 of last year after initially signing with Washington prior to the 2010 season. The former 19-game winner and ace of the New York Yankees went 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 11 starts last year. If he can stay healthy and pitch close to his numbers of last year, Wang has the potential to win 10+ games and really make the Nationals’ staff one of the best the NL has to offer.
Projected Closer
Drew Storen (RHP) - Storen came out of nowhere to save 43 games in his first season as the Nationals’ closer, and the expectation going forward are extremely high for the 24-year-old. Storen posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 74 strike outs in just over 75 innings of work.
| 2012 Washington Nationals Odds | |
| World Series | +3000 |
| NL Pennant | +1500 |
| NL East | +800 |
| Total Regular Season Wins | O83.5 (-110) |
| U83.5 (-120) |
Over/Under Total Home Runs in the 2012 Regular Season
Ryan Zimmerman – 22.5
Jason Werth – 22.5
Mike Morse – 29.5
Danny Espinosa – 21.5
Over/Under Total Wins in the 2012 Regular Season
Stephen Strasburg – 13
Gio Gonzalez – 14.5
Jordan Zimmerman – 12.5
MLB Predictions by Team
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