I'm an unabashed fan of the Washington Nationals. Go ahead and laugh, I get it. They sucked as the Montreal Expos and they continued sucking when they moved to our nation's capital before the 2005 MLB season. But I was living in the suburb of Chevy Chase, Maryland (literally two blocks from the D.C. border) at the time, and I couldn't help but get swept up in the excitement.
The Nationals never really seemed to get it together in the coming years, even when they had the respectable hitting duo of Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn. But that all changed, at least for me, when they drafted Stephen Strasburg, the touted phenom pitcher out of San Diego State. A tall, menacing guy with a triple-digit fastball and a nasty slider, Strasburg gave hope to the Nationals franchise and its fans much in the same way LeBron gave hope to Cleveland in his early years. I was there when Strasburg pitched his major league debut, watching from a perfectly positioned seat on the first base line about 10 or so rows up and almost directly in line with the pitcher's mound as Strasburg mowed down the helpless Pittsburgh Pirates on his way to 14 strikeouts in 7 innings.
That moment, the most dominant athletic performance I'd witnessed in person, officially destroyed any notions I had had of ever dismissing the Nationals. Unfortunately, Strasburg's success was cut short following a debilitating Tommy John surgery that left him on the disabled list for almost all of the 2011 season, but that was okay because the Nationals drafted Bryce Harper, the hitting equivalant of Strasburg in terms of hype and potential.
Now, on the verge of the 2012 season, the Nationals look poised to make a run at the play-offs, having acquired star pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson. Those two now join a rotation that includes a fully rehabilitated Strasburg, the oft-injured but respectable Chien Ming Wang, and the curious Jordan Zimmerman, along with the mainstays John Lannan and Ross Detwiler. And then there's the bullpen, which includes the promising Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen, as well as the veteran Brad Lidge. Of course, the Nationals will have to find success in a division that includes the Phillies, Braves, and the newly reinvigorated Marlins, and with their lack of power hitting, they could be in for a grueling fight, especially because Bryce Harper will most likely not play until later in the season, if at all. Perhaps they could use some of their pitching depth to trade for a contact hitter who gets on base consistently, in the mold of Derek Jeter or Milton Bradley. But if everything comes together like I hope it will, if Harper gets called up and can handle the heat, if Strasburg stays healthy and consistent, and if Ryan Zimmerman can justify his nice new contract, who knows? I don't anticipate an NL East title (not yet, at least). But who's not to say the Wild Card is within reach?
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