Washington Nationals - The Trump Decade (2010-2019)

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2010

Decade

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Titles:

Top Nationals Players of the Twenty Teens

2012 - Won Division, Lost NLDS (STL)

2014 - Won Division, Lost NLDS (SF)

Pitchers:

2016 - Won Division, Lost NLDS (LA)

Stephen Strasburg (32.46) - 67

2017 - Won Division, Lost NLDS (Cubs)

Max Scherzer (34.75) - 58

2019 - Won WC (Milwaukee), Won NLDS (LA), Won NLCS (STL), Won WS (Houston)

Gio Gonzalez (21.34) - 54

Jordan Zimmerman (18.97) - 42

Ballpark:

Tanner Roark (17.22) - 36

Nationals Park

Drew Storen (5.29) - 26

Tyler Clippard (8.64) - 20

Team Name:

Sean Doolittle (4.45) - 18

Nationals

Rafael Soriano (1.68) - 17

Livan Hernandez (2.89) - 14

Owner:

John Lannan (1.09) - 13

Ted Lerner

Sean Burnett (4.55) - 12

Doug Fister (4.5) - 10

General Managers:

Patrick Corbin (5.59) - 9

Mike Rizzo (2010 - 2019)

Anibal Sanchez (3.71) - 6

Jeremy Hellickson (1.68) - 2

Managers:

Jim Riggelman (2010-2011)

Catchers:

Davey Johnson (2012-2013)

Wilson Ramos (10.44) - 34

Matt Williams (2014-2015)

Matt Wieters (0.03) - 6

Dusty Baker (2016-2017)

Dave Martinez (2018-2019)

First Basemen:

Ryan Zimmerman (20.02) - 48

Hall of Famers:

Adam LaRoche (7.02) - 25

None

Second Basemen:

Rookie of the Year:

Daniel Murphy (6.55) - 18

Bryce Harper (2012)

Howie Kendrick (2.43) - 8

Wilmer Difo (0.98) - 5

MVP

Bryce Harper (2015)

ShortStop:

Ian Desmond (15.34) - 55

No Hitters:

Trea Turner (13.73) - 48

Jordan Zimmerman (2014)

Danny Espinosa (9.02) - 25

Max Scherzer (2015)

Third Base:

Anthony Rendon (27.5) - 60

Cy Young:

Max Scherzer (2016)

Outfield:

Max Scherzer (2017)

Bryce Harper (27.42) - 67

Jayson Werth (8.83) - 41

Notable Events:

Denard Span (7.02) - 27

Michael Taylor (2.78) - 23

2010 - The bad news - the Nationals move into the decade coming off

Mike Morse (5.2) - 18

back to back one hundred plus loss seasons in 2008 and 2009.

Juan Soto (7.51) - 17

The good news, they got the overall number one pick in the draft in

Victor Robles (4.58) - 11

both 2009 and 2010 as a result of their misfortune.

Adam Eaton (2.97) - 10

Positives moving forward:

□ Owner Ted Lerner looks like he's willing to open up his wallet when

Notable Events:

necessary to help the club advance.

□ Mike Rizzo looks like he's a GM who knows what he's doing.

2015 - Once again, the offense remains pretty much where it's been the

The only thing is that they may be a bit quick on the trigger in unloading

previous several seasons, but it is the pitching that is roller coastering.

their field managers.

The Nats give back the 71 runs they picked up in 2014 and then some,

The Nationals' pattern for the decade will be to win the division, drop back,

dropping them to 83-79 and second place. With all of this talent on hand,

then win the division again while not winning any playoff series.

the feeling is that Washington should be dominating, not mediocre.

Each time Washington drops back a bit after a division title,

The Big Four (Scherzer, Zimmerman, Strasburg and Gonzalez) all pitch OK

the manager gets fired.

and win in double figures, but you keep thinking that these guys should be

You probably want to have managers stick longer than two years

lights out and, other than Scherzer, who pitches two no hitters along the way,

to get better continuity throughout the organization.

they're not. Pfister, the number five guy's, arm goes bad and he drops to 5-7,

but you can't blame the swoon on a fifth starter.

2010 - The keepers on the roster moving forward:

One reason that the starters' numbers look so ordinary is that the bullpen

□ C - Wilson Ramos, 22, obtained in trade with Twins for Matt Capps in 2010

is the real culprit here. Soriano leaves for the Cubs in free agency, but as it

□ SS - Ian Desmond, 24, 2004 3rd round pick, debuted in 2009

turns out, his career is over, anyway.

□ SS - Danny Espinoza, 23, 3rd round pick in 2008 draft

Clippard is dealt to Tampa for talented SS Yunel Escobar.

□ 3B - Ryan Zimmerman, 25, 4th overall pick in 2005, debuted in 2005

Altho' Escobar can play, they needed Clippard out of the pen a lot more.

□ OF - Mike Morse, 28, obtained in trade with Seattle in 2009

With the way handling of pitchers has changed in major league baseball

□ RHP - Stephen Strasburg, 21, first overall pick in 2009 draft

as time has gone on in the twenty first century, while a good starting rotation

□ RHP - Drew Storen, 22, 10th overall pick in 2008 draft

is critical, if you don't have a good bullpen, it means nothing.

□ RHP - John Lannan, 25, 11th round pick in 2005 draft

If your starters are only allowed to go six innings, you better have a bunch

□ Closer - Tyler Clippard, 25, obtained in trade with Yankees in 2008

of guys who can take care of the last three.

□ RHP - Jordan Zimmerman, 24, 2nd round pick in 2007 draft

You have to think that the Nats figured that Drew Storen and Tyler

□ 2011 - 1B Adam LaRoche, 31, FA signed from Arizona

Roark would kick some serious booty out of the pen based on their 2014

□ 2011 - OF Jayson Werth, 31, FA signed from the Phillies

performances. The Nats gambled and lost on this one.

Roark was just plain bad in 2015. Storen, meanwhile, saved 29 of his 31 save

2012- OF Bryce Harper, 19, is Rookie of the Year,

opportunities up to the trading deadline, altho' his supporting numbers were non

he was the 1st overall pick in the 2010 draft

closer-like. The Nats decided they needed someone better and picked up

Jonathan Papelbon from the Phillies at the trade deadline.

2012 - In a blockbuster deal, the Nats obtain ace twenty six year old

It didn't help, the pen, as a group, was not good and sabotaged what

lefthander Gio Gonzalez, 26, from the A's for four prospects.

was an outstanding starting rotation.

This trade is a steal for Washington as none of the four players

given up is anywhere near Gonzalez. Lefty Tommy Milone

2016 - Another new manager as Matt Williams gets the axe, Dusty Baker

a tenth round pick in the 2008 draft was the best player given up.

is now on the hot seat. At this point, they would have been better off

Catcher Derek Norris, a fourth round pick in the 2007 was next.

getting a manager who could also close games in his spare time.

2012 - It all comes together for Washington. They win the Division going

2016 - Speedy OF Ben Revere, 28, is picked up from Toronto for Drew Storen

98-64 only to lose to the overachieving Cards in the LDS.

This was no fluke, the Nats are loaded. Five starters with double figures

2016 - 2B Daniel Murphy, 31, FA signed from the Mets

in wins led by newly acquired Gonzalez's 21.

Seven players in double figures in home runs including nineteen year old

2016 - The love affair with Papelbon ends. The Nats pick up shut-down

Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper's 22. On top of everything else, this

closer Mark Melancon, 31, yet another ex-Yankee, from the Pirates in

team is young with only a sprinkling of thirty year olds.

a trade deadline deal for live armed lefty Felipe Rivero, 23.

A big controversy was Washington's shutting down Stephen Strasburg

Melancon carries Washington to the finish line.

down the stretch to limit his innings to prevent injury.

This seemed to be a bad idea to just about everybody at the time,

2016 - This time it's the hitting that lifts the Nationals to the Division title.

but maybe Washington management was right as Strasburg is still going

Six players top twenty homers and two more are in double figures.

strong at the end of the decade.

It's a circular lineup. Despite Bryce Harper having an off year (for him)

and Ryan Zimmerman in decline, newly acquired Daniel Murphy comes

2013 - RHP Tanner Roark, 26, is a rookie going 7-1 1.51.

out of nowhere and goes 25-104-.347 and second year man Trea Turner

He was obtained three years earlier in a trade with Texas.

forces his way into the lineup going 13-40-.342 in only half a season's worth

of at bats. His contribution wasn't expected, at least not this soon.

2013 - 3B Anthony Rendon, 23, is a rookie.

Meanwhile Scherzer goes 20-7, Roark bounces back to 16-10 and

He was the 6th overall pick in the 2011 draft

Strasburg goes 15-4. Of course, the Nats lose their Division playoff series,

this time to LA. Dusty Baker's job is safe, for now.

2013 - Former first round pick RHP Alex Meyer, 23, 23rd overall in 2011 draft,

is dealt to the Twins in exchange for speedy centerfielder Denard Span, 29.

2017 - Wahington is a juggernaut. This is the fourth season out of the

This deal is a "steal" for the Nats as Meyer is a flop with Minnesota.

past six where they win in the upper nineties and take the Division.

Unfortunately, their post season failures continue, as well, as

2013 - Washington unexpectedly drops twelve games in the standings

they are now four for four in losing in the NLDS.

and finishes second to the Braves. Both the hitting and pitching get

significantly worse, moreso with the hitting.

2018 - Another new manager, Dave Martinez. He's the franchise's seventh

On offense, everyone just seemed to drop off a notch, no glaring falling off cliffs.

manager in the fourteen years that they've been in Washington.

On the mound, the same thing. Gonzalez dropped from 21 to 11 wins,

Maybe one of their problems in the post season isn't their managers, but,

but didn't pitch badly.

lnstead, the lack of continuity in the franchise from continually changing

Strasburg went from 15 wins down to eight, but his ERA improved significantly.

managers. For players, changing your leaders almost as often as you

Jordan Zimmerman took up a lot of their slack going from 12 wins to 19.

change your underwear, can't be a good thing.

The bullpen was actually better as Rafael Soriano, 33, was picked up as a

free agent from the Yankees and pitched well while the 2012 closer, another

2018 - Nineteen year old stud OF Juan Soto is a rookie.

ex-Yankee bullpenner, Tyler Clippard moved seamlessly into a setup role.

He was signed as an IFA in 2015

Anyway, the Nats just didn't seem to have the same swagger they had in 2012

and manager Davey Johnson got the axe as a result.

2018 - The Nats drop fifteen games in the standings to a mediocre 82-80

and never contend. A silver lining is that their runs differential would predict

2014 - Righthander Doug Pfister, 30, is picked up from the Tigers for three

a 90-72 mark which indicates that the decline isn't quite as steep and that

non prospects. Unclear what Detroit was thinking, Pfister could pitch.

the basic ingredients of a quality ballclub are still there. When you have a

runs to record disparity such as this, the first place to look is the bullpen.

2014 - Matt Williams is the new manager, it's hard to say how much, if any,

If the pen is faltering, you're losing a disproportionate amount of the close ones.

affect he has on Washington's improved performance.

The Nats gain back ten games in the standings and win the Division.

2018 - Stud lefty Gio Gonzalez, 32, is dealt away to Milwaukee at the trade

The offense stays pretty much on course, but Washington gives up 71 less

deadline in his FA walk year.

runs than 2013 - that's significant.

The acquistion of Pfister was huge, he was the Nats' best pitcher.

2018 - 2B Daniel Murphy, 33, is dealt to the Cubs at the trade deadline in

Also, Tanner Roark, who was terrific out of the pen in 2013, was moved

his FA walk year.

into the starting rotation and won 15.

Strasburg, Zimmerman and Gonzalez also pitched well altho' Gio pitched

2019 - OF Bryce Harper, 25, leaves for Philadelphia as a free agent.

a bit below his norms.

His departure is thought to be a big blow for the Nats.

Soriano, Clippard, and former first round pick Drew Storen were a

formidable threesome out of the bullpen. The Nats are still unable to win

2019 - Solid Lefty starter Patrick Corbin, 29, is signed as a FA from Arizona.

a playoff series, however, as a hot Giants team beats them in the NLDS

2019 - Solid Righty starter Anibal Sanchez, 35, is signed as a FA from Atlanta.

2015 - In a complex three team deal involving San Diego and Tampa,

the Nats obtain 2B Trea Turner, 22 for not much. This was a steal.

2019 - Speedy CF Victor Robles, 22, is a rookie. He was an IFA in 2013.

Turner was the 13th overall pick in the 2014 draft.

2019 - Despite the losses of some valuable veterans, Washington gains

2015 - Righty Max Scherzer, 30, is signed as a free agent from Detroit

eleven games in the standings and easily makes it in as a wild card.

for a huge contract. If you ever had any doubt about whether the Nats were

Their runs differential is only a bit better than 2018, but they win more

serious about winning it all, doubt no more.

close ones depite a still shaky bullpen. Washington has a circular lineup

Scherzer is simply one of the best pitchers in the game and combining him

with ten players in double figures in home runs, led by twenty year old

in a rotation with Gio Gonalez and Stephen Strasburg almost seems unfair.

Soto and twenty eight year old Rendon who both have 34. The starting

As long as these three are healthy, this club will contend.

rotation is deep with newcomers Corbin and Sanchez supplementing

Scherzer was picked up for the sole purpose of getting the Nats

incumbent aces Scherzer and Strasburg.

to the next level - a World Series title. As it turns out, in 2015, he couldn't

even get them back to their previous level.

2019 - Washington wins the World Series. Interestingly, when they had been

favorites coming into the post season after winning their division, the Nats

could not win a playoff series in four previous attempts this decade. However,

when they snuck in as a wild card and the pressure was off, Washington

went on to win all four post season series and the title. Go figure.