Nationals Ready For New Season...and to Bring Home Trophy in October

     With the Nationals Opening Day game later today, it’s time to take a peek at the outlook for our local MLB franchise.

     Between the World Baseball Classic and Spring Training baseball, Nationals’ players are getting their fair share of competition early and should be ready to go right off the bat in their opening series versus the Miami Marlins just under two weeks away. The Nationals’ young pitching staff, led by right-hander Stephen Strasburg, have done well leading up to Opening Day.

     With just six spring training appearances for a cumulative 25.1 innings, Strasburg has posted 31 strikeouts and while he suffered two losses, Nationals’ fans should not be too worried. Last year, Strasburg started off with just one win and four losses during Spring Training and then went on to a 15 and 6 regular season. With the experience has gained and confidence he is gaining after his Tommy John surgery in 2010, the Nationals’ ace should be ready to go for the postseason this year after missing the ALDS versus the St. Louis Cardinals during to an innings limit.

     Members of the United States team Gio Gonzalez and Ross Detwiler performed admirably at the World Baseball Classic before the United States was eliminated against Puerto Rico on March 15^th. Detwiler saw action in the United States’ second game of the tournament versus Italy, where he put in four innings of work allowed only one hit and striking out three. Detwiler set the bar high for Gonzalez whose first start would be against Puerto Rico on March 12^th and Gonzalez answered. In five innings, Gio Gonzalez did not allow a run, averaged a strikeout in each inning and allowed just three hits.

     As for the rest of the team, they too have been busy.

     The Nationals’ premier infielder Ryan Zimmermann, has had no problem getting back in the swing of things since his arthoscopic surgery on his shoulder in October. Zimmermann is currently batting an 17-for-57 (that’s a .298 average) at Nationals’ Spring Training. Though Zimmermann made his first fielding start only half way through Spring Training, his fielding percentage was still .938, .024 higher than last season.

     Also making some noise in Florida is 20-year-old superstar Bryce Harper. Bryce Harper led the MLB with his Spring Training batting average. In 67 at-bats, Harper has had 32 hits including 5 doubles, a triple and 3 homeruns for .478 average.

     Though the Nationals dropped their final Spring Training game to the Yankees 4 to 2, they already appeared to be ahead of the curve. In my opinion with the young talent the Nationals possess in both their bullpen and lineup, Washington will get an early lead in the MLB standings and hang out at the top of the MLB for the majority of the regular season.

     This is also my warning to my beloved Washington Capitals because if they do not step it up now, then they will not be the ones to break Washington’s championship drought; that honor will belong to the 2013 Washington Nationals.