The State of the Nationals, pt. 2

Opening day is nearly upon us! With the Nationals' season opener against the division rival NY Mets fast approaching, I figured now was a good time to take a look at the Nats' tentative Opening Day roster. This list, from IG Natssource, is based off of roster cuts and moves as we approach the end of spring training. We'll take a look at the lineup, bench, bullpen, and rotation, trying to ward of pessimistic thoughts about the unfortunate outlook so far. So, without further ado, let's dive into the lineup.

While the actual order is not set in stone, the starters likely are. Expect to see a consistent contingent of Lane Thomas (LF), Victor Robles (CF), and, of course, Juan Soto (RF) in the outfield, starting just about every game. Keibert Ruiz, the former top Dodgers catching prospect, will likely see most of the time behind the dish, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see former Blue Jay Riley Adams split some of that time, should either Ruiz falter or Adams surge; that, however, is not looking likely, especially considering the way Ruiz hit towards the end of the spring. The last aspect of certainty is the DH position, which is locked up by Nelson Cruz; from there, it becomes far less clear in the infield.

Josh Bell will start at 1B, but his defense left much to be desired, and he never truly found his form at the plate in 2021. Wouldn't be surprised to see Adams get some reps at first, as there has been discussion of Adams getting practice at first over the spring, just in case Bell can't handle a full-time role. Second base will consist of some mixture of former Phillies infielder Cesar Hernandez, veteran speedster Dee Strange-Gordon (who absolutely raked over spring training), and utility-man/Batman character Lucius Fox. Fox will likely only make the opening day roster due to the absence of Carter Kieboom, who would have started at third base if not for an injury that keeps him out of the lineup for now. In his absence, another former Phillie, Maikel Franco, will likely begin the season at third. Shortstop will be held by former All-Star and 2021 breakout Alcides Escobar, who was one of the few bright spots of 2021. The infield, again, will likely see significant shuffling, whether due to injuries, underperformance, or minor-league call-ups, but that group seems to be the most likely group to begin the season.

The bench will most likely be occupied by Adams, Yadiel Hernandez (OF), and some combination of infielders (Fox and Strange-Gordon, perhaps). Hernandez could certainly steal some starts, especially if Robles continues to hit below the Mendoza line.

Overall, the lineup is... not ideal. I'll admit, I initially had perhaps-unrealistic expectations for the 2022 Nats, even if my ceiling was a wild-card spot. This lineup will, to put it lightly, not get close to the playoffs. The disappointing thing, which I've heard from a few people now, is that the lineup isn't particularly young; sure, there are a few young guys, such as Thomas, Ruiz, Adams, and Fox, but a rebuilding team typically leans on allowing their younger guys to develop through major-league experience. Conversely, this team looks like a survive-on-washed-up-veterans kind of rebuild, which doesn't exactly make for the most optimistic outlook. Regardless, the lineup has some pop: Soto, Thomas, Bell, Escobar, and Cruz can all get pretty hot, not to mention the potential that Ruiz has shown. Even if they aren't the best group, the Nats have a decent shot to be mildly exciting.

Oh, but you thought the lineup was weak? Just wait until you see the pitching staff!

Ok, maybe it isn't that bad. The rotation has some potential, at least at the beginning and the end. The Opening Day starter and presumed ace (at least until Strasburg gets healthy again, assuming that ever happens) is Patrick Corbin, who never again found his 2019 form after a disappointing season last year. Of course, we've all seen what Patty Ice can do when he's got it right, but assuming that Corbin can find his 2019 self is like assuming that a pitcher will be back to 100% after Tommy John surgery (cough cough, Trevor Rosenthal). Following the southpaw Corbin, the rotation looks to be righty-heavy: Josiah Gray will fall somewhere near the top. Gray displayed flashes of excellence in his few outings during the 2021 season, as well as during Spring Training; the main issue is the home run ball, which can get out of control pretty often with Gray. If he can get the homers under control, Gray can just about cement himself in the rotation for awhile.

No disappointing Nationals rotation can be complete without Mr. Inconsistent himself, Erick Fedde! I suppose he is consistent, but only with his inconsistency; Fedde loves to lead us in the direction of total despair, right up until he comes out and throws 7 shutout innings. Hopefully, we get a little more of the less common Fedde, and a little less disaster. Anibal Sanchez looks to have made the rotation as well, at least to begin the season. Sanchez, who came out of retirement to return to the Nats, has the potential to eat up a lot of innings, but considering his age and track record, I wouldn't be surprised to see him out of the rotation sooner rather than later. Lastly, Joan Adon, who has been listed in the same breath as fellow Nats prospects Cade Cavalli and Brady House, looks to break through to the majors for a longer period than last year. Adon has shown himself to have some serious talent, but he remains extremely unrefined; 2022 will likely be more about getting some experience under his belt than real productivity.

The bullpen contains a lot of familiar faces, which can be interpreted as either a good or a bad thing, depending on who we're talking about. I'll start with the potential starters:

Austin Voth, who I believe should start over Fedde, but likely won't. Voth has, in my opinion, disappointed us far less than Fedde, and should be given the benefit of the doubt until he proves us wrong.

Paolo Espino, who I believe should start over Fedde, Voth, AND Sanchez. Cmon now! How can you not love Paolo??? He posted a strong 4.27 ERA last season over 109.2 innings, and gave us quite a few bright spots. He deserves to start, at least to start the season.

Outside of those two, the bullpen looks to remain mostly constant. 2019 Nationals workhorse closer Sean Doolittle looks to regain 2019 form without pitching every game, but Spring Training wasn't particularly kind to him; however, Doolittle remains the only lefty in the pen as of now, so he'll likely stay there. Victor Arano, Patrick Murphy, Mason Thompson, and Andres Machado headline the relievers you probably don't remember, vaguely remember, or wish you didn't remember; Kyle Finnegan certainly leads the last of those categories. Steve Cishek, the lone strong free agent relief pitcher signed by the Nats this offseason, will lead the pen through the season, at least until the trade deadline (when I expect he will be traded), and Tanner Rainey will look to capitalize upon some late game opportunities to cement himself as the closer. One interesting name to look for as the season progresses: Tyler Clippard, sports glasses legend and longtime Nats reliever from well before 2019, will begin the season in the minors, but will almost certainly see the big leagues relatively early into the season.

Overall, the bullpen and rotation are not exactly promising. On the bright side, they are both mostly younger than the lineup, with the exceptions being Doolittle, Sanchez, Corbin, and Cishek. At least that will give the young arms some time to face big league hitting and develop into a stronger unit. Top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli got some valuable reps in over spring training, and he should break through to the majors relatively soon.

To wrap up, it's safe to say that the Nats are not exactly going to shock the world this season, but we can at least expect some fun times out of the younger guys. Look for Ruiz, Gray, and Soto to make an immediate impact, with Cavalli and a few of the younger bullpen arms not far behind. All in all, I'm just thankful we get to watch baseball again in 2 days.

Hope y'all enjoyed the article! If you made it to the end, you're probably just as depressed about the state of the Nationals as I am. Don't worry: as long as Soto roams the outfield and GM Mike Rizzo works his magic, we'll be back in no time.

Just don't get too attached in 2022.

Patiently waiting,

Emory