2018 Remarkable! Season Preview – Washington Nationals

by | Mar 14, 2018 | Baseball

 

2017 Record: 97-65 (1st in NL East – Lost in NLDS)

After a devastating loss in five games to the Chicago Cubs in the playoffs, the 2018 Nationals are back with mostly the same cast. The Nationals boast one of the best starting rotations in MLB and one of the most electrifying players in the game, Bryce Harper. This team is not just those pieces, as Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon put up impressive offensive numbers in 2017. Dave Martinez is the new manager for this star-studded team that hopes to continue their playoff ways. Check out our Remarkable! season preview.

 

Starting Pitchers

 

Max Scherzer
  • He struck out 40.6% (324/799) of right-handed batters in the last two seasons — highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 20.9%.
  • He allowed an OBP of .188 (149/793) vs right-handed batters in the last two seasons — best in MLB; League Avg: .320.
  • Right-handed hitters have a chase rate of 38.2% (577/1,511) against Max Scherzer in the last two seasons — highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 30.2%.

 

Stephen Strasburg
  • He has pitched 24 straight innings without allowing an earned run (this is the longest active streak).
  • He has not allowed a home run in any of the last 67 innings he’s appeared (this is the longest active streak).
  • He allowed a slugging percentage of .317 (203 Total Bases / 641 ABs) in the 2017 season — 4th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .440.
  • Opponents batted just .110 against Stephen Strasburg (24-for-218) on changeups in the last two seasons — best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .248.

 

Gio Gonzalez
  • Opponents hit .216 against Gio Gonzalez (158-for-731) in 2017 — 11th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .261.
  • Opponents had a line drive rate of 9.8% (9/92) against Gio Gonzalez on curves and sliders in 2017 — 3rd lowest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 21.2%.
  • He allowed a slugging percentage of .256 (42 Total Bases / 164 ABs) vs left-handed batters in 2017 — 8th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .444.

 

Tanner Roark

 

  • He allowed a slugging percentage of .384 (317 Total Bases / 825 ABs) on fastballs in the last two seasons — 5th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .475.
  • Right-handed hitters had a groundball rate of 55.8% (145/260) against Tanner Roark in 2017 — League Avg: 45.9%.
  • He threw off-speed pitches 46.5% of the time (360/775) on the first pitch of at-bats in 2017 — League Avg: 36.0%.

 

A.J. Cole
  • Threw 52 innings in 2017

 

Relief Pitchers

 

2017 Bullpen Ranks

Stat # Rank
AVG .254 T-23rd
OBP .322 T-14th
SLG .415 22nd
OPS .737 19th
BB% 8.1% 6th
K% 21.9% 21st
GB% 45.1% 16th

 

Sean Doolittle
  • Hitters chased 149 of Sean Doolittle’s 325 fastballs out of the zone (chase rate of 45.8%) in 2017 — highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 25.2%.

  • Hitters swung at 76.6% of Sean Doolittle’s pitches (223/291) with two strikes in 2017 — highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 61.1%.
  • He allowed an OPS of .517 (197 PAs) in 2017 — 15th best among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .723.

 

Brandon Kintzler
  • Opponents had a miss rate of just 13.4% (68/507) against Brandon Kintzler in 2017 — 2nd worst among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 26.1%.
  • He allowed an OBP of .254 (35/138) vs left-handed batters in 2017 — 25th best among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .328.
  • He walked 6 of 149 right-handed batters (4.0%) in 2017 — 23rd lowest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 8.6%.

 

Ryan Madson
  • He allowed an OBP of .111 (14/126) with two strikes in 2017 — best among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .244.

  • Opponents hit .156 against Ryan Madson (22-for-141) on fastballs in 2017 — 4th best among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .268..
  • He induced opposing hitters to ground into 7 double plays in 29 opportunities (24.1%) in 2017 — 3rd highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 10.4%.

 

Joaquin Benoit
  • Opponents batted .207 (6-for-29) against Joaquin Benoit on the first pitch of at-bats in the 2017 season — 11th best among 138 qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: .340.
  • Left-handed hitters had a chase rate of 35.4% (86/243) against Joaquin Benoit in the 2017 season — 7th highest among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: 28.8%.
  • He allowed an OPS of .927 (77 PAs) against the heart of the order in the 2017 season — 13th worst among 123 qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: .724.

 

Enny Romero
  • He threw off-speed pitches just 12.2% of the time (41/336) with two strikes in 2017 — 2nd lowest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 47.1%.
  • He recorded 55 of his 65 strikeouts (84.6%) with his fastball in 2017 — 8th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 47.6%.
  • He had an average fastball velocity of 98.0 MPH in 2017 — 9th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 93.4.

 

Shawn Kelley
  • Opponents had a Well-Hit Avg of .191 (13/68) against Shawn Kelley with two strikes in 2017 — worst among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .097.
  • Opponents had a miss rate of 54.8% (23/42) against Shawn Kelley on the first pitch of at-bats in 2017 — highest in MLB; League Avg: 27.6%.

 

Hitters

 

2017 Offense Ranks

Stat # Rank
AVG .266 4th
OBP .332 9th
SLG .449 T-2nd
OPS .782 4th
BB% 8.7% 15th
K% 21.4% T-13th
QAB 2687 6th
wOBA .336 T-7th

 

Daniel Murphy
  • He slugged .457 (203 total bases in 444 ABs) with two strikes in the last two seasons — best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .278.

  • He had a line drive rate of 28.7% (132/460) in 2017 — 2nd highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 21.7%.
  • He batted .409 (47-for-115) with RISP in 2017 — best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .261.

 

Trea Turner
  • He stole third base 14 times in the 2017 season — best in MLB.
  • He had a Well-Hit Avg of .260 (27/104) on high fastballs in 2017 — 6th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .147.
  • He hit .296 (94-for-318) versus RHP in 2017 — 18th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .255.

 

Ryan Zimmerman
  • He came to the plate with runners in scoring position in 174 of his 576 plate appearances (30.2%) in 2017 — 4th highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 24.9%.

  • He batted .438 (39-for-89) when ahead in the count in 2017 — 12th best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .350.
  • He had 36 HRs in 524 ABs (14.6 AB/HR) in 2017 — 10th best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 27.1.

 

Anthony Rendon
  • He averaged 4.37 Pitches per Plate Appearance (2,645/605) in 2017 — League Avg: 3.9.
  • He slugged .713 (97 total bases in 136 ABs) with RISP in 2017 — 2nd best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .474.

  • He chased 18.7% of pitches out of the zone (197/1,053) versus RHP in 2017 — League Avg: 29.1%.

 

Bryce Harper
  • He had an OPS of 1.087 (363 PAs) versus RHP in 2017 — best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .752.
  • He had a groundball batting average of .366 (49 GB hits out of 134 GBs) in 2017 — 3rd best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .249.
  • He slugged .550 (72 total bases in 131 ABs) on low non-fastballs in 2017 — best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .300.

 

Michael A. Taylor
  • He slugged.897 (52 total bases in 58 ABs) on the first pitch of at-bats in 2017 — 6th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .585.
  • He made 7 non-routine plays out of 20 chances (35.0%) in 2017 — tied for 26th among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 22.3%.
  • He struck out 73 times in 179 PAs (40.8%) versus relief pitchers in 2017 — 4th highest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 23.3%.

 

Adam Eaton
  • He made 16 non-routine plays out of 43 chances (37.2%) in the last two seasons — 17th in MLB; League Avg: 22.7%.
  • He had an OBP of .370 (533 PAs) versus starting pitchers in the last two seasons  — 15th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .324.
  • He went to the opposite field with 40.9% of balls he’s put into play (83/203) with two strikes in the last two seasons — 6th highest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 30.4%.

 

 

 

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