The third time’s the charm. Yesterday, Jordan Zimmermann was named National League’s July pitcher of the month, joining Stephen Strasburg (who won in April) and Gio Gonzalez (who won in May).

The Nationals are the first team to have three different pitchers recognized since the 1979 Astros.

During the month of July Zimmermann’s gone 4-0 in six starts with a .97 ERA and led the Nationals pitching with the lowest ERA at 2.28 with the most innings pitched (134 1/3).

Teammate Ryan Zimmerman put together an impressive campaign for NL’s player of the month, but was beat by Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen.

In case you missed it…

• It’s Werthmas! Jayson Werth made his triumphant return from his broken wrist yesterday. And against his old ballclub, no less. The outfielder hit a single and drove in a run in his return.
• With Werth’s return, Henry Rodriguez is headed to the DL (again) with a lower back issue.
• Ross Detwiler helped the Nationals salvage a game last night by shutting down the Phillies.

Coming into the 2012 season, there was something the Nationals were used to having to deal with: expectations.

With big off season moves, the impending debut of Bryce Harper, and the momentum the Nats took into the off season at the end of 2011, everyone was expecting an improvement.  To say anyone expected the Nats being in first place at the All-Star Break (and having been in that position most of the year) would be crazy.

Yet that’s where we stand.  The Nats are not only first in the NL East, but they have the best record in the National League at the halfway point of the season.  Here’s a look at what the top stories of 2012 have been.

Pitching

» Continue reading “Nats At The Half”

On a hot, humid summer night (there’s no other type of summer night in DC), most fans were lulled to sleep, a languid relaxation or sheer boredom. There really wasn’t that much to cheer and celebrate, for Nats fans. ‘Turn Back the Clock’ night had been a fun promotion, but apart from that, the game had mostly been written off as a missed chance to sweep.

Of course, with this team, nothing is over until the last out is recorded and everyone has packed up and gone home. Last night in the ninth inning, as the Nationals mounted their comeback, in the middle of it all were Tyler Moore, Steve Lombardozzi and Bryce Harper–all direct rewards from the Nationals farm system. Also involved were Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse and Adam LaRoche. The first three embody draft picks across the board. Moore was drafted in the 16th round of 2008, Lombardozzi was drafted in the 19th round of 2008 and Harper was drafted first overall in 2010. The later three encompass a mix of veteran experience and utility playing time.

Now, as the Nationals sit atop of the National League East and almost atop baseball in general (the only teams with better records are the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers), it’s even more increasingly obvious that the winning isn’t a fluke. Apart some sheer luck from the baseball gods (such as other teams in the NL East losing when the Nationals lost), this team is finally coming into what they were envisioned to be.

» Continue reading “The Kids Are Alright”

In the end, it took 12 innings and a total of four hours and fifteen minutes. But the Nats pulled out one of their comeback wins and came out on top. During a game filled with missed chances (the Nationals left 14 men on base) and a comedy of errors (the Mets had 3 errors), it seems fitting that the game outcome was to be decided by Bryce Harper, arguably one of the biggest and crucial pieces of the Nationals future.

Bryce Harper’s first game winning hit of his career propelled the Nationals over their division rival New York Mets to win 7-6. Earlier this week Harper was named the NL rookie of the month of May and he’s had a plethora of firsts in his short time in the majors. Yesterday he added another first: the first teenager to deliver a walk off hit since 1988.

His teammates were more than happy to celebrate with him. Ryan Zimmerman leaped into Harper’s arms after he crossed first, and Michael Morse doused Harper with the Gatorade sending MASN sideline reporter Kristina Akra looking for cover once again. (Which, by the way, she’s getting better at avoid. Hazards of the job, I guess.)

It’s no secret that this kid Bryce Harper is getting immense local and national attention. Since he was put on the cover of SI years a go, most (if not all) of Harper’s actions have been scrutinized. Him blowing a kiss to the opposing pitcher in the Minors. His dog. His on and off again twitter usage. And how could one talk about Bryce Harper if they didn’t mention his eye black (which is considerably subdued since he joined the Nationals) or his mohawk and other hairstyles?

» Continue reading “About a kid”

The Nats’ pitching rotation was a whole lot of confusing heading into the 2012 season.  There appeared to be no room for players the Nats had been developing in Ross Detwiler and John Lannan.  Then, Chien-Ming Wang got hurt.

Once Wang was injured, a new storyline emerged: who would take his place in the rotation? Would it be Lannan, who had been the Nats’ go-to guy (and an Opening Day guy) for the last couple of years? Or would it be Detwiler, who had been refining his stuff for the last year?

Even Davey Johnson was a little confused, first naming Lannan the 5th starter until changing his mind a week later to Detwiler.  The ensuing drama ended with Lannan struggling in Syracuse while Detwiler continues to hold his own in D.C.

» Continue reading “What About Detwiler?”

So the Nats lost this season’s first installment of the Battle of the Beltways, but they cleaned up yesterday in a 9-3 win to avoid the sweep.  They’ll now look to carry that momentum into tonight’s match-up with the Phillies as rivalry week continues. Here’s what’s up.

-Two phenoms for the Nats broke the losing skid, and it’s a sign of good things to come. [Snyder]

-Did we mention Strasburg hit a home run? Yeah, that happened. [Wash Times]

-With Wang’s impending return, what will happen to Detwiler? Johnson addresses it. [Federal Baseball]

-Strasburg had some tightness toward the end of his start, but no one is too concerned about it. Hey, a HR can take a lot out of a kid. [Nats Blog]

-Bryce Harper is pretty stoked to get in on the Nats/Phillies action this week. [CSN Washington]

-Ryan Zimmerman is starting to really help the Nats offense come around. [Nats Journal]

The Nats continue their West coast trip against the Padres today, this time at a more reasonable hour for those not currently in college and up anyway doing finals. Here’s what you need to know for today.

-Chien-Ming Wang continues his return to the lineup with another rehab start on Saturday. [Nats Journal]

-It’s what many had feared when Ryan Zimmerman didn’t seem to be getting better…the franchise third baseman will get an MRI on his shoulder. [Wash Times]

-GM Mike Rizzo released a letter to Pudge Rodriguez to the press.  Good for a great guy who made a difference in his brief time in the District. [Federal Baseball]

-So, Wang had an affair, called a press conference to apologize for it that was generally ignored in the States…but here it is on Taiwanese television. This is why I love the internet. [Nats Enquirer]

-A transaction update on the farm. [Nats Prospects]

-And a THIRD Wang story…pretty soon, the Nats are going to have to choose between Wang and Ross Detwiler for who gets the last rotation spot.  Detwiler has been great. [Nats Blog]

-D.C. will always be a football town first. Right now, it’s a football town, then a hockey town, then a baseball town. But I like where Davey Johnson’s head is at anyway! [Federal Baseball]

In reality, most of the baseball world probably forgets that D.C. has a baseball team unless Stephen Strasburg is starting or Bryce Harper blows someone a kiss.  Seven years has apparently not been enough to get the Nats recognition, and not without reason: they spent a lot of that time in the basement.

But his year is different.  The Nats are first in the NL East, leading both the Phillies and the Braves, two teams many expected to be formidable.  Not only are the Nats leading their division, but they also hold the second best record in Major League Baseball at 12-4.

Many have cast this early success aside.  Some are categorizing it as a small sample size, inflated numbers that will regress back to the mean in a month.  They look at the opponents the Nats have faced so far and have yet to see a challenging opposition.

The Nats have taken all 5 of their series so far in 2012.  Sure, they may have been against the Cubs, Reds, Mets, Marlins, and Astros, (only the Mets are above .500) but there are characteristics in the play of the Nats that implies that this isn’t just a fluke.

First of all, there is the pitching.  The Nats and the Cardinals are the only two teams with 3 pitchers in the top 10 in the MLB in OPS.  Jordan Zimmerman comes in at 5th, Strasburg at 7th, and Gio Gonzalez at 8th.  Ross Detwiler comes in at 20th, and Edwin Jackson comes in at 33rd.

» Continue reading “Nats In 1st, Not Just A Fluke”

Nationals fans should have known a rotation with Stephen Strasburg as the #1 starter would be a strong one. So far, Strasburg hasn’t disappointed. In three starts, he has a 1.42 ERA. On Monday night, against the Houston Astros, Strasburg struck out 5, walked 1, and gave up 6 hits. He’s not the only one bringing the heat.

Since the season’s started, the Nationals have found themselves in a unique position unlike years past–their rotation’s ability to not only provide solid pitching, but to bring hard heat. In addition, the YTD strikeout total of the starting rotation stands at 62.

The average fastball among the team’s five starters (Strasburg, Gonzalez, Zimmermann, Jackson & Detwiler) has averaged 93.4 MPH according to FanGraphs.com in an article in the Post. That’s the fastest FanGraphs.com has calculated from any rotation since its launch in 2002.

Each member of the starting rotation is able to pitch in the 90s. Strasburg’s fastball averages 95.1, Gio Gonzalez 93.3, Jordan Zimmerman 93.5, Edwin Jackson 93.8 and Ross Detwiler 91.4. Their rotation, filled with flamethrowers, is the first rotation in 11 seasons  in which the starting 5 are able to surpass 93 MPH with its collective fastball. And their average ERA? 1.86.

» Continue reading “K Street Heat”

It’s been almost two weeks since Davey Johnson pulled a switch-a-roo and announced Ross Detwiler as the Nats’ fifth starter after previously announcing John Lannan was “his guy.”  Since then, Detwiler and Lannan have been proving the decision right.

Since getting his unexpected start in the majors, Detwiler (despite giving up a grand slam yesterday) has just a .90 ERA in his two starts this season.  He has taken advantage of his opportunity to show that he belongs in the majors.

In 10 innings of work, Detwiler has allowed one earned run, one home run, and 3 walks while striking out 8.  He is even doing a solid job at bat, boasting a .222 average on the year.  Most of all, he appears comfortable in his role, and hasn’t made anyone question whether or not he belonged with the Nats.

When Lannan was sent down, there were multiple ways he could have taken the demotion.  When he was sent down two years ago, he took it as an opportunity to refresh himself and his mechanics, and he came back better than ever.

His initial response to the demotion is understandable; he asked to be traded.  It makes complete sense, as he has been yanked around a lot.  However, with his current play, a trade is becoming more and more difficult.

» Continue reading “Lannan and Detwiler: The Decision 10 Days In”