Rumors of the Nationals Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

It’s funny how quickly things can change in a long baseball season. The Washington Nationals have now surpassed the Atlanta Braves for first place in NL East division. The Nats have won their sixth straight game, and eight of their last ten games. This Washington team is also suddenly getting healthier again, with Adam Eaton expected to return relatively soon, and Daniel Murphy started to make some rehab appearances in the minor leagues.  Assuming that the prospects of these incoming stars continue to look promising, the Nats have no reason to ever relinquish the lead over the Braves.

Speaking of Atlanta, the Nats next series is against their division rival, and will go a long way in deciding who will have the division leading leading up to the All-Star break. The Nats are playing their best baseball of the season, and have recently beat up on the bad teams in order to gain confidence leading up to this pivotal series. It also certainly doesn’t hurt that Bryce Harper is once again playing at an MVP-caliber level, and has since extended his homerun lead, with an National League-best 18 HRs.

The pitching rotation is steadily improving, including the reigning Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer, who has shown he has plenty left to prove on Washington’s quest for a title. Additionally, who would have thought the Nats bullpen would come around the way it has recently. Sean Doolittle and company have made the necessary adjustments to protect small leads that the Nats offense had provided, and the team is rallying around all of these pitchers defensively.

Whether or not the Nats can sustain their lead in the NL East remains to be seen, but the early signs of their “return to form” and being the team many expected them to be, are quickly coming back to fruition. With a fanbase in DC so focused on the championship prospects of the Washington Capitals, they should not forget about their local baseball squad’s recent efforts to be another playoff contender in the area. The Nats may not be as flashy as in years past, but they are quickly figuring out the right formulas to win a large number of games.

Photo Credit: USA Today