Know Your 2016 Enemies: The Washington Nationals

The 2016 N.L. East can be complicated. Luckily, I’m here to make sense of it all. In this edition of know your enemy: I look at the Washington Nationals and the level of pain in the ass they will be in the 2016 season.

Look, I gotta get this off my chest …

First off, despite what I have said and felt about the new second baseman of the Nationals over the last few years, the most important thing about him, and all I ever ask from a major league player who plays for the Mets is that he represent the organization well, and bust his ass when he’s on the field. Outside of a sizable portion of players involved in 1993, most players have met those requirements. The new second baseman for the Nationals did that. And when he comes back to Citi Field to play against the Mets for the first time, he deserves a standing ovation.

When he refused to say “Mets” during an interview early in spring training, it was kinda childish and kinda butthurt, with a little bit of “I’m going to try hard to show my new team where my allegiances are” sprinkled in. I thought “Okay, cute … a spring training story that is only a story because writers will write about anything to make deadline. All part of the dance, I’m sure he had fun.” But then I thought about it a little harder. And forgive me for getting all “hottake-ish”. I know having an opinion is frowned upon these days …

For him to act like he was done dirty here by the Mets is kinda ridiculous and a little bit insulting. If he thinks about it, and thinks about it hard … and I suggest you think about it too … he’ll realize this: If he started his career on any other team with a real roster and a general manager that wasn’t afraid to make a trade in the month of July, he might not have made it seven seasons with his original club. He might have been jettisoned after the failed left-field experiment. Or organizationally buried after missing the entire 2010 season. What are the chances he hits his free agent season with a Babe Ruth type playoff season if he was with another ballclub? He got every chance to be a regular ballplayer with the Mets, more chances than he would have gotten anywhere else. And it paid off for the Mets and it certainly paid off for him in the form of a nice contract that will have him set for life.

Look, I don’t expect the second baseman to want to be nice to the Mets this season, or not want to kick their asses at every turn. I would have had more respect for him if he had come out and said that. “Hey, my run with the Mets was great but now I want to bury them.” I’d tip my hat to him if he said that. But to go out of his way to not mention them by name? Dude, you’re where you are now because of “that ballclub over there”. Remember that and stop being a child.

Key Additions: Second Baseman-2B, Nick Masset-RP, Dusty Baker-MGR, Ben Revere-CF, Shawn Kelley-RP, Oliver Perez-RP, Yusmiero Petit-RP

Key Departures: Jordan Zimmermann-SP, Doug Fister-SP, Drew Storen-RP, Ian Desmond-SS, Yunel Escobar-3B, Matt Thornton-RP, Casey Janssen-RP

All that said, the Nationals upgraded at second base. Depending on what you think about Escobar and Desmond, they might wind up upgrading the rest of the infield if Trea Turner grabs hold of the job and hits like everybody thinks he can. (That’ll be hard to do from the minors, which is where Turner will start the season.) But their biggest and most important upgrade might be Dusty Baker. Say what you want about his teams’ performances in the playoffs, Baker has won in every stop he’s made. Made the World Series in San Francisco, was one Alex Gonzalez error away from a World Series in freaking Chicago, and made the playoffs three times in Cincinnati. To say that he’s not going to be a factor in the regular season in Washington is to delude yourself. Besides, how many times did we watch Matt Williams single handedly out-stupid Terry Collins night after night? Dusty will be a hell of an upgrade over the guy who let a rookie reliever sink his team in a do-or-die Game 4 of the playoffs.

The only bit of irony that Nationals fans have to look forward to is pairing the manager who ran Mark Prior into the ground with the guy who is famous for being sat down for the playoffs because of pitch counts.

@Metstradamus enticing, if merely to see how a pitcher's arm spins toward the plate when attached to a baseball but not to Strasburg's body.

— Kevin Holden (@321cuekevin) March 25, 2016

https://twitter.com/jbinckes/status/713449103867379712

Strasburg will say something that causes Baker to spit-take the toothpick into Strasburg's eye, causing blindness? https://t.co/8qYWVBdByG

— Chris Burnham (@CMB1979) March 25, 2016

@Metstradamus buddy cop movie?

— Felipe Garcia (@confusedgeek) March 25, 2016

https://twitter.com/egscofield/status/713449048401952769

Aah yes, Jonathan Papelbon. Because all heroes need a foil, and he is ours. Once his infamous gopher ball to Omir Santos was seen as an outlier, a faint excuse for SNY programming filler during December as an “Ultimets Classic” or whatever the hell they call them now. But as Jordany Valdespin did the same thing to him, there seemed to be a pattern going on here: Met scrubs hitting big home runs off of one of the best and most mercurial closers in baseball. Then in 2015, the Mets achieved the Papelbon Hat Trick: Three home runs by 25th men off Papelbon in three stages of their career.

The carrot of a fourth is enticing. Alejandro de Aza and Matt Reynolds should stay ready.

Mets record vs. Washington in 2015: 11-8

I thought the Mets record vs. Washington in 2015 would be: 6-13 (Yeah, I missed badly on that one.)

Mets record vs. Washington in 2016 should be: 11-8

A lot of people are still picking the Nationals to win the division this season. They must feel that the Nationals have enough upgrades to overcome a 2-7 record against the Mets after they traded for Yoenis Cespedes. Bryce Harper had a historic season in 2015, and yet the Mets handled him pretty well, giving up four home runs but holding him to a .254 average. And I never realized this, but Bryce Harper has never had a hit off of Matt Harvey. Ever. (And Harper is only hitting .231 off of Bartolo Colon, oddly enough.) Keeping Harper in check will go a long way towards keeping the Nationals in check, and keeping this song in Bryce Harper’s dreams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr0_3CDbSqk

I like that the Nationals are getting all of this love for the division. It’ll keep the Mets from believing their own press clippings and keep them grounded. But I’m picking the Nationals to finish in second place for two reasons. One, if any other team had trouble keeping its first baseman and left fielder on the field for a full season, they wouldn’t be picked to win a division. And two: There is no way on God’s green earth that a team with Oliver Perez for a full season is going to finish in first place.

I wish Ollie well in all things (except baseball and life) https://t.co/oEV8cBJGtJ

— CSTB (@cstbtweet) March 27, 2016

Nationals Prediction: 89-73 … second place. Their second baseman will have three games against the Mets with multiple RBI, multiple errors, and multiple television cutaways with goofy looks on his face. It will be a full experience.

Miss our other previews? Check them out here:

Atlanta Braves

Philadelphia Phillies

Miami Marlins