A Dynasty in the Making: Washington Nationals

[Special K 9274]

This is based off of a team I am in an online league that is currently in 2018. The League started in the 2005 season, and I took over half way through the first season. After some semi-rebuilding, i have 3 good seasons, then I started a massive rebuild for the last 3. This is the tale of how the rebuilding worked.

From:

To:

2004 would be the last season the Montreal Expos would ever see. In 2005, due in part to an awful fan attendance, the team was moved to Washington. 2005 not only saw a change in the team, players, and city, but a new GM at the helm of it all.

[Special K 9274]

Team History

Record:
2005: 81-81, 4th Place
2006: 82-80, 2nd Place
2007: 51-111, 5th Place
2008: 73-89, 4th Place
2009: 55-107, 5th Place
2010: 74-88, 4th Place
2011: 95-67, 2nd Place, NL Wild Card
2012: 90-72, 2nd Place, NL Wild Card
2013: 89-73, 2nd Place
2014: 62-100, 5th Place
2015: 64-98, 5th Place
2016: 36-126, 5th Place
2017: 70-92, 5th Place
2018: 85-77, 3rd Place
2019: 98-64, 2nd Place, NL Wild Card

Postseason:
2011: NL Wild Card, Lost in NLDS 3-2
2012: NL Wild Card, Won NLDS 3-1, Won NLCS 4-1, Won World Series 4-3
2019: NL Wild Card, Won NLDS 3-0, Won NLCS 4-1, Lost World Series 4-1

Team Single Season Records (Hitting):
Batting Average : .361, Andrew Camacho (2018, Washington)
Homeruns : 55, Shawn Kienast (2014, Washington)
Runs Batted In : 136, Francis Aguilera (2017, Washington)
At Bats : 698, Cam Slyder (2016, Washington)
Hits : 217, Alvin Carey (2011, Washington)
Doubles : 54, Mark Grudzielanek (1997, Montreal)
Triples : 13, Mitch Webster (1986, Montreal)
Runs : 136, Shawn Kienast (2013, Washington)
Bases On Balls : 156, Gordon Moore (2019, Washington)
Strikeouts : 197, Shawn Kienast (2012, Washington)
Stolen Bases : 97, Ron LeFlore (1980, Montreal)
Hitting Streak : 31, Vladimir Guerrero (1999, Montreal)
Rookie Homeruns : 28, Neisan Bunrakuken (2019, Washington)

Team Single Season Records (Pitching):
ERA : 1.90, Pedro Martinez (1997, Montreal)
Games : 116, Daniel Rueckel (2013, Washington)
Wins : 20, Ross Grimsley (1978, Montreal)
Losses : 22, Steve Rogers (1974, Montreal)
Saves : 43, John Wetteland (1993, Montreal)
Bases On Balls : 157, Tim Hamulack (2014, Washington)
Strikeouts : 305, Pedro Martinez (1997, Montreal)
K's in one Game : 18, Bill Gullickson (0/0/1980, Montreal)

Italcis indicates that the record was set since the league began.

Awards:
Gold Glove:
2005 - LF Jason Bay
2008 - SS Eric Patterson
2011 - 3B Shawn Kienast
2012 - 3B Shawn Kienast
2012 - SS Alvin Carey
2013 - SS Alvin Carey
2014 - 3B Shawn Kienast
2015 - 2B Sidney Arazia
2015 - CF Eric Tarr

Cy Young:
None

MVP:
None

Rookie of the Year:
2017 - CF Andrew Camacho - He batted .312 in 651 AB, with 3 homers and 55 RBI. He aslo had 116 run, 80 stolen bases and a .381 OBP.

Team Facts:
-Since the Nationals came into existance, we have only 5 winning seasons out of the last 13.
-The Nationals record in the last 13 seasons is 922-1184 (.438 PCT).
-The Nationals have a career postseason record of 13-8, with 1 Ring.
-The Nationals have had a top 5 Farm System for the last 4 years.
-We have finished in 4th or 5th in 9 out of 13 Seasons.
-The other 4 seasons we came in 2nd.

[AZTarHeel]

As someone who is getting ready to do a 10-year overview of a league I'm running, I like your presentation of the team history. Nice and clean, and easy to follow ... Good luck to the Nationals!

[Special K 9274]

The Draft

-The Draft is been a huge part of the Nationals over the last few seasons. It was part of the reason why they were able to win the World Series in 2011, and why they are going to be a serious contender in 2018.

2005 (4th Overall): 1B Baltasar "Rev" Feijoo - He was an extremely talented first baseman when I drafted him. 9-6-9-10-8 talent. Unfortunatley GM Special K had little experience at the time, and Feijoo was traded less then 9 months later to the Blue Jays for more or less nothing.
Current Team: Philadelphia Phillies

2006 (15th Overall): C Paul "Blackjack" Gruver - A .500 record in 2005 gave the Nationals a middle of the pack draft pick. He had 8-8-6-6-7 talent when he was drafted, which was not bad for a middle of the draft player. Gruver was, however, a very slow developer and was traded 2 year later to the Rockies.
Current Team: Pittsburgh Pirates

2007 (14th Overall): SS Alvin "Chaser" Carey - Another season where the nationals had finished in the middle of the pack, landed them another middle of the pack draft pick. However at the 14th pick the Nationals were very very pleased with Carey. He had decent hitting talent 8-7-6-5-6, but what set him apart was his speed and defense. He had a 8 or above range at 2B, SS, and 3B, and he had a 10 arm. Also he had 7-9-9 speed. While on Washington he won 2 Gold Gloves, 1 World Series ring and went to 2 All-Star Games. He played for that Nationals for 5 and 1/2 seasons before being dealt to the White Sox.
Current Team: Chicago White Sox

2008 (2nd Overall): 1B Jeff Ezel - Ezel was supposed to be the anchor of the Nationals lineup for years to come. He was drafted with 7-8-10-10-8 ratings, but saw a huge dip in every area except eye in less then a year. The Nationals would eventually deal him to division rival, Flordia Marlins. He is yet to play a game in the major leagues.
Current Team: Bowie (AA - Baltimore Orioles)

2009 (8th Overall): C Robert "Big-O" Friel - Friel was drafted in the 8 spot in a fairly good draft class. He had 8-8-8-7-8 ratings, but like a few other National prospects his ratings fell. He was dealt to Pittsburgh for a good SP Juan Cruz.
Current Team: Cincinati Reds

2010 (1st Overall): RF Crispi "The Dragon" Gonzalez - Gonzalez was one Nationals prospect who did not go down in talent. He developed very quickly and only spent one and a half years in the minors before he was called up. He helped Washington make a run for the playoffs but unfortuantley went down in the last sim of the year and had to watch the Nationals win a ring from the bench. He wad dealt in 2016, which really upset the fans, but in return they got 2017 NL R.O.Y Andrew Camacho.
Current Team: Kansas City Royals

2011 (10th Overall): 1B Jeffrey Astudillo - Jeff was kind of the unkown Nationals prospect. He spent one year in single A ball before he was dealt to the New York Mets. Astudillo is a solid player, but the Nationals got a lot in return, prospect Sidney Arazia (who was later dealt), and SP Jeremy Affeldt, who was a huge part of the Nationals World Series win.
Current Team: New York Mets

2012 (23rd Overall): MR Nathan Yarbrough - Nathan was drafted at only age 17 and was very raw. He has amazing stuff and great velocity. He, like every prospect up to this point, was dealt to the Mets along with 2011 pick Jeffery Astudillo.
Current Team: New York Mets

2013 (24th Overall): MR James Munday - With the latest pick in Nationals history they selected MR James Munday. Munday was the first every prospect to actually stay with the Nationals. He is a medriocre releiver and will probably be a mop-up next season for the Nats.
Current Team: Washington Nationals

2014 (22nd Overall): SP Justin Granberry - Granberry was another late Nationals selection. He's a big guy stading at 6"9, 220 pounds. He has great conrol and amazing endruance with mediocre stuff and movement. At only 21years old, he may be called up to serve as a #5/Spo Starter, or a bullpen guy this year for the Nationals.
Current Team: Washington Nationals

1st - 2015 (3rd Overall): RF Roy "Oil Can" Burgess - After a very poor year by the Nats, they selected RF Roy Burgess. Roy is an absolute monster prospect. 7-10-10 speed, with 10-7-10-6-8 hitting talent. He has shown good, steady development and has a shot to be a September call up, for the big show.
Current Team: Washington Nationals

2nd - 2015 (6th Overall): RF Gordon "Pop" Moore - Before the ink was even dry on Burgess' contact, the Nationals had drafted another outfielder for the future. Gordon Moore. Possibly the best prospect the league has ever seen, he has 113 power, and 163 eye. That's not a typo, he has 163 eye. He developed very very fast, and played less then 60 games in the minors before being called up from the farm. This kid is a monster.
Current Team: Washington Nationals

1st - 2016 (5th Overall): 1B Julian Armijo - Armijo was another great pick by the Nationals franchise. He swings one hell of a bat, with 8-10-10-8-8 talent. He's also a demond on the basepath. He will more then likely see action by mid-season this year if all goes according to plan.
Current Team: Washington Nationals

2nd - 2016 (6th Ovearll): SS Jose Mijangos - Jose was drafted right after Julian. He has a ton of raw talent, but was a very slow developer and was traded to the Rockies midway through last season for stud 3B Francis Aguilera, and MR Jesus Silva.
Current Team: Colorado Rockies

2017 (1st Ovearll): SP Damon Whitten - Whitten was almost as good of a pick as Gordon Moore. He will be the next big thing in baseball. 10 endurance, 98-100 velocity, 10-9-8 talent, nearly fully developed and he's only 21. He will be the #2 or #3 starter this year for the Nationals, and hopefully the ace for many many more years.
Current Team: Washington Nationals

[Special K 9274]

2018 Washington Nationals Off-Season

(Picture is link to Team Page)

Payroll: $60,798,571 (16th)
Fan Interest: 28/100 (T-21st)

Off-Season Transactions:
1/30/2018
Free agent P Bill Dawson has been signed to a contract of $13,000,000 per year, for 5 years.
1/31/2018
Free agent P Kristian Bell has been signed to a contract of $6,500,000 per year, for 3 years.
2/5/2018
Free agent LF Elijah Dukes has been signed to a contract of $2,500,000 per year, for 3 years.
2/9/2018
Free agent C German Nuñez has been signed to a contract of $4,000,000 per year, for 2 years.

Projected Starters:
C - Carlo Blazquez
1B - Eric Tarr
2B - Cam "Burner" Slyder
SS - Francis "The Brain" Aguilera
3B - William Cespedes
LF - William Wright
CF - Anrew "Macho" Camacho
RF - Gordon "Pop" Moore

SP - Shawn "Special K" Kienasty
SP - Damon Whitten
SP - Kenny Bennett
SP - Bill "The Skull" Dawson
SP - Ian Rohr
MR - Kristian Bell
MR - Daniel Valentino
MR - Leon Dias
MR - Jeffery Miller
MR - Jesus Silve
CL - David Sadowski

- This off-season was a fairly productive one for the Nationals. They hadn't signed a FA the past two seasons and brought in 3 pretty solid players in this years offseason. The Nationals have a few guys in AAA right now who could be making their debut this season if injury occurs. The majority of the good players in the free agency pool are gone, and now it is just a matter of time before that first regualr season game rolls around.

[Special K 9274]

Nationals Off-Season Review:

Washington - The Nationals headed into the 2018 off-season with a ton of money to spend and a few holes to fill. They need to bring in another pitcher or two, a middle infielder, a backup outfielder, and maybe another bench player or two. They had over 120 million to spend on free agents, and they signed the following:

SP - Bill "The Skull" Dawson - Dawson, for some reason had been used as a middle releiver for the last few years despite the fact that he had 10 endruance. The Nationals plan to move him to the starting rotation this season and the #4 starter. This is The Skull's second tour of duty with the Nationals. He was on the team for one season before being traded to Oakland. Dawson, who is only 29, was given a 5 year deal, and hopefully will had a good run of years with the Nationals.

MR - Kristian Bell - Bell is a sold releif pitcher, with 9-10-6 ratings. He helps to sure up the Nationals bullpen, which should be among the tops in the league this season. Bell has been solid over the past 4 seasons, nothing amazing, but certainly solid numbers.

LF - Elijah Dukes - While some Nationals fans were questiong why the team would even wast money on another outfielder, the Nationals feel they got a bargin for Dukes. Dukes, who has put up consitent numbers in the past, has only one big question in his game. His contact. If it dips any lower the Nationals may look to move him, or simply send him to AAA.

C - German "City Slicker" Nuñez - Another former Nationals, Nunez brings a very solid playing capability to the Nats. The Nationals front office was suprised when they were contacted by Nunez and told that he was going to sign with them. His expected value was a lot higher in a league were catchers are a real commodity.

The Nationals had a very productive off-season. They brought in 4 guys who can, hopefully, help get the Nationals to the playoffs. Washington is heading into this season with big goals, to reach the playoffs, and finish with both a top 10 ranking in hitting and pitching. "With the amount of talent on this team, I certainly think that is a reasonable goal." Said Nationals starting right fielder, Gordon "Pop" Moore. Spring training begins (and ends) tommorow, and the first regular seaosn sim is on Friday. Lineups and Pitching Staff will be posted the day after spring training.

[Special K 9274]

NL East Breakdown

Team (Last Year Record) - Analysis

1. Florida (104-58) - Florida has won the division 3 straight seasons, and have had 4 consecutive seasons with at least 94 wins. Out of the other 4 GM's in the league, other then myself, he is the one I fear most. He is not afriad to trade his starters, and has has really transformed a team that was awful when he took over. They have a few good hitters, their lineup is anchored by CF Dino "The Gambler" Swiderski. The guy is an absolute monster, he has but up 20+ HR's, 100+ RBI, and .400+ OBP the last 4 seasons. He's still relativley young at 29, and has just manhandeled our team in recent years. Their pitching staff is led by Alexander "The Bull" Clark. "The Bull" doesn't mess around, he's fanned at least 225 hitters the last 3 seasons, and is a potentail Cy Young Canidate this year. This is the team to beat in the NL East.

2. New York (88-74) - The Mets have one of the better hitting lineups in the NL. They are pretty sound accross the board. However they have already had Jeffrey Astudillo, their starting first baseman,for the season. If the name sounds familair it's b/c he was originally drafted by the Nationals and then traded to the Mets. The Mets added a quality starter to their rotation in Tony Diz. Diz is a veteran, and at 35, may not have more then a seaosn left in the tank. I don't think the Mets come anywhere close to matching their win total from last season, especailly since the division will be more competitive. I see their win total being in the high 70's, to low 80's.

3. Philadelphia (84-78) - The Phillies GM is kind of an inactive one. He comes on for chunks of time where he is really active, then just seems to dissapear for a while. Either way, Philly should not be too much of a threat this season. Their have a few solid hitters, but have no pitching at all. The best pitcher they have is 36 year old John Maine who is 9-5-5 overall. They should finish no higher then 4th in the division this year, and should not come anywhere close to 84 wins. I see them winning in the low 70's at most.

4. Atlanta (75-87) - Atlanta used to be a powerhouse in the NL East. They had a span of 9 years where they finished top 2 in the division, 6 times winning it. However, Atlanta is at best a shadow image of what they once were. They have quite a few good pitching specs, and they may actually be able to make a run in a season or two, but in 2018, they really have minimal talent. 1B David "Rox" Roux, is a monster, he has posted 30+ homers in the last 5 seaons, and at only 27, could still be around for another Braves championship run.

5. Washington (70-92) - I believe the saying is, last but not least. The Nationals have arguably the most talent in the NL East this season. They are solid in both the pitching and hitting departments, and have a very good shot to win the NL East. As the season goes on, the Nationals should only get better, and it wouldn't be a suprise to see them go into the playoffs this season.

[Special K 9274]

2018 Spring Training

Spring Training Injuries:
-SP James Robinson is day to day (70%) with an Inflamed Rotator Cuff Muscle. He should be back to 100% in two weeks.

-SP Gaby Santos is day to day (80%) with a stiff elbow, but should be back to 100% in about 5 days.

-There were a few other minor injuries, but going into the first regular season game, those are the only two players with injuries listed.

Spring Training Development:
All in all, it was a very good spring for the Nationals. Some very highly regarded prospects took their game up a notch, which should help compete against their division rival Florida Marlins, who had, a huge spring training, like always.

 
Outfield Report:
Left: 
LF William Wright had a good spring training.  He gaiend some
contact, and was able to slighly rise his power.  Hopefully
he will be able to put up good numbers this season in what
is a very solid Nationals outfield.
 
Center:
CF Andrew "Macho" Camacho, last year's NL ROY had a
so so spring training.  He didn't really do anything out
of the ordinary, and hopeully that won't hurt his sophmore
campain.
 
Right:
RF Gordom "Pop" Moore, the Nationals best hitter had about
as good of a spring training as he could have.  His power went
from an 8 to a 9 and is ready to have a fla out dominant season 
this year.

 
On the Mound:
SP Kenny Bennet had the best spring training of any Nationals 
pitcher.  He went up in stuff, control, and movement.  He will
be the Nationals #3 starter this season, and could possibly be 
moved up if his development continues
 
SP Damon Whitten did not have a great spring training, but 
none the less he will be in the majors for the regular season
and there is a chance he may even be the opening day starter.

25 Man roster, Lineups, and Pitching Staff will be announced tommorow.

[Special K 9274]

Roster Breakdown: Catcher and Infield

C

 
Starter - Carlo Blazquez - Blazquez has been on the Nationals 
team for the last 5 seasons, starting the last 3. He came up 
to the majors in 2013, one year after the Nationals one the
World Series, and he has suffered through the whole rebuilding 
process. He's a solid player, and b/c of his performance last season,
he is the starter.
How Accuired: Drafted in 4th round, 104th overall pick, by Washington in 2007
 
Backup - German "City Slicker" Nuñez - He is now with his second 
tour of duty in Washington. He's had an average .376 OBP over 
the last 4 years and has an absolute cannon from behind the plate.
How Accuired: Signed as a free agent by Washington on 2/9/2018 
to a 2-year deal worth $4,000,000 per year

1B

 
Starter - Eric Tarr - Eric had played outfield his whole life until 
last season. The Nationals were in desperate need of a 1B and 
since he was only going to see minimal time in a very good outfiled 
they decided to put him at 1B where he put up very solid numbers.
.347 OBP, 28 HR, 110 RBI, and 42 SB. 
How Accuired: Traded from Anaheim to Washington on 5/4/2014
 
Backup - Vicente Pinelo - Pinelo has 1 major league at bat, and 
brings almost nothing to the table, but at this point is the 
best backup we have.
How Accuired: Drafted in 7th round, 181st overall pick, by Washington in 2010

2B

 
Starter - Cam "Burner" Slyder - Cam came over in the trade 
with Eric Tarr, and has been an average player over the last 
two seasons, however he has started 162 games in back to
back seasons for the Nationals which is very important b/c we
have almost no middle infield depth. He is nicknamed "Burner" 
for his base stealing abliity, he has 120 stolen bases in the last 
two seasons.
How Accuired: Traded from Anaheim to Washington on 5/4/2014 
 
Backup - William Cespedes - Cespedes is a utilitly player, who 
plays 2B, SS, and 3B. He is an average player who at 26, hasn't 
quite reached his potential, but hopefully will this year. He put
up decent power numbers last year for only have 6/9 power, 
15 HR, 96 RBI.
How Accuired: Drafted in 5th round, 121st overall pick, by Washington in 2010

SS

 
Starter - Francis "The Brain" Aguilera - Aguilera is arguably the 
best offensive player we have.  He's a solid player at hitting,
running, and fielding.  He was our offensive MVP last year, he hit
.312 with 31 HR, and 136 RBI.  We expect big things from his 
this season, we need him to help carry this young team filled with inexperience.
How Accuired: Traded from Colorado to Washington on 6/22/2017 
 
Backup - Cam "Burner Slyer - Our Starting 2B

3B

 
Starter - William Cespedes - He also is our backup 2B
 
Backup - Ryan Raburn - Raburn turns 37 this year, and is the 
oldest player on our MLB squad.  He gives almost nothing offensivley,
 but is a very good defender at the hot corner with 6 range and
9 arm.
How Accuired: Signed as a free agent by Washington on 1/30/2016
to a 3-year deal worth $500,000 per year

[Special K 9274]

Roster Breakdown: Outfield

Outfield

Right - Gordon "Pop" Moore - Moore is known in Washington as 
"The Franchise".  He was drafted 6th overall with the pick that 
sent Nationals all star 3B Shawn Kienast to Chicago.  Moore 
heads into the season with 8/10/9/10/8 ratings out of 9/10/10/10/8.  
He has 163 eye, and a potential 113 power.  He walked 120 times 
last season, and hit 25 HR's, and hopefully will help Aguilera to
carry that Nationals offense.
How Accuired: Drafted in 1st round, 6th overall pick, by Washington in 2015
 
Center - Andrew "Macho" Camacho - Camacho is looking to have 
a strong follow campaign after winning NL ROY in 2017.  He is 
the Nationals leadoff hitter, and can hopefully put up as good, 
if not better numbers then last year, and play some good defense,
in what is a relativley weak fielding outfield.
How Accuired: Traded from Kansas City to Washington on 1/29/2016 
 
Left - William Wright - Wright is a good all around hitter.  He 
has 10 power talent, but is only 7 overall right now (8 vs RHP).  
Hopefully he can step his game up this season, he has been
somewhat of an underacheaver so far in his short MLB career.
How Accuired: Traded from Chicago (A) to Washington on 5/14/2015 
 
Bench - Elijah Dukes - Dukes was a key FA pickup this offseason 
and bring a good combo of speed and power to the bench.  
Hopefully he will get some reps this season at all 3 OF spots, 
and is ready in case a starter goes down.
How Accuired: Signed as a free agent by Washington on 2/5/2018 
to a 3-year deal worth $2,500,000 per year
 
Bench - Eric Tarr - In case of 2 injuries Eric Tarr would have
to be moved from 1B back to OF, but hopefully that doesn't 
happen b/c that would leave a huge void at 1B.

[Special K 9274]

Roster Breakdown: Pitchers

Starting Rotation

1) Damon Whitten - For the second year in a row the Nationals 
will go into opening day with a rookie on the mound.  Whitten 
was drafted last year with the 1st overall pick and has not 
stopped devloping since the moment he got drafted.  He 
stands at 6"4, with 10 endurance, thows 98-100, and has 
ratings of 9/8/7 of 10/9/8.  He is expected to be the Nationals
ace this season.
How Accuired: Drafted in 1st round, 1st overall pick, by Washington in 2017
 
2) Shawn "Special K" Kienasty - Last year's opening day starter 
will be bumped to the #2 slot this year.  Kienasty finished his
rookie year 14-7 with a 3.65 ERA and 217 K's.  Hopefully he
will be able to pick up where he left off last year blowing away 
opposing batters.
How Accuired: League Created Player
 
3) Kenny Bennett - Bennett had a huge talent explosion last year 
and went from 9-7-9 talent to 10-9-10 talent.  His stuff and 
movement are nearly fully developed, but his control could use a 
little work.  He is certainly better then he was last season and 
hopefully will be able to put up solid numbers for a #3.
How Accuired: Traded from Chicago (A) to Washington on 5/14/2015 
 
4) Bill "The Skull" Dawson - At 29, Dawson is the veteran of 
the Nationals rotation.  He has 10 endurance and 10 stuff with 
velocity in the mid to high 90's.  Hopefully being in the bullpen 
for the Reds the last few years hasn't effected him, and he should 
be able to a very good #4 starter.
How Accuired: Signed as a free agent by Washington on 1/30/2018 
to a 5-year deal worth $13,000,000 per year
 
5) Ian Rohr - Another young gun in the Nationals rotation here.  
Rohr got banged around a little bit last season, but hopefully there 
won't be too much pressure on him as the Natinoals #5 starter.  
He has 9-5-6 ratings (which is probably average for this league) 
out of 10-6-7.  He has had good develoment so far and hopefully he keeps it up.
How Accuired: Traded from Philadelphia to Washington on 7/31/2016 

Bullpen

MR - Jeffery Miller - Miller was just a throw in, in a trade 
with Chicago but had great development and has 10-10-5 
ratings with 5 endurance. 
How Accuired: Traded from Chicago (A) to Washington on 5/14/2015 
 
MR - Leon Dias - Leon Dias had just turned 26 with ratings of 
3-7-7. A lot of GM's would have given up on him, but I held 
on to him and he actually turned out to have great ratings after 
a few months of development. He is now 5-10-10.
How Accuired: Traded from Oakland to Washington on 2/18/2015 
 
MR - Kristian Bell - Bell brings some veteran leadership to a 
Nationals pen that is still relativley young. He was brought in 
this offseason and really sures up the pen this year.
How Accuired: Signed as a free agent by Washington on 1/31/2018
to a 3-year deal worth $6,500,000 per year
 
MR - David Sadowski - Sadowski is another very good veteran 
pitcher in the pen. He is 9-8-9 overall and put up pretty good 
numbers last year. He would have been our closer this year, but 
since Jesus Silva put up better numbers he is now the closer.
How Accuired: Traded from Colorado to Washington on 6/1/2017 
 
MR - Daniel Valentino - Valentino is not quite developed yet, he 
is 6-8-8 out of a possible 7-9-8, but he also has 5 enduance. He 
will probably be our 4th releiver this year, and if he gains endurance 
could possibly see a few starts.
How Accuired: Traded from Oakland to Washington on 2/18/2015
MR - James Munday - Munday is going to be the worst pitcher in the Nationals pen 
this season and will likely only see time as the Mop-up relevier.
How Accuired: Drafted in 1st round, 24th overall pick, by Washington in 2013
 
CL - Jesus Silva - Silva put up a 3.48 ERA last year and had 20 
saves, which is not bad considering he split time with Sadowski 
and a few other releviers. He will be our perminant closer this year.
How Accuired: Traded from Colorado to Washington on 6/22/2017

[Special K 9274]

Washington Nationals Clubhouse

85-77 (.525)
3rd Place, 18.0 GB
10.0 GB Wild Card

Payroll: $62,298,571 (15th)
Fan Interest: 36/100 (18th)

Team Rankings:
Batting AVG: .269 (21st)
Homeruns: 178 (16th)
Walks: 662 (3rd)
Stolen Bases: 309 (2nd)
Runs Scored: 850 (21st)

Pitching ERA: 4.24 (6th)
Opponents AVG: .262 (7th)
HRs Allowed: 147 (8th)
Walks Allowed: 504 (12th)
Runs Allowed: 781 (8th)

[Special K 9274]

Sim #1 (3/30-4/22)

Sim Record: 11-6
Team Record: 11-6

Sim Recap: Well, this sim was kind of a mixed bag for the Nationals. We got off to the start we have wanted record wise, and we are only 1.5 GB the division leading Mets, who by some miracle went 12-4. There were a lot of good things, but they were almost overshadowed by a few bad things. First the good, then the bad.

The Good...
-We went 11-6, and are tied for 2nd place in the division with the Braves. - One of our top prospects, SS Maels Cabanillas, gained a lot of talent. His contact went from a 6 to a 7, his eye from 5 to 7, and avoid k's from 5 to 6. He now has 7/8/10/7/6 talent and has pretty good development.
- Another one of our top specs, 1B Julian Armijo, went up overall in contact, and went up a few other points in scattered areas. He was projected to make it to the big show late this season, but if his development continues he may be up in a few sims.
- Gordon Moore leads the league in walks, with 18.
- Our pitching staff is ranked 5th in the league with a 4.06 ERA.
- Rookie SP Damon Whitten was flat out amazing. He went 3-0 in 4 starts, with a 3.07 ERA, 25 K's, 1 CG, and 1 SHO. He was our opening day starter, and pitching a complete game, 3 hit shutout with 7 K's.

The Bad...
- This type of thing amazes me about OOTP. Our top pitching spec, Damon Whitten was amazing, better then I had even hoped for, and yet he lost 2 talent point in control. I just don't get it.
- Out offense came up really short of what I had expected, we are ranked 19th in the league, with 91 runs scored, and we are 23rd in avg, at .271
- Our CF William Wright is supposed to be a stud, but you would never guess with the way he plays. He hit .208 this sim wiht only 2 HR's, and 11 K's.
- LF Elijah Dukes lost contact, which was a big concern for us. Now only time will tell if he can even play at the MLB level.
- Despite winning on opening day (which was a promo day I might add), and having a winning record for the first time in a while, my fan interest dropped.

Standings:
AL:

 AL East
Baltimore    12-4
Toronto      10-5
Boston       9-6
New York (A) 6-11
Tampa Bay    6-11
 
AL Central
Kansas City 12-4
Minesota    9-7
Chicago (A) 8-8
Cincinati   7-8
Detroit     7-9
 
AL West
Texas   9-8
Oakland 6-10
Seatle  6-10
Anaheim 6-12

NL:

 NL East
New York (N) 12-4
Atlanta      10-5
Washington   11-6
Florida      8-9
Philadelphia 8-9
 
NL Central
Houston     10-6
Clevland    9-7
St. Louis   7-9
Milwaukee   7-11
Chicago (N) 6-11
Pittsburgh  5-12
 
NL West
Los Angeles (N) 11-6
San Fransisco   9-8
Arizona         8-9
San Diego       7-9
Colorado        4-11

Series Recaps:

vs

Game 1:
Arizona - 0
Washington - 4
(This was our home opener and I did a noddin' head doll promotion, and we won.)

Game 2:
Arizona - 4
Washington - 6

Game 3:
Arizona - 6
Washington - 5

What he said: "Well, let's see, the guy is 6"4, his fastball is 100 mph, and he isn't afraid to thow it inside. Yeah I'd say he's intimidating." - Arizona's 1B George Varnado, who went 0-3 with 2 K's against Nationals rookie pitcher Damon Whitten.

Analysis: Not a bad way to start the season, but we should have swept them. They are not a very good team, and if we want to prove ourselves we have to be able to handle teams like there. Bennet let us down in the third game, he gave up 5 ER in 5.1 IP, but other then that it was a good series.

@

Game 1:
Washington -5
Pittsburgh - 4

Game 2:
Washington - 6
Pittsburgh - 8

Game 3:
F/10
Washington - 7
Pittsburgh - 6

What he said: "I think that's the way we need to play ball all this season, I mean, we didn't get down on ourselves, and really gave em' a good fight" - Nationals 2B Cam Slyder after the Nationals put up 2 runs in the 9th and 1 in the 10th to beat Pittsburgh in the last game of the series.

Analysis: Pittsburgh, has been the most dominant team in the NL for years, and although they are off to a slow start this year, they still have one hell of a team, so this was a nice series win for us.

vs

Game 1:
San Fran - 0
Washington - 4

Game 2:
San Fran - 2
Washington - 5

Game 3:
San Fran - 4
Washington - 7

Game 4:
San Fran - 3
Washington - 2

What he said: "Heh, he told me that he really liked my fire, but to try not to make a habit of it" - Nationals CF William Wright after being tossed in the 4th inning of game 1 for arguing a called 3rd strike.

Analysis: San Fran is another really good NL team, so we have now won 5 of 7 against two really good teams, and another sereis that we could have swept, but San Fran's Ace Lou McNmara pitched a hell of a game in Game 4 that prevented it.

@

Game 1:
Washington - 4
Colorado - 3

Game 2:
Washington - 6
Colorado - 5

Game 3:
Washington - 6
Colorado - 8

What he said: "It was fun to catch up with some old friends and play at Coors Field again. Man do I love to play at that field." - Nationals 3B on his return back to his former team the Colorado Rockies.

Analysis: I'm a little dissapointed again that we couldn't finish the sweep, especailly against a team like Colorado who is in the middle of a heavy rebuild and have almost no MLB talent.

@

Game 1:
Washington - 9
Cleveland - 10

Game 2:
Washington - 1
Cleveland - 6

Game 3:
Washington - 10
Cleveland - 1

What he said: "He's a dirty player. I mean, we were really handling him so he decides he want to start throwing at us, I mean that's not how you play baseball, and it's not even just Dawson, their whole team plays dirty" - Cleveland's SS Daniel Mitchell after being hit in the ribs by a Bill Dawson 95 MPB fastball, after Dawson had given up 6 ER in just 3 innings.

Analysis: We really can't afford to go out and lose 2/3 to teams like Cleveland. They aren't a bad team, but with the talent we have, there is no excuse for losing 2/3 to Cleveland.

The next sereis is only 1 game in, so I will do it next Write-Up.

[Special K 9274]

Sim #2 (4/23-5/13)

[left]
Sim Record: 11-8
Tream Record: 22-14

Sim Recap: Well, we did slighly worse (record wise) then we did the first sim, but almost everyone's stats got better with the exception of SP Ian Rohr, who is now 0-4 with an ERA above 7. RF Gordon Moore's power rating went up and he is now 8-10-10-10-8. 1B Eric Tarr had increased his power and eye talent and now has 7-7-9-10-6 talent (6-7-8-8-7 overall). Some Random Team Facts/News:

- Our Pyt. Rec. is 24-12, the same as the Mets, which means hopefully we will be able to catch up with them in a sim or two.

- We are yet to play division rival, and defending champ, Florida, and acocrding to the upcoming schedule we won't play them this sim either.

- MR Leon Dias, man what a story this guy has been. Him and Daniel Valentino were accuired from the A's for star C Lou Santangelo. He was really underdeveloped, but had potentail. He came to the Nationals and saw an almost immediate increase in talent, but unfortunanley not in ratings. He was 3-7-7 at age 26, and it looked as though he was on the path of a career minor leaguer. I guess you could say he was a late bloomer b/c now Dias, 27, is 6-10-10 overall, and is arguably the best releiver in the Nationals pen. He has not given up a run yet this season in 18.2 IP, and has only given up 10 hits.

- SP Kenny Bennet really turned it on this sim after getting off to a slow start. He was 2-1 but had a 6.75 ERA, however after this sim he is 5-1 with a 4.22 ERA, and has won his last 4 starts, and his last 5 decisions overall.

- We are now 4/4 on promo days, and have won by an average of 7 runs for each game. Our fan interst has from from a 27 to a 31.

Standings:
AL:

 
AL East 
Baltimore       23-11
Toronto         20-14
Boston          20-15
Tampa Bay       16-19
New York (A)    13-24
 
AL Central
Kansas City     24-11
Minesota        21-15
Cincinati       16-18
Detroit         16-20
Chicago (A)     13-23
 
AL West
Texas           21-15
Seatle          19-17
Oakland         16-20
Anaheim         10-26

NL:

 
NL East
New York (N)    26-9
Washington      22-14
Florida         21-15
Atlanta         15-20
Philadelphia    14-21
 
NL Central  
St. Louis       23-13
Milwaukee       21-18
Houston         18-17
Cleveland       16-19
Chicago (N)     16-20
Pittsburgh      15-21
 
NL West
Los Angeles (N) 22-14
San Fransisco   21-16
San Diego       17-19
Arizona         12-23
Colorado        8-28

Series Recaps

vs

Game 1:
Milwaukee - 1
Washington - 4

Game 2:
Milwaukee - 1
Washington - 10

Game 3:
Milwaukee - 1
Washington - 4

Game 4:
F/12
Milwaukee - 2
Washington - 4


Sweep!

What he said: "I had played a pretty bad game up to that point, so it was nice to know that I helped up get a win, and didn't make us lose" - Nationals 2B Cam Slyder who hit a Walk off 2 Run HR in the bottom of the 12th in the 4th game of the series.

Analysis: Our pitching was dominant as all hell, and our hitting was efficent enough, although I'd expect a little more against a weaker staff like one such as the Brewers. Sweep!!

@

Game 1:
Washington - 5
Atlanta - 7

Game 2:
Washington - 3
Atlanta - 4

Game 3:
Washington - 8
Atlanta - 3

What he said: "I guess my power stroke is oh, haha. It must be all the extra BP I've been taking" - Nationals RF Gordon Moore after hitting a 452 ft. homerun, in a 7-5 Nats loss.

Analysis: I hate to lose 2/3 to a divisional opponent, espcailly one that isn't even in the top 3 teams in our division. It's series' like these that are keeping us out of 1st place.

vs

Game 1:
Colorado - 2
Washington - 10

Game 2:
Colorado - 8
Washington - 4

Game 3:
Colorado - 4
Washington - 9

Game 4:
Colorado - 1
Washington - 11

What he said: "Their pitching staff, especailly the top of their rotation is like murder. They all throw fast and hard, and are just really hard to hit" Rockies LF Jayson Nix who struck out 8 times in 4 games vs the Nats.

Analysis: Good sereis again, taking 3/4 is fine, we had one rough game, which happens from time to time.

@
Game 1:
Washington - 11
Arizona - 2

Game 2:
Washington - 2
Arizona - 1

Game 3:
Washington - 2
Arizona - 5

What he said: "I'm just struggling right now with a lot of mechanical things. It seems like every time I get something fixed a new problem comes up" Nationals SP Ian Rohr after giving up 5 ER and 3 BB in just 4.1 IP vs the Dbacks.

Analysis: Our offense is really inconsistent, and that could end up hurting us. We need to stop dropping games here and there to bad teams like Arizona in order to get to the top of the league.

vs

Game 1:
Houston - 6
Washington - 3

Game 2:
Houston - 5
Washington - 0

Game 3:
Houston - 2
Washington - 5

What he said: "Yeah, I dont know how that really happened, heh. I mean, I've never given up that many walks in a game, ever. Ever. I still am kind of suprised I was able to win the game" Astros SP Nick Jackson Jr. after walking 9 batters and still getting the W in Houston's 6-3 defeat of the Nationals.

Analysis: Houston is a contender in the NL, so I don't know what ot really make out of hits. The games we lost weren't blowouts per say, but they weren't really all that close either.

vs

Game 1:
Chicago - 7
Washington - 2

Game 2:
Chicago - 8
Washington - 6

Game 3:
Chicago - 3
Washington - 7

What he said: "Umm, well it wasn't the best game I've ever pitched, but it wasn't like I was walking them a lot or anything, they were just able to hit what I was throwing, fortunaley i got some key strike outs, and we were able to pull one win out of the series" Natinoals SP Damon Whitten after pitching his 2nd complete game of the season.

Analysis: This kind of thing kills me. The Cubs are not a good team, in fact they are still in rebuild mode, so for them to beat us 2/3 is ridiculous. This needs to not happen anymoer.


The Clubhous post is updated with stats also.

[Special K 9274]

It's been a little more then two months (game time) since I've upadted this, so I'm going to try now to make a post summarizing what has happened.

[Special K 9274]

Sim # 3, 4, and 5(5/14-7/15)

Analysis: Wow it's gonig to be tough to summarize what has happened the last two months. My team has been playing consitantly average baseballl up untill the last sim. I was sitting in a tie with the Mets for 2nd place in the NL East, after Flordia began to just light teams up left and right. Sim 5 was a good one for the Nationals, we went 11-6, and are currenlty in the Wild Card Lead. There was no real big development, or talent loss, but there's still a lot to report.

Draft Recap:

The Amatuer draft came and went, and the Nationals, as they have the past few years, had a very succesful draft.

Round 1 Pick (7th Overall):
SP - Richard "Zippo" Shedd - Shedd was taken with the 7th pick in a fairly strong drat class. He has 8-9-8 talent, with 10 endurance. He sure would make a nice addition to the Nationals rotation, and would open the door to trade SP Ian Rohr, who has struggeled violently in the 2 MLB seasons with the Nationals. Shedd's age is somewhat of a concern. He is 24 (turned 24 on 4/6), and is only 4-5-5 overall. However, he reminds me of Gordon Moore who was all 5's and 6's at age 24, and he fully developed.

Round 2 Pick (37th Overall):
MR - Takeshichirou Takeichi - Takeichi is from Japan and has pretty good talent. 9-7-7 potential for a 2nd round draft pick is better then what we hoped for. However, just like Shedd, his age is a concern for us. He is 23 (he turned 23 on 4/