2012 Washington Nationals Predictions

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After bringing up the rear in the National League East for three straight seasons while failing to win more than 69 games, the Washington Nationals took a big step forward in 2011.  They  finished 80-81 and took third place. And, they did so without the services of ace Stephen Strasburg. With Strasburg healthy, the Nationals could make even more noise in the NL East.

Projected Pitching

Starting rotation: Stephen Strasburg (R) – Strasburg returned from Tommy John surgery in September and posted a 1.50 ERA in five starts. This power pitcher could develop into the Justin Verlander of the National League.

Gio Gonzalez (L) – The former Oakland Athletic has some control issues at times (led the AL with 91 walks) but should prove to be a good pickup. He went 16-12 with a 3.12 ERA in 2011.

Jordan Zimmermann (R) – He’s one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball in my opinion. He finished 8-11 with a 3.18 ERA last year and would have reached double digit wins with a little more run support.

John Lannan (L) – This ground ball specialist quietly hurled well in 2011, finishing 10-13 with a 3.70 ERA.

Edwin Jackson (R) – Jackson proved to be a pretty good pickup for the reining World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals late last season. He went 5-2 with a 3.58 ERA down the stretch.

Closer: Drew Storen (R) – It’s hard to find much wrong with Storen’s 2011 performance. He converted 43 of 48 save opportunities.

Projected Lineup

Wilson Ramos (Catcher) – This up and coming backstop batted .267 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs last season.

Adam LaRoche (First Base) – The Nats are hoping LaRoche can give them 25 home runs and 100 RBIs like he gave the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010. He has 20 home run power when healthy but has only had one season in which he played more than 100 games over the past five years.

Danny Espinosa (Second Base) – He was a Rookie of the Year contender early but fell out of the race by batting just .227 after the All-Star break. He finished with 21 round trippers and 66 RBIs but only hit .236 for the season.

Ryan Zimmerman (Third Base) – The face of the Nats is one of the elite third basemen in the game. He had back-to-back seasons with at least 25 jacks and 85 RBIs before missing two months in 2011 with an abdominal injury. Expect a big bounce back campaign from Zimmerman.

Ian Desmond (Shortstop) – Desmond was a more consistent defender in 2011 (errors were down from 34 to 23) but his offense took a step back. He batted .253 with 8 homers and 49 RBIs last season after hitting .269 with 10 homers and 65 RBIs in 2010.

Michael Morse (Left Field) – Morse is coming off a breakout season in which he hit .303 with 31 jacks and 95 RBIs.

Roger Bernadina (Center Field) – He’s not much of a threat at the plate (batted .243 in 2011) but is a solid defensive player.

Jayson Werth (Right Field) – Werth hit 20 home runs and stole 19 bases in his first season in Washington.

Prediction4th Place NL East: The Phillies are the clear favorite to win the East because of their awesome pitching staff, but the rest of the division is wide open. It should be a close race for second place between the Braves, Marlins and Nationals. The Nationals are listed at +900 to win the NL East.

About the Author: Jimmy Boyd is known for his consistency. He's a proven winner in college and pro football, college and pro basketball and pro baseball. He finished as the No. 1 ranked MLB handicapper in 2007 by earning $1,000/game bettors $50,050. He also finished as the No. 1 ranked basketball handicapper in the 2008-09 season, profiting $1,000/game bettors 38,530. His basketball plays have banked $1,000/game bettors nearly $80,000 the last five years. Check out Jimmy's premium picks for tonight!
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