Is Zimmermann the best pitcher on the Nationals?

Expectations were high for the Nationals’ rotation heading into the season. The team boasts three ace-caliber pitchers and, based on their performance last year, starting pitching was thought of as a strength. With no innings-limit hovering over Stephen Strasburg’s head and Gio Gonzalez coming off a 21 win season, it was not hard to imagine a pitcher establishing himself as a Cy Young contender.

Thirty-five games into the season, one pitcher has indeed established himself, but not the one you may have thought.

Jordan Zimmermann is the often-overlooked star of this rotation. He has been the most consistent pitcher by far this season and is arguably responsible for bringing the Nationals out of their recent slump.

That’s quite an accomplishment for a player who only plays once every five games.

Zimmermann was drafted by the Nationals in 2007 and made his major league debut April 20, 2009. In August of that year, however, he underwent Tommy John surgery and thus fell under the radar.

Zimmermann returned on August 26, 2010, but his return was also over-shadowed. On that same day, the Nationals learned that their new phenom, Strasburg, would be undergoing Tommy John surgery as well.

The return of a relatively unknown pitcher did not seem to matter.

Since that time, however, Zimmermann has established himself as one of the league’s best pitchers.

With no innings limit, Strasburg was expected to pitch like the ace we all know he can be. In his seven starts this season, he has a 1-4 record with a 3.45 ERA and five homeruns allowed.

Gio has struggled even more than Strasburg. He has gotten better run support than Strasburg, helping him reach a 3-2 record, but he has a 4.97 ERA and has also allowed five homeruns.

Zimmermann on the other hand, continues to dominate. He leads the team with a 6-1 record and a 1.59 ERA. He has allowed only two homeruns and a WHIP of 0.82. He pitched eight scoreless innings in Atlanta to help the Nationals earn their first win of the season against their divisional rivals. Since that game, the Nationals have won five of their next six, pulling the team out of its slump.

Strasburg is one of the best pitching talents in the league and I have no doubt he will play better as the season goes along. Likewise, I expect Gio to rebound as well. But the Nationals currently have a record of 20-15. Imagine where they would be without Zimmermann.

Zimmermann is eligible for arbitration in 2015. It will be hard for the Nationals to keep him, as it is hard to pay three aces to remain in your rotation. He is arguably the best pitcher in baseball right now and he is third in this rotation.

The point is that with Strasburg and Gio, it appeared Zimmermann would be expendable and too expensive to keep. No doubt it will be hard to pay him what he is worth while keeping him at third in the rotation, but do not dismiss how important he is to this team right now. He may not be as expendable as many have assumed.

Gio Gonzalez's Future Clouded by PED Connection

Gio Gonzalez reported to camp in Viera, Florida this week and again denied any connection to the Biogenesis clinic now under investigation for supplying performance-enhancing drugs to MLB players. He declared to reporters that it was time to “move on”.

 

This story, however, is far from over.

 

A recent article in the Miami New Times reported that Gonzalez and five other MLB players were listed in the notebook of Tony Bosch, founder of the Biogenesis clinic. Gonzalez’s name is listed five times next to several substances, though, as reported by Mark Zuckerman, only one contains a banned substance. The MLB has opened an investigation and Gonzalez told reporters he has already spoken to investigators. Though Gonzalez has never tested positive for any type of banned substance, he still faces a suspension based on whatever the MLB may find in its investigation.

 

Should he and Nationals’ fans be worried?

 

It’s too early to say definitively at the moment, but there are certainly factors working against him.

 

Common sense says that when there’s smoke, there’s fire. Multiple reporters have now seen Bosch’s notes and have confirmed Gonzalez’s name appears. There has to be a reason why his name is in those notes and it is probably not because Gonzalez was his favorite pitcher.

 

Gonzalez did offer an explanation. Max Gonzalez, Gio’s father, was a patient of the clinic and Gonzalez claimed it was possible his father’s bragging may have caught Bosch’s attention. Otherwise, there was no direct connection between himself and Bosch.

 

I suppose this could be plausible and it is certainly better than denying any connection whatsoever, but it is still a bit of a stretch. Your father bragged about you so much that Bosch felt the need to write your name down five times in his notes and one time next to a substance that included testosterone? Why? Just as a suggestion? Sure, we do not know exactly what Bosch was thinking, but it does not make much sense for a person to continue noting someone he has had no contact with.

 

Being linked to Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera also does not help.  After the story broke, Yahoo Sports also linked Ryan Braun’s name to the clinic.  All three have been linked to banned substances in the past.

 

In fact, the whole history of PED use in baseball is working against Gonzalez. Players are guilty until proven innocent after so many players have been caught lying. Even if Gonzalez is not suspended, he may never be able to recover his reputation as a clean player.

 

Should Gonzalez be suspended, it could be a significant loss to the Nationals to start the season. The team was able to seamlessly transition during Stephen Strasburg’s shutdown last season because they were able to plug the former ace, John Lannan, into the rotation. Lannan, however, is no longer on the team. The Nationals instead would turn to either Zach Duke or Christian Garcia. Duke has more starting experience, but Garcia seems more likely as Duke is the only left-hander left in the bullpen.  Either way, losing Gonzalez for Duke or Garcia would certainly be a step down for the rotation.

 

With no positive tests and only a few scattered notes to go on, however, the MLB does not have enough evidence to suspend Gonzalez. It all depends on what Bosch himself tells investigators regarding their relationship, but I doubt Gonzalez will miss any time. The story may follow him throughout the season, but the Nationals’ rotation will remain intact.

National's Dream Season Has Nightmare Ending

The Nationals were one strike away from their first every playoff series win.  One more strike would send them to the NLCS.  Then it all came crashing down.

Washington fans were dealt another heartbreak last Friday as they witnessed one of the most spectacular collapses in sports history.  Up 6-0 in a series-clinching game five, the Nationals fell 9-7 after four allowed runs in the ninth inning.

The inevitable question being asked of course is if the Nationals could have won this series with Stephen Strasburg.  Strasburg would have pitched games one and five as the team’s ace.  Surely in a series that came down to game five, two games from Strasburg could have given the Nationals that one extra win?

I will say the same thing I said when Strasburg was shut down: we will never know.  All you pro-Strasburg critics do not have a crystal ball and have no idea how Strasburg would have pitched if given the chance.  Starting pitching was a major problem this series.  In two games, Gio Gonzalez walked 11 batters and gave up 5 runs.  Jordan Zimmermann allowed five runs and lasted only three innings in his one start.  Edwin Jackson, the only starter with postseason experience, lasted five innings while giving up five runs.  In fact, the only starter who did pitch well was the one who replaced Strasburg, Ross Detwiler.  While some would argue that adding Strasburg would have helped a rotation that struggled so much this series, there’s no guarantee he would not have struggled too.

Even if they had, it would not have mattered.  The Cardinals have been in pressure situations before.  After Friday’s win, the Cardinals have won six straight elimination games.  The Nationals, meanwhile, came into this series young and inexperienced.  If the Nationals learn one thing from this experience, it should be this: experience matters.

In June, the Nationals were one of the hottest teams in baseball.  The young team rode a six game winning streak into a series against the Yankees.  The series was the closest thing to a playoff atmosphere most of the players had experienced.  The Nationals were hot and the Yankees were the Yankees.  The national media and sold out crowds flocked to DC in anticipation.

The result?  The Nationals were swept.  Only one game was close, a marathon game that went 14 innings before the Yankees pulled away.  At that point it became clear; the Nationals were not yet ready for the playoffs.  They were not ready for that type of attention and pressure.

The Cardinals seemed like a good matchup when comparing rosters, but you cannot discount experience.  It takes a mentally strong team to battle back from a 6-0 deficit in the playoffs and an inexperienced one to lose it.

Heads up though, the future is bright in DC.  This team has a young core that will continue to grow and that Mike Rizzo can continue to build around.  Next season Strasburg will have no limitations, the team will have more experience, and the majority of the 98-game winning roster will return.  This one may hurt, but there are good times ahead for the Nationals.

For the latest DC sports news and updates you can follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy

Nationals Win First Ever Playoff Game, Take Control of Series

Throughout the regular season, the Nationals compiled the best record in the MLB because of the combined effort of their star players and supporting cast.  Whenever the stars struggled, there was always someone there to step-up.  It was no different Sunday as the Nationals took their first ever playoff game thanks to Tyler Moore and the bullpen.

With the shutdown of Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez was the clear ace.  Davey Johnson hoped for a strong outing from the starter to relieve the pressure off his inexperienced lineup, but Gio struggled to control his pitches.  In five innings, Gio allowed only one run, but gave up seven walks and a wild pitch that brought in the first run.  He settled down, but it was not the effort we have grown used to seeing this year.

The bullpen stepped up and held the Cardinals scoreless through the remaining four innings.  Craig Stammen came in to relieve Gio, followed by Ryan Mattheus who needed only two pitches to bail the Nationals out of a jam in the seventh.  The Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs thanks to an error by Adam LaRoche, a single, and Matt Holliday being hit by a pitch.  The Cardinals grounded into a force out at home, then grounded into a double play on the next pitch.  Tyler Clippard held the Cardinals at bay and Drew Storen came on in the ninth for the save.

While the bullpen bailed out a lackluster performance from Gio, it was Tyler Moore who stepped in to give the offense they needed.  Down 2-1 in the top of the eighth with runners on second and third, Johnson sent up Chad Tracy.  When the Cardinals responded with a call to the bullpen for lefty March Rzepcynski, Johnson rolled the dice and sent in Moore instead.  The gamble paid off.  Moore singled to right bringing in both runners and the Nationals took a 3-2 lead.

Taking the first in a series is always important, but for the Nationals it may well prove pivotal. It is important to start off on the right foot against the defending champions on their own field, especially with how inexperienced the Nationals are.  Now the first win is in the books, the jitters are gone; the players can get back into the rhythm of playing baseball.  Plus, with the ridiculous playoff format that awards the lower-seeded team the first two home games, it is crucial to steal one on the road.  Now, the Nationals need two wins in the remaining four games, and three of those four are in DC.

Lets not get carried away here.  This was only one win.  The Nationals still need two more and the Cardinals have won five straight games when facing elimination.  The defending champion are not a team that panics.  Still, it says a lot when a team as young as the Nationals can come back to win a game like this.  It is the ugly, unconventional games that prove the character of a team and the Nationals just passed a big test in St. Louis.

It was close, it was unconventional, and sometimes ugly, but the Nationals have their first ever playoff win and that’s all that matters.

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Nationals Looking Good Going into the All-Star Break

We have reached the midway point of another MLB season, but things feel remarkably different in DC.  The Nationals have the best record in the National League and is sending three players to the all-star game.  The team has not been in this position since 2005, but while most felt that team was destined to fall, now the team has its sights on a strong finish and their first playoff berth in the Nation’s Capital.

“I mean, we should make the playoffs. There’s no doubt in my mind,” said manager Davey Johnson.  With a four game lead in the division, the Nationals are not looking at merely being a wild card team, but division champions; no small feat for a team that has never finished with a winning record.  But the Nationals currently find themselves atop the standings with a four game lead in a division that includes perennial powerhouse Philadelphia, consistently formidable Atlanta, the surprisingly resilient Mets, and the high-spending Florida Marlins.  So far, against the stiff NL East competition, the Nationals are the only team surpassing their own expectations.

How have the Nationals managed such an impressive turnaround?  One need look no further than the team’s all-star representatives for the answer:  homegrown young talent, and formidable pitching.  Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper were both drafted by the Nationals and are making a splash in the majors.  Strasburg is quickly becoming one of the best pitchers in the MLB and Harper the most electrifying.  Gio Gonzalez was brought in during the offseason, as well as Edwin Jackson, to help the rotation along, but it’s hard to deny how well the Nationals have drafted.

Amid all the losing seasons, the Nationals did their homework and brought in the best prospects out there.  Now, we are beginning to see the results.  The Nationals drafted Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, and Ross Detwiler, all currently part of the Nationals’ dominant rotation.  In addition, the Nationals drafted position players Harper, Jesus Flores, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, Tyler Moore, Ryan Zimmerman, and Stephen Lombardozzi.  Any of these guys sound familiar?  They should, they all play on DC’s NL-leading roster and only one, Desmond, was drafted before the team moved to DC.  The Nationals have built this team into a contender with young talent, meaning they are only going to get better.

This year, while watching the all-star game in Kansas City, you will see the Nationals’ players in the spotlight with the other stars, rather than dismissed as merely token representatives of their struggling franchise.  Even with Strasburg’s looming innings count, there is a lot to be optimistic about.  Will this team finish better than the 2005 team that yielded first place and fell to a .500?

That’s a clown question, bro.