Washington Nationals - Recap

In their first season in Washington, the Nationals were the feel-good story of the first half of 2005. They were 52-36 and in first place in the National League East. They were getting solid pitching and timely hitting on a regular basis.

A couple of days before the All-Star break, manager Frank Robinson warned his team not to relax because teams in the East would be gunning for them.

Robinson was proven right. Not only did they lose their division and Wild Card leads, the Nationals went 28-45 after the break and were eliminated from playoff contention on Sept. 26. Still, Washington finished with a .500 record.

Record: 81-81, fifth in NL East.

Defining moment: The Nationals can look at their game against the Padres on Sept.17 as the turning point of the season. Washington blew a 5-0 lead in the ninth before losing, 8-5, in 12 innings.

It was a game that left people second-guessing Robinson for a while. He made too many pitching changes in the ninth inning, and the Padres took advantage of the situation to put five runs on the board.

Robinson would later apologize to the team and admit that he should have started the inning by using closer Chad Cordero. The Nationals would lose seven of their next eight games before being eliminated from the Wild Card race.

What went right: The Nationals' pitching staff was consistent all season, even though Robinson was forced to use a four-man rotation because of injuries by September. Washington ended up fourth in the National League in ERA.

What went wrong: The poor offense was overlooked in the first half of the season because the Nationals had one of the best records in baseball. But the bats were the main reason they fell out of the race after the All-Star break. The Nats finished last in the Major Leagues in almost every offensive category.

Biggest surprise: At the All-Star break, right-hander Hector Carrasco was 3-2 with a 2.43 ERA, and he said he was going to be even better. In September, Robinson put Carrasco in the rotation, where he gave up six runs in 26 2/3 innings and posted a 2-1 record. Carrasco credited his success to pitching coach Randy St. Claire, who taught him how to command a deadly changeup.

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Batting
Average: Nick Johnson, .289
Doubles: Brad Wilkerson, 42
Triples: Brad Wilkerson, 7
Home runs: Preston Wilson, 25
Runs: Jose Guillen, 81
RBIs: Preston Wilson, 90
Stolen bases: Junior Spivey, 9

Pitching
Wins: Livan Hernandez, 15
Losses: Esteban Loaiza, Livan Hernandez, 10
ERA (starter): John Patterson, 3.13
ERA (reliever): Hector Carrasco, 2.04
Saves: Chad Cordero, 47

FORECAST FOR 2006
Lineup: The Nationals need to make a lot of improvements, and the starting eight is expected to be overhauled. Third baseman Vinny Castilla and Preston Wilson likely won't be back and the club has to determine if players such as Brad Wilkerson, Cristian Guzman, Marlon Byrd and Ryan Church will ever reach their potential.

Rotation: As good as the rotation was, they need two more starters because Tony Armas Jr. isn't likely to return, and Ryan Drese and Jon Rauch will be coming off shoulder problems. When September began, the Nationals had only three starters in the rotation because of injuries. Washington was then forced to put Carrasco in the rotation.

Bullpen: The bright spot of the team, led by closer Cordero and setup men Gary Majewski and Luis Ayala. The big question is, can they afford to keep Carrasco and Joey Eischen, who are free agents? Robinson said he would love to see the Nationals get a powerful left-handed reliever. If they can't get one in the free agent market, Washington might have to promote Bill Bray, the franchise's No 1 pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.

Biggest need: The Nationals need a leadoff hitter with speed and at least two impact sluggers. They thought they had at least one slugger in Wilson, but he was too inconsistent. Whether they acquire those players will depend on new ownership, which was not determined at the end of the season.

Prospect to watch: If the month of September was any indication, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is going to be a star in the years to come. He hit over .400 with six RBIs. On defense, Zimmerman has shown why interim general manager Jim Bowden has compared him to Scott Rolen, Brooks Robinson and Mike Schmidt at third base. Zimmerman was flawless at the position.