It’s time to release my 2019 National League All-Star team.
My goal is to figure out which Nationals players deserve to make the All-Star team. But answering that question requires me to actually construct a team—I can’t say which Nats should be on the team unless they’re compared against all of the other candidate players in the league, which in essence means naming an entire team. I don’t want my selections to be biased, so I’ve made my selections following a numerical method based on measures of wins above replacement, or WAR. My method is essentially unchanged from year to year so that I can’t be guilty of tweaking the formula to get the result I want. I’ll show the point totals used for ranking each player (indicating which races were close) and at the end of the article will give my formula for calculating these points.
A few other comments on my method:
- While my method gives quite a bit of weight to 2019 performance, it also considers 2018 performance and, to a lesser extent, career performance. While I think it’s important to recognize players who’ve had truly break-out seasons in 2019, some of the silliest All-Star selections have been of mediocre players who happen to have had a hot month or two early in the season.
- Unlike the official selection process, I treat the DH as a position on the NL team when I make my selections, and fill it with the best available hitter in each round (evaluated just on the offense part of WAR) who hasn’t already been picked based on his positional WAR. After all, the game is played with a DH, so I figure it makes sense to approach it the same way any NL skipper would in interleague play and fill the slot with the best available hitter who isn’t already on the starting roster.
- For the outfield, I make sure there’s a true center fielder as a starter and a reserve but treat the remaining outfield positions as interchangeable to be filled by the best available outfielder.
- Otherwise, selections are based on the player’s primary position played during 2019 (measured by defensive innings played), which in some cases is different from the position for which they’re listed on the official ballot.
- Like the official method, each team has to be represented by at least one player. I made this assessment after selecting the starters and substitutes at each position for position players (including DH), five starting pitchers, and three relief pitchers. At that point, three teams still lacked representation (the Giants, Marlins, and Reds), so I picked the best available player/pitcher from each team, then filled the last three slots with the best available players/pitchers who hadn’t yet been picked.
Here’s my 2019 NL All-Star team (with point totals in parentheses):
Starters
C – Yasmani Grandal – Brewers (26.5)
1B – Freddie Freeman – Braves (27.8)
2B – Mike Moustakas – Brewers (19.0)
3B – Nolan Arenado – Rockies (29.9)
SS – Trevor Story – Rockies (25.1)
LF – Christian Yelich – Brewers (38.7)
CF – Ketel Marte – Diamondbacks (22.6)
RF – Cody Bellinger – Dodgers (35.4)
DH – Anthony Rendon – Nationals (29.8). Arenado’s defensive skills enabled him to edge out Rendon for the starting third base selection by the narrowest of margins. I don’t think Rendon’s talents as a pure hitter are as widely recognized as they should be. According to my calculations, he ranks fourth among all NL players in hitting, behind only Yelich, Bellinger, and Freeman.
SP – Max Scherzer – Nationals (38.7). Scherzer ties with Yelich for the most overall points in my system. Looking at the three components to his point total, he ranks second in 2019 WAR (behind Ryu), second in 2018 WAR (behind DeGrom), and fourth in career WAR (behind Kershaw, Greinke, and Hamels), but easily ranks first in the point total that aggregates these components.
Reserves
C – J.T. Realmuto – Phillies (23.8)
1B – Max Muncy – Dodgers (24.7)
2B – Ozzie Albies – Braves (16.3). In filling this year’s team, second base is clearly the weakest position (and third base is the strongest).
3B – Manny Machado – Padres (24.9)
3B – Brian Anderson – Marlins (12.9)*
SS – Javier Baez – Cubs (24.5). Third base and shortstop were the two positions with the closest contests for the starting selection.
SS – Paul DeJong – Cardinals (22.5)
OF – Ronald Acuna Jr. – Braves (21.1)
OF – Lorenzo Cain – Brewers (19.5)
OF – Bryce Harper – Phillies (19.1)
DH – Josh Bell – Pirates (16.3). Again, my DH selections are based just on the offensive portion of WAR; several other players had higher total points.
SP – Jacob DeGrom – Mets (33.5)
SP – Hyun-Jin Ryu – Dodgers (28.4)
SP – Zack Greinke – Diamondbacks (26.7)
SP – Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers (24.0)
SP – Cole Hamels – Cubs (23.8)
SP – Luis Castillo – Reds (18.6)*
RP – Josh Hader – Brewers (14.7)
RP – Kirby Yates – Padres (14.1)
RP – Edwin Diaz – Mets (11.1)
RP – Sean Doolittle – Nationals (11.0)
RP – Will Smith – Giants (10.1)*
*The selection of Brian Anderson (12.9) to represent the Marlins took the place of Kris Bryant (21.9), who otherwise would have been selected. The selection of Luis Castillo (18.6) to represent the Reds displaced Patrick Corbin (21.5). And the selection of Will Smith (10.1) to represent the Giants displaced Felipe Vazquez (10.6).
My method for calculating the points used in ranking the players:
My method is simple but manages to combine the elements I’d like to see reflected in my All-Star selections. The points are calculated as the sum of three components:
- I multiply the player’s WAR for the 2019 season times 4. I use the Fangraphs version of WAR and the data represent games played through June 19.
- I multiply the player’s WAR for the 2018 season times 2. If the player’s 2019 WAR is higher than his 2018 WAR, I substitute 2 times the 2019 WAR. (This substitution helps the system recognize outstanding rookies and players like Bellinger and Marte who’ve had breakout seasons in 2019, while still giving credit for consistent performance to players who had All-Star worthy performances in 2018.)
- I take the square root of the player’s career WAR (using zero in the rare cases where the career WAR is negative).
That’s it. Written as an equation, it’s just:
Points = 4 * 2019_WAR + 2 * MAX(2018_WAR, 2019_WAR) + Squareroot(Career_WAR)
For pitchers, my measure of WAR is the average of two versions of WAR calculated on the Fangraphs site. The site’s regular WAR is based on fielding-independent pitching (that is, just strikeouts, walks, and home runs allowed), while their “RA9WAR” is based on runs allowed (and is similar to the version of pitchers’ WAR used on the Baseball-Reference site). Because both measures have merit, I use their average as my measure of WAR in the calculations. However, I do not include the batting WAR of pitchers because pitchers don’t bat in the All-Star game.
September began with the Nationals in third place in the NL East, 7-1/2 games behind the Braves, and one game below .500. With the exception of Bryce Harper, management had traded off most of their tradable players and had turned their attention to 2019 and beyond. During September the Nats went 15–12 and salvaged a winning record for the year, ending the season with an 82–80 record and in second place in the division, 8 games behind the division champion Braves.
At the beginning of the month, the Nats were in a home stand facing the top three teams in the NL Central. They had lost the first game of a three-game set against the Brewers and proceeded to split the last to games, losing the series two games to one. Next came the Cardinals, and the Nats also lost that series two games to one. The final series in the home stand was to be a four-game series against the Cubs. The Cubs won the first game in extra innings. After that, the rains came.
In what was planned as his first game since Tommy John surgery, Joe Ross was scheduled to start the second game on Friday night. He got five scoreless outs before a rain delay, and when the rains didn’t stop until midnight, the game was called and rescheduled as part of a doubleheader the next day. There was a two hour, 10-minute rain delay to start the first game, and another rain delay before the ninth inning of the second, but the Nats eventually swept the doubleheader, winning 10 to 3 and 6 to 5. An iconic image was Sean Doolittle leaning back, arms outstretched, tasting the pouring rain after he got the final out in the eighth inning—his first appearance off the disabled list. The next day, Sunday, there was yet more rain, so the final game was postponed, and would require the teams to return to Washington on Thursday after the Nats’ next series in Philadelphia.
The first game in Philadelphia also had to be postponed because the gounds, soaked from several days of rain, were unplayable. A doubleheader was played the next day, and the Nats won both games, with the second win coming in extra innings. They also won the final game the next day to sweep the series and quash the hopes of the second-place Phillies.
At that point there was still a remote chance of the Nats making a late-season surge to catch the division-leading Braves. If they could beat the Cubs in the postponed game and then sweep the Braves in Atlanta, the Nats would move to 4-1/2 games of the lead. At that point, with 12 games remaining, the Nats appeared to have a much easier schedule than the Braves for the rest of the season, with 5 games against the Marlins and 4 against the Mets. But it wasn’t to be—the Cubs beat the Nats 4 to 3 in 10 innings, and in the first game in Atlanta, Max Scherzer had his worst outing of the season, as the Nats fell 10 to 5. Even though the Nats won the final two games of the Atlanta series, they stood 7-1/2 games behind with 12 to play.
After that, the Nats’ elimination came quickly. They split a two-game series against the Marlins in Miami, and on September 21, after losing the first two games against the Mets at home, the Nats were officially eliminated from the NL East race. The next day they were also eliminated from the wild card race. They split the last two games of the four-game series against the Mets, losing the series three games to one. Their final home series of the season was a three-game set against the Marlins, which they swept. Their last home game of the season was called after 7 innings due to rain—a fitting end to a rain-drenched month.
Their last series was a three-game set against the Rockies in Colorado. The Rockies were leading the NL West by one game, and when they beat the Nats in the first game, they also clinched a post-season slot. The Nats won the second game 12 to 2, dropping the Rockies to a tie with the Dodgers for the NL West lead. On the final game of the Nats’ season, the Rockies clobbered them 12 to 0. It was the 15th time the Nats were shutout and their worst blowout loss of the season—perhaps a fitting end to a disappointing season. The Rockies would have to play one more game against the Dodgers to decide the NL West championship, with the loser (the Rockies) going to the Wild Card game.
The Nats’ batters had a good month. Their .267 batting average for the month was third in the NL, while their .369 on-base percentage led the league and their .434 slugging percentage was fourth. The overall batting metric, weighted runs created plus (wRC+) was 116, or 16% better than average, which ranked second behind the Dodgers in the NL.
Starting pitching continued to be a weakness. Their 4.54 ERA during September ranked 11th in the NL. Their park-adjusted ERA relative to league (ERA–) of 111 also ranked 11th in the NL (11% worse than average), while their fielding-independent pitching relative to league (FIP–) of 97 ranked 9th. Scherzer, who had been the Nats’ most valuable player during the first five months of the season, had an off-month, and Tanner Roark also struggled. Nine different pitchers started a game for the Nats during September.
The Nats’ relief pitching was mediocre during September. The relievers ERA– of 117 ranked 8th in the NL, and their RE24 of –1.41 ranked 7th. They were fifth in shutdowns with 29, but also had the fifth most meltdowns with 20.
Record:
15–12 (.555)
Pythagorean Record:
15–12 (5.14 R/G – 4.52 RA/G)
September MVP:
Anthony Rendon (.352/.439/.657, 27 G, 6 HR, 24 R, 26 RBI, 189 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR). He had a fantastic month that was only overshadowed by Christian Yelich. During September Rendon ranked 2nd in the NL in both wRC+ and fWAR.
NL Rookie of the Month:
Juan Soto (.283/.383/.525, 26 G, 6 HR, 15 R, 20 RBI, 139 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR) won this award for the third time in the last four months.
Most valuable starting pitcher:
Stephen Strasburg (3–0, 2.86 RA/9, 6 G, 34-2/3 IP, 11.7 K/9, .309 opp OBP, 1.1 RA9-WAR).
Most valuable relief pitcher:
Greg Holland (2–0, 2 Sv, 0.77 RA/9, 12 G, 11-2/3 IP, 10.8 K/9, .273 opp OBP, 6.03 RE24, 0.8 RA9-WAR, 7 shutdowns, 1 meltdown).
Worst month:
Jefry Rodriguez (1–2, 8.27 RA/9, 6 G, 2 GS, 16-1/3 IP, 7.2 K/9, .390 opp OBP, –0.4 RA9-WAR)
Best start this month:
Max Scherzer (September 25, 9–4 win over the Marlins at home) pitched 7 innings, giving up 1 run on 5 hits and no walks, striking out 10, for a game score of 73. His final strikeout was his 300th for season.
Worst start:
Jefry Rodriguez (September 2, 9–4 loss to the Brewers at home) gave up 7 runs in 4-2/3 innings, allowing 7 hits and 7 walks and striking out 2, for a game score of 17.
Tough losses:
None
Cheap wins:
None
Best shutdown:
Greg Holland (September 13, 4–3 loss to the Cubs at home) entered in the top of the eighth with one out, the bases loaded. and the game tied 3 to 3. Holland struck out Willson Contreras and Ben Zobrist to get out of the inning unscathed (win probability added .288). The Nats would lose the game in the 10th inning on an RBI bunt single by Javy Baez.
Worst meltdown:
Wander Suero (September 23, 8–6 loss to the Mets at home). Suero replaced starter Erick Fedde with one out in the top of the fourth inning, runners on first and third, and the Nats leading 3 to 1. He allowed a walk to load the bases, followed by an RBI single and a 3-run triple, before getting the final two outs. He stayed on to start the fifth and gave up two more runs on two doubles and two singles before leaving the game with two outs, runners on first and third, and the Nats trailing 7 to 3 (WPA –.482)
Clutch hit:
Juan Soto (September 1, 5–4 win over the Brewers at home). There were two outs in the bottom of the eighth when Soto came to bat with the bases loaded and the Nats trailing 3 to 2. He hit a ground ball single up the middle that drove in two runs and gave the Nats the lead (WPA .497).
Choke: (tie)
- Ryan Zimmerman (September 5, 7–6 loss to the Cardinals at home). In the bottom of the ninth with the Nats trailing 7 to 6, no outs, and runners on first and second, Zim came to bat and struck out. (WPA –.186)
- Mark Reynolds (September 20, 5–4 loss to the Mets in 12 innings at home). In the bottom of the 11th with one out, runners on first and third, and the score tied 4 to 4, Reynolds came to bat and struck out. (WPA –.186)
Least favorite managerial move:
Davey Martinez (September 8, 10–3 win over the Cubs in first game of doubleheader at home). With a 10 to 1 lead, Martinez left Max Scherzer in to pitch the ninth inning, facing the heart of the Cubs order for the fourth time. He would give up 2 runs on 4 hits to get a complete game—a game that the relief staff should have finished. More importantly, I suspect that fatigue from this game contributed to Max’s poor performance in his next outing against the Braves, when he lasted only 4 innings and gave up 6 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks.
Favorite defensive plays:
- Juan Soto leaped and reached over the railing (September 11 against the Phillies in Philadelphia) to make a catch.
- Anthony Rendon (September 16 against the Braves in Atlanta) makes a great play that survives a challenge.
- One out later, Victor Robles makes a fantastic catch running into the wall.
August began with the Nationals in third place, 5-1/2 games behind the division-leading Phillies, and having just decided to stand pat before the trade deadline, thinking they still had a good chance to get back into the race. During August they went 14-15 and ended the month with a 67–68 record, 7-1/2 games behind the Braves, who had taken over the division lead. By then the Nats’ probability of reaching the playoffs was down to a real long-shot–3% according to Fangraphs, 5% according to FiveThirtyEight, and 1% according to Baseball Prospectus. And before the month was over, the team had traded off most of the players who would be eligible for free agency at the end of the season, with the notable exception of Bryce Harper, who was retained.
The month began with the Nats at home, playing the second game of a two-game series against the Mets. (They had won the first game–immediately after the deadline–by a score of 25 to 4.) They won the second game, sweeping the series, then took three of four against the Reds. They then faced the Braves in a four-game series, which they split. Their 7–3 record during the home stand allowed them to keep pace in the divisional race, though a series win against the Braves would have helped them move up in the standings.
The next road trip would prove to be pivotal. The Nats were facing the Chicago Cubs, who were holding the lead in the competitive NL Central race, and the Cardinals, who were in third place with a good record. The games were hard fought and exciting, featuring late-inning comebacks or attempted comebacks and a couple of walk-offs, But the Nats were on the losing end of too many of those games, losing the Cubs series two games to one, and the Cardinals series three games to one. With a 2–5 record during the road trip, they started the trip 5-1/2 games behind and finished it 8 games out. Their probability of reaching the playoffs (according to Fangraphs) plummeted from 41% to 20% over the seven-game span.
The Nats’ first series after returning home was against the Marlins, and their fortunes continued to plummet as they lost the series, two games to one. The final game of the series was a blow-out, with the Nats losing 12 to 1. The Nats management decided it was time to throw in the towel. On August 21 Daniel Murphy was traded to the Cubs, and Matt Adams was surrendered to the Cardinals on a waiver claim. The Nats management was now committed to shedding salary. But they decided not to move Bryce Harper, and held onto him for the final six weeks of his contract.
After the trades, the Nats opened a series against the Phillies. They played the first games like they wanted to send a message. They won the first (rain-delayed) game featuring back-to-back home runs by Andrew Stevenon and Wilmer Difo, the players who replaced Adams and Murphy on the roster. They won the second game on a walk-off home run by Ryan Zimmerman. Their fortunes changed in the third game, however, when Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola outdueled Max Scherzer, shutting out the Nationals 2 to 0. The Nats finished the home stand with a 3–3 record.
Their next road trip opened in New York against the Mets. The Nats were shut out in their first two games, making three consecutive shutouts. Then, in a fashion that was typical of their 2018 season, they blew away the Mets in the third game, 15 to 0, but ended the game with an injury to Kelvin Herrera, probably losing him for the rest of the season. In the series they outscored the Mets 15 to 6, yet lost the series two games to one, and ended the series weaker than they started. The road trip finished with a three-game series against the Phillies in Philadelphia, which the Nats won two games to one.
On August 31, the Nats made two more trades, sending Ryan Madson to the Dodgers and long-time National pitcher Gio Gonzalez to the Brewers. The Brewers were in Washington to open a series against the Nationals, and the Nats lost the first game, ending the month a game below .500 and well out of playoff contention.
With most of their hitters healthy, the Nats’ offense performed pretty well during August. Their .330 on-base percentage was 4th of the 15 teams in the NL, and their .431 slugging percentage ranked 5th. Their ballpark-adjusted weighted runs created (wRC+) of 101 ranked 6th.
The Nationals’ starting pitchers, however, continued to disappoint during August. Their ERA, 3.90, ranked 10th in the NL, and they also ranked 10th in the park-adjusted version, ERA–, with 96. And adjusting for fielding didn’t help, as their fielding-independent pitching adjusted for league and ballpark, FIP–, was 111, 12th in the NL.
The Nats’ injury-plagued relief pitchers also disappointed, with an ERA of 4.67 (11th in the NL), and a FIP– of 127 (14th). Their 15 shutdowns ranked last in the NL, whereas their 18 meltdowns was the 4th most. Overall, pitching was a serious team weakness during August.
Record:
14–15 (.483)
Pythagorean Record:
16–13 (4.72 R/G – 4.31 RA/G)
August MVP:
Max Scherzer (2–1, 1.89 RA/9, 6 G, 38 IP, 11.6 K/9, .224 opp OBP, 1.7 RA9-WAR) wins the award for the fifth consecutive month. He’s truly been the one player we’ve always been able to rely on this season.
Most valuable position player:
Ryan Zimmerman (.316/.402/.658, 24 G, 6 HR, 10 R, 18 RBI, 178 wRC+, 1.1 fWAR). Honorable mention goes to Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon, who each had 1.0 fWAR.
Most valuable relief pitcher:
Greg Holland (0–0, 1 Sv, 0.93 RA/9, 12 G, 9-2/3 IP, 10.2 K/9, .222 opp OBP, 1.74 RE24, 0.4 RA9-WAR, 2 shutdowns, 1 meltdown).
Worst month:
Gio Gonzalez (1–4, 7.76 RA/9, 6 G, 31-1/3 IP, 6.6 K/9, .399 opp OBP, –0.7 RA9-WAR)
Best start this month:
Max Scherzer (August 12, 4–3 loss to the Cubs in Chicago) pitched 7 scoreless innings while giving up 3 hits and 1 walk, striking out 11, for a game score of 81. He left the game with the Nats holding a 1 to 0 lead, but the Nats
Worst start:
Gio Gonzalez (August 19, 12–1 loss to the Marlins at home) gave up 8 runs in 4-2/3 innings, while allowing 10 hits and 4 walks and striking out 5, for a game score of 13.
Tough losses:
- Max Scherzer (August 23, 2–0 loss to the Phillies at home) gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and 4 walks with 10 strikeouts in 7 innings (game score 71).
- Gio Gonzalez (August 24, 3–0 loss to the Mets in New York) gave up 1 run on 7 hits and no walks with 2 strikeouts in 7 innings (game score 61).
- Tanner Roark (August 25, 3–0 loss to the Mets in New York) gave up 1 run on 4 hits and no walks with 7 strikeouts in 6 innings (game score 67).
Cheap wins:
- Tanner Roark (August 16, 5–4 win over the Cardinals in St. Louis) gave up 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits and 3 walks with 1 strikeout in 6 innings (game score 46).
Best shutdown:
Greg Holland (August 28, 5–4 win over the Phillies in Philadelphia) entered in the bottom of the ninth with one out, a runner on second base, and the Nats leading 5 to 4. The Phillies had just hit a pair of doubles and had cut the Nationals’ lead in half. Holland got Alfaro to fly out to center, and Phillies runner Velasquez was out on appeal after leaving early when tagging on the play, ending the game (win probability added .285).
Worst meltdown:
Ryan Madson (August 12, 4–3 loss to the Cubs in Chicago). Madson came into the game in the bottom of the ninth for the save with the Nats leading 3–0. After getting the first out, he allowed an infield single, then hit a batter. He got Schwarber to foul out for the second out, then hit another batter to load the bases. On a 2–2 count, Cubs pinch hitter David Bote hit a walk-off grand slam home run (WPA –.956) After the game, Madson belatedly told Davey Martinez that he had been dealing with back pain that was preventing him from pushing off the mound and finishing his pitches the way he normally did.
Clutch hit:
Ryan Zimmerman (August 22, 8–7 win over the Phillies at home). There were two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Juan Soto was at second, and the Nats were trailing 7 to 6 when Zimmerman came to bat. After looking at three sliders–two balls and a strike–Zimmerman hit the first fastball he saw over the right field wall. It barely cleared the wall and was initially called in play, but after video review the call was corrected to a walk-off home run. (WPA .853) It was Zimmerman’s 11th career walk-off home run, only two behind the all-time leader, Jim Thome.
Choke:
Adam Eaton (August 29, 8–6 loss to the Phillies in Philadelphia). In the top of the eighth, Eaton came to bat with one out, runners on first and second, and the Nats trailing 7–6. He grounded into an inning-ending double play. (WPA –.213)
Favorite defensive play:
- Adam Eaton scaled the right field wall to catch a foul ball against the Marlins.
After a terrible June, the Nats opened July with a 42–39 record, in third place and five games out in the divisional race, and in fifth place for the wild card. Despite intermittent claims that they were finally turning things around, they ultimately failed to do so. They went 11–14 for the month, and finished the month with a 53–53 record, still in third place and 5-1/2 games behind. The Braves, who had been in first place at the start of the month, went 10–13, but the Phillies swooped in to take first place in the division with a 15–11 month.
With continued backsliding and time running out, all of the projections show the Nats’ postseason chances fading, though they differ quite a bit in how bleak things appear. Fangraphs continues to provide the more optimistic projection, showing them with a 31% chance of winning the division (down from 64% at the end of June) and a 41% chance of making the playoffs. Bleaker assessments come from FiveThirtyEight (a 16% chance of winning the division) and Baseball Prospectus (11%).
July began with the Nats in Philadelphia, playing the fourth game of a series that they were trailing two games to one. After a 13-inning marathon, they lost 4 to 3. Despite outscoring the Phillies in the series 25 to 18, they lost it three games to one.
Returning home, they had a three-game set finishing on Independence Day against the Red Sox, who were then neck-and-neck with the Yankees for the best record in baseball. With Max Scherzer pitching the first game, the Nats were hopeful that they’d start the series with a win, but they lost the game 4 to 3. They also lost the final two games and were swept by the Sox, giving the Nats their fifth consecutive loss.
Next came the Marlins, and in the first game the Nats appeared to be one the way for the sixth loss in a row, as they were trailing 9–0 after the top of the fourth. But with a run in the fourth, four runs in the fifth, and another five runs in the sixth, the Nats took the lead and ultimately won the game 14 to 12, for the largest comeback in club history. The Nats won the next game with a Mark Reynolds walkoff home run, and routed the Marlins in game three, 18 to 4, before losing game four.
In the last week before the All-Star break, the Nats traveled to Pittsburgh, where they lost two of three games to the Pirates. Matt Wieters came off the disabled list, but then closer Sean Doolittle was placed on the DL with a toe injury. The road trip concluded in New York with a four-game series against the Mets. The Nats won the first game, then lost two, and concluded the series with a win for a series split.
The 2018 All-Star Game was played at Nationals Park, and the Nats had three players selected for the NL All-Star team—Max Scherzer, Bryce Harper, and Sean Doolittle. Harper had agreed to compete in the home run derby and won the contest with the support of the home-town crowd. Scherzer and Harper were both starters in the All-Star game, with Max pitching two innings and giving up one run on a homer by Aaron Judge. The game featured lots of strikeouts and home runs, and the AL ultimately won it 8 to 6 in 10 innings. Doolittle was scratched from the team because he was on the DL.
After the break, the Nats faced the Braves at home. Ryan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg returned from the DL. Zim would have to share playing time at first base with Matt Adams, who was hitting too well to be left out of the lineup against most right-handers. Strasburg started the first game of the Braves series. However, it turned out Stephen wasn’t healthy yet—he gave up six runs in 4-2/3 innings in an 8 to 5 loss. After Strasburg was knocked out, the TV cameras spotted Stephen and Max exchanging words in the dugout—the team’s emotions were running high. Strasburg then went back on the DL with cervical neck impingement. Former Nat, Tommy Milone, returned to the team after a six-season hiatus and took Stephen’s place in the rotation. Game two of the Braves series was rained out, and the Nats won the final game to split the series at one game apiece.
After just two games at home, the Nats were back on the road with a three-game set against the Brewers in Milwaukee. They lost the first two games, then won the finale. They next played the Marlins in a four-game series in Miami, where they won the first two games 10 to 3 and 9 to 1, before losing the third game 2 to 1 in 10 innings, and getting shut out 5 to 0 in the finale for a series split. The month concluded at home with the first game of a two-game set against the Mets. With the trade deadline just past, and almost the entire team still intact, the Nats celebrated by beating the Mets 25 to 4, setting a new club record for runs scored in a game.
In an odd coda to the Mets game, Shawn Kelley was brought in to pitch the ninth inning with a 25 to 1 lead. Apparently upset about being asked to pitch in a blowout, and getting contradictory messages from two umpires about the pace of play, he allowed a couple of hits followed by a home run, giving up three runs. He slammed down his glove and stared into the Nats dugout, appearing to express frustration toward manager Davey Martinez. The next morning, Mike Rizzo announced that Kelley had been designated for assignment for showing up the manager.
As the trade deadline approached, the baseball world debated whether the Nationals should be buyers or sellers. The Nats front office was cagey, saying they would decide after the Marlins series ended, less than 48 hours before the deadline. The next evening, there were reports that the Nats were entertaining offers for Bryce Harper and baseball media started going crazy with speculation. The next morning, however, about five hours before the deadline, Rizzo ended the speculation, announcing, “Bryce is not going anywhere, I believe in this team.”
The Nationals wound up making only two trade deals during July. They traded Brian Goodwin to the Royals and Brandon Kintzler to the Cubs, in each case receiving only a Grade C prospect in exchange. The Goodwin trade was mostly about clearing a roster spot. With Adam Eaton and Ryan Zimmerman back from the DL and Goodwin out of options, there was no longer room for him on the bench. The Kintzler trade, which was announced during the last hour before the deadline, was somewhat of a surprise. It might be seen as clearing some $6 million in payroll over the next two years. There was also speculation that the move was related to a view of Kintzler as a malcontent in the clubhouse. Overall, however, the Nats mostly stood pat, which seems like a reasonable strategy for a team that is a long-shot but not really out of the race. I would have preferred to see the team make a couple of modest acquisitions to shore up their holes—a catcher who can hit, such as Alex Avila or former Nat Wilson Ramos (who went to the Phillies), and maybe a starting pitcher. But with their record at the deadline, it didn’t make sense to either make major acquisitions or to throw in the towel.
Why did the team perform so poorly in July? The starting pitching was the biggest single problem. The starters’ ERA for the month of 5.20, and ERA relative to league (ERA–) of 127, with each ranking 13th among the 15 NL teams.
Another way to look at it is using game scores—a statistic that measures the quality of a starting pitcher’s performance on a scale centered at 50. A score of 50 or above means the starting pitcher has performed well enough that with ordinary run support and without a bullpen failure, the team should be able to win, whereas a score of 49 or below means that the starting pitcher hasn’t really done his job. In July, the Nats’ starters had only 10 starts with a game score of 50 or more and 15 starts with game scores of 49 or less. In contrast, during April and May—when the starters were doing well—they had 45 starts with game scores of at least 50, versus 11 starts with game scores of 49 or less.
The Nats starters’ fielding independent pitching relative to league (FIP–) of 97 ranked 7th, but their opponents’ batting average on balls in play (BABIP) of .333 was dead-last in the league. Their left-on-base percentage of 66% was 14th. The starting pitching was bad, but mostly in categories that seem likely to regress toward at least league-average performance.
The Nats’ batting, on the other hand, appeared to be great. Their on-base percentage for the month of .355 ranked first in the NL, and their batting average of .273 and slugging percentage of .445 each ranked third. In counting stats, their 140 runs scored ranked first and their 35 home runs ranked second.
But appearances can be deceptive, and there were definitely some areas of concern. For example, it should be noted that more than half of their runs (76) were scored in just five games—the games in which the Nats scored nine or more runs. These games were all played against weak divisional rivals—four against the Marlins and a 25-run blowout against the Mets. Conversely, the Nats were shut out in three games and scored just a single run in two more. This weird feast-or-famine distribution of their run scoring, along with their 2–4 record in one-run games, contributed to a big difference between their actual record of 11–14 and their Pythagorean record (what their record should have been based on their runs scored and allowed) of 15–10.
Another problem with the performance of the Nats’ position players in July was a deterioration in team defense. The players returning from the DL, particularly Adam Eaton and Daniel Murphy, were not yet playing at full speed, and they were taking the place of much better defensive players in Michael A. Taylor and Wilmer Difo. The Fangraphs measure of the team’s defense for July of 3.0 ranked 12th in the NL. In contrast, during May (when both Eaton and Murphy were out) the Nats’ defense measure was 7.9, which ranked sixth in the league. Perhaps the relatively poor defense was also a contributing factor to the starting pitchers’ unusually high BABIP and the gap between their ERA and the fielding-independent measure.
The Nats’ bullpen was generally fine, or at least adequate. Their July ERA– of 75 ranked fourth in the NL, while ther FIP– of 93 ranked eighth. The bullpen’s left-on-base percentage of 82.1%, second in the league, also helped. They ranked fifth in RE24 (a measure which accounts for performance with inherited runs) at 9.24. Their 20 shutdowns compared with 10 meltdowns was also a good ratio.
Record:
11–14 (.440)
Pythagorean Record:
15–10 (5.60 R/G – 4.56 RA/G)
July MVP:
Max Scherzer (4–1, 3.44 RA/9, 5 G, 34 IP, 9.3 K/9, .287 opp OBP, 0.8 RA9-WAR) wins this award for the fourth consecutive month. It was a tougher call this time, as his pitching performance didn’t match his first three months (9.3 K/9 compared with 13.0 K/9 during the first three months, opp OBP of .287 compared with .232). Nevertheless, by giving the Nats a chance to win every time his turn came around, Max’s contributions were as valuable as anyone’s, and he deserves a bit of extra credit for contributing with the bat (4 for 11, or .364, with two sacrifice bunts).
Most valuable position player:
Anthony Rendon (.277/.337/.482, 20 G, 4 HR, 15 R, 16 RBI, 118 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR). If we were simply basing this award on hitting statistics, there were about six Nats who would rank ahead of Rendon, including Mark Reynolds (211 wRC+), Juan Soto (145), Daniel Murphy (158), Bryce Harper (127), Adam Eaton (128), and Matt Adams (146). But defense matters too, and Rendon contributed a lot with the glove. So in this case, I think the fWAR leader is the right player for the award.
By the way, for the second consecutive month Juan Soto won the NL Rookie of the Month Award in July.
Most valuable relief pitcher:
I know it’s weird, but this award goes to just-traded Brandon Kintzler (0–0, 2.03 RA/9, 13 G, 13-1/3 IP, 6.8 K/9, .220 opp OBP, 4.15 RE24, 0.4 RA9-WAR, 4 shutdowns, 2 meltdowns).
Worst month:
Matt Wieters (.152/.250/.196, 13 G, 0 HR, 5 R, 3 RBI, –0.3 fWAR)
Best start this month:
Tanner Roark (July 25, 7–3 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee) pitched 8 scoreless innings while giving up 3 hits and 1 walk, striking out 11, for a game score of 86.
Worst start:
Jeremy Hellickson (July 5, 14–12 win over the Marlins at home) gave up 9 runs in 4 innings, while allowing 9 hits (including 2 home runs) and 1 walk, and striking out 2, for a game score of 11. He left the game with the Nats trailing 9–0, but the team mounted an historic comeback to win the game.
Tough losses:
- Max Scherzer (July 2, 4–3 loss to the Red Sox at home) gave up 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks with 9 strikeouts in 6 innings (game score 58).
- Gio Gonzalez (July 11, 2–0 loss to the Pirates in Pittsburgh) gave up 2 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk with 4 strikeouts in 6 innings (game score 55).
Cheap wins:
- Max Scherzer (July 7, 18–4 win over the Marlins at home) gave up 4 runs on 7 hits (including 3 home runs) and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in 7 innings (game score 48).
Best shutdown:
Sean Doolittle (July 1, 4–3 loss to the Phillies in Philadelphia in 13 innings) entered in the bottom of the ninth with the game tied 3 to 3, one out, and runners on first and second. The first batter he faced, Carlos Santana, grounded into an inning-ending double play. In the tenth inning he retired all three batters on a ground-out and two strikeouts (win probability added .351). The game remained tied until the 13th inning, when Justin Miller allowed a walk-off home run to Andrew Knapp.
Worst meltdown:
Kelvin Herrera (July 28, 2–1 loss to the Marlins in Miami). In the top of the ninth, Daniel Murphy had driven in a run to tie the game 1 to 1. The game went to extra innings, and Herrera came in in the bottom of the tenth. He gave up a bunt single to the first Marlins batter, then the second one also bunted and reached on a weird catcher obstruction call. Spencer Kieboom bumped the batter while trying to field the bunt, though Davey Martinez and most of the Nationals analysts thought the umpire blew the call. The next Marlin batter got a bloop single, and the bases were loaded with no outs. Davey then decided to use a five-man infield. Realmuto hit a soft fly ball down the right-field line that would have been easily caught with normal outfield positioning, but Michael A. Taylor was unable to run it down from his position in right center, so the Marlins won the game. (WPA –.365)
Clutch hit:
Trea Turner (July 5, 14–12 win over the Marlins at home). During the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, the Nats had clawed back from a 9–0 deficit, and when Turner came to bat in the bottom of the sixth the Nats were trailing 9–6. The bases were loaded with two outs. Turner hit a line drive that cleared the left-field wall into the bullpen for a grand-slam home run and a 10–9 Nationals lead. (WPA .496)
Choke:
Adam Eaton (July 1, 4–3 loss to the Phillies in Philadelphia). The game was tied 3 to 3 in the top of the 12th, and Wilmer Difo had just led off the inning with a walk. Eaton then grounded into a double play, stifling a possible extra-inning rally. (WPA –.188)
Favorite defensive plays:
- Michael A. Taylor made a leaping catch at the wall, taking a hit away from the Braves.
- Ryan Zimmerman fields a bunt on a squeeze play and throws out the Brewers runner at home.
Each year I select a National League All-Star team based on objective formulas and post it here.
The basic criteria is wins above replacement (WAR), giving roughly equal weight to performance in 2017 and 2016, with a small weight given to career performance (mostly serving as a tie breaker). Because my criteria are objective and use the same methods year after year, these results are not subject to cherry picking or fan bias. Max Scherzer is the starting pitcher, Bryce Harper starts in right field, and Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner also make the team. If it weren’t for his injury, Stephen Strasburg would also have made it, and Sean Doolittle was just knocked off by the requirement that every team be represented. Here’s the team:
Starters
C – J.T. Realmuto – Marlins
1B – Joey Votto – Reds
2B – Ben Zobrist – Cubs
3B – Nolan Arenado – Rockies
SS – Brandon Crawford – Giants
LF – Christian Yelich – Brewers
CF – Lorenzo Cain – Brewers; Cain is currently on the DL, and if he can’t make it, he would be replaced by Tommy Pham of the Cardinals
RF – Bryce Harper – Nationals
DH – Freddoe Freeman – Braves
SP – Max Scherzer
Reserves
C – Buster Posey – Giants
C – Francisco Cervelli – Pirates; Cervelli is currently on the DL and if he can’t make it would be replaced by Willson Contreras of the Cubs
1B – Paul Goldschmidt – Diamondbacks
2B – Scooter Gennett – Reds
3B – Anthony Rendon – Nationals
3B – Eugenio Suarez – Reds
SS – Trea Turner – Nationals
LF – Marcell Ozuna – Cardinals
CF – Charlie Blackmon – Rockies (if Cain is unable to play; otherwise the backup center fielder is Pham)
RF – Nick Markakis – Braves
DH – Kris Bryant – Cubs; Bryant is currently on the DL and if he is unable to play he should be replaced by Max Muncy of the Dodgers
SP – Jacob DeGrom – Mets
SP – Zack Greinke – Diamondbacks
SP – Aaron Nola – Phillies
SP – Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers
SP – Stephen Strasburg – Nationals; but I’m going to drop him because I don’t believe he’ll be able to play, making Lester our seventh and final starting pitcher
SP – Patrick Corbin – Diamondbacks
SP – Jon Lester – Cubs
RP – Josh Hader – Brewers
RP – Kenley Jansen – Dodgers
RP – Adam Ottavino – Rockies
RP – Kirby Yates – Padres
RP – Felipe Vazquez – Pirates (and former Nat)
Yates and Vazquez are included because of the requirement that every franchise be represented. Without that requirement, I would have selected Jeremy Jeffress of the Brewers and Sean Doolittle of the Nationals.
