As the Nationals players enjoyed dancing in the dugout after home runs and they and the crowd got into the Baby Shark phenomenon, the team was playing crucial games that were starting to determine their playoff prospects. In July the Nats went 15–10, solidifying their wild card chances but failing to close the gap with the division-leading Braves.
June began with the Nats in third place in the NL East, one game above .500 and trailing the division-leading Braves by 7 games. They opened a homestand with a three-game series against the Marlins, followed by three games against the Royals. They swept the Marlins and took two of three against the Royals for a 5–1 record on the homestand. They went into the All-Star break with a 47–42 record, now in second place and trailing the Braves by 6 games. Ryan Zimmerman drove in his 1,000th career RBI and the franchise celebrated its 50th anniversary by wearing throwback Expos uniforms.
Two Nationals players were selected for the All-Star team, Anthony Rendon and Max Scherzer, but both opted out of the game due to nagging injuries and were replaced by players from other teams. While Rendon was able to return to the lineup after the break, Scherzer wound up on the injured list with mid-back strain and an inflamed bursa sac.
After the break, the Nats’ schedule became more demanding as they faced divisional rivals and other good teams. Their road trip began in Philadelphia, where they topped the Phillies in two of three games. Next was a two-game series against the Orioles in Baltimore, which they split. The road trip concluded with a four-game series against the Braves in Atlanta, which also ended with a split. The second game was especially heart-breaking, with Victor Robles hitting a game-tying home run in the top of the ninth, only to have 42-year-old Fernando Rodney fell apart and gave up the walk-off run when Davey Martinez tried to get him to go two innings for the first time in six years. After the series, Zimmerman went onto the injured list with a recurrence of plantar fasciitis. The Nats went 5–4 on the road trip.
Returning home, the Nats had a four-game series against the Rockies. The first game was postponed, resulting in a day-night doubleheader in the middle of the series. The Nats won the first game of the series decisively, with Trea Turner hitting for the cycle for the second time in his career (one of only 26 players to have done so). The next day the Nats swept the doubleheader. For the fourth game, Scherzer came back from the injured list, and although he pitched alright, the injury was clearly still bothering him. Ultimately, Rodney gave up the Nats’ lead in the ninth inning for another loss, and Scherzer went back on the IL.
The Nats next faced the Dodgers, who had the best record in the National League. The Dodgers took the series two games to one. The homestand ended with three games against the Braves. Trailing the Braves by 5-1/2 games, the Nats had a chance to make up significant ground by sweeping, or at least winning, the series. After splitting the first two games, the Nats lost the finale in the tenth inning as Sean Doolittle gave up a go-ahead home run. The finale was also the trade deadline, and Mike Rizzo acquired three relief pitchers—Roenis Elias, Daniel Hudson, and Hunter Strickland. To make space, Javy Guerra, Michael Blazek, and Tony Sipp were designated for assignment.
At the beginning of July, according to Fangraphs the Nats had a 60% chance of making the playoffs and a 19% chance of winning the division. By the end of the month, the probability of making the playoffs had gone up to 75%, but the probability of winning the division had slipped to 15% as the Braves’ 14–10 record for the month nearly matched the Nats’ 15–10 record. Other prognosticators were less optimistic about the Nationals’ chances. At the end of July, Fivethirtyeight gave them a 51% chance of making the playoffs, and Baseball Prospectus estimated their chance of making the playoffs at 58%.
The Nationals’ hitters had a very successful month. Their .273 batting average for the month was second in the NL to the Reds. Their .361 on-base percentage led the league, and their .452 slugging ranked fourth. Their overall weighted runs-created (wRC+) was 110, or 10% better than average, and led the NL.
Their starting pitchers led all of MLB in ERA for July, with 2.94, and in relative park-adjusted ERA (ERA–) with 66, or 34% better than average. They also led MLB in fielding-independent pitching (FIP) with 2.97, and in the relative adjusted measure (FIP–) with 67. Behind Scherzer (when healthy), Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, and Anibal Sanchez, the Nats enjoyed excellent starting pitching with occasional off days from whoever was their fifth starter at the time.
While the relief pitching was not as atrocious as it had been the first two months of the season, it remained an area of weakness. The relief staff’s July ERA of 4.86 ranked 11th in the NL, and their relative park-adjusted ERA– of 109 was 9% worse than average, ranking ninth in the NL. They ranked 11th in RE24 with –9.11, and 13th in win probability added with –1.74. Had the Nats had an “average” relief staff, they would have won one or two more games this month.
Record:
15–10 (.600)
Pythagorean Record:
16–9 (5.04 R/G – 3.84 RA/G)
July MVP:
Stephen Strasburg (5–0, 1.14 RA/9, 5 G, 31-2/3 IP, 12.5 K/9, .513 opp OPS, 2.0 RA9-WAR). Strasburg was named NL Pitcher of the Month for July. Patrick Corbin (1.95 RA/9, 1.8 RA9-WAR) was the runner up.
Most valuable position player:
Anthony Rendon (.333/.420/.552, 25 G, 4 HR, 14 R, 22 RBI, 148 wRC+, 1.1 fWAR).
Most valuable relief pitcher:
Tanner Rainey (0–0, 1.08 RA/9, 10 G, 8-1/3 IP, 13.0 K/9, .619 opp OPS, 3.11 RE24, 0.3 RA9-WAR, 1 shutdown, 1 meltdown).
Worst month:
Javy Guerra (0–0, 8.18 RA/9, 8 G, 11 IP, 5.7 K/9, .838 opp OPS, –0.4 RA9-WAR, –6.01 RE24, 2 shutdowns, 1 meltdown) was designated for assignment at the end of a disappointing month.
Best start this month:
Stephen Strasburg (July 3, 3–1 win over the Marlins in Miami) pitched 7-1/3 scoreless innings, giving up 2 hits and 2 walks and striking out 14, for a game score of 86.
Worst start:
Erick Fedde (July 30, 11–8 loss to the Braves at home) gave up 9 runs on 9 hits and 4 walks in 3-2/3 innings, while striking out 4, for a game score of 7.
Tough losses:
- None (Nats starters recorded only two losses in July)
Cheap wins:
- Stephen Strasburg (July 18, 13–4 win over the Braves in Atlanta) gave up 3 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts in 5-1/3 innings, for a game score of 45.
- Anibal Sanchez (July 20, 5–3 win over the Braves in Atlanta) gave up 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts in 5 innings, for a game score of 44.
Best shutdown:
Sean Doolittle (July 20, 5–3 win over the Braves in Atlanta). Doolittle entered the game with one out in the bottom of the eighth, a runner on first, and the Nats guarding a 4–3 lead. He retired Culberson on a fly ball and Acuna on a strikeout to get out of the inning. The Nats added a run in the top of the ninth, then Doolittle returned in the bottom of the inning to retire all three batters he faced—Swanson, Freeman, and Donaldson (win probability added .238).
Worst meltdown:
Fernando Rodney (July 25, 8–7 loss to the Rockies at home). Rodney, who had pitched both games of the previous day’s doubleheader, was assigned the ninth inning with the Nats holding 7–6 lead. The first batter he faced, former Nat Ian Desmond, drove the ball over the center field wall to tie the game. He then walked Blackmon, struck out Story for the first out, and gave up a single to Dahl that advanced Blackmon to third. Former Nat Daniel Murphy then hit a grounder that was too slow for the Nats to turn a double play and Blackmon scored the go-ahead run (WPA –.816). The Nats then failed to score in the bottom of the ninth and failed in their bid to sweep the Rockies.
Clutch hit:
Juan Soto (July 13, 4–3 win over the Phillies in Philadelphia). The Nats were down to their last out, trailing 3 to 2 with two outs in the top of the ninth. Anthony Rendon then singled, and Soto hit the first pitch he saw, a splitter from closer Hector Neris, over the left-center fence to give the Nats the lead (WPA .740).
Choke:
Ryan Zimmerman (July 5, 7–4 loss to the Royals at home in 11 innings). In the bottom of the tenth with the score tied 4 to 4, the Nats had runners on first and third with one out. Zimmerman hit a pop fly for the second out (WPA –.186). Victor Robles then grounded out to end the Nationals’ bid for a walk-off win.
Favorite defensive play:
- Victor Robles dove to catch a line drive from Dansby Swanson.
After two months of losing, the Nationals turned things around in June and began winning. With the season now half over, there’s a question of whether their improved performance has arrived too late for the divisional race, but a wild-card bid seems still to be very much in play.
June began with the Nationals in fourth place in the NL East, nine games below .500 and nine games behind the division-leading Phillies. They had just played—and lost—the opening game of a 3-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati. They won the last two games to take the series and completed their short road trip with a 4–1 record.
The Nats returned home to face the Chicago White Sox in a two-game series. They won both games, with the second win coming on a walk-off homer by Trea Turner. The Nats then traveled to San Diego to face the Padres. They split the 4-game set against the Padres, then split a two-game series against the White Sox in Chicago. In the NL East divisional race, the red-hot Braves moved ahead of the Phillies.
The Nationals returned home for a scheduled 11-game homestand, where they would face the Diamondback as well as their main divisional rivals, the Phillies and the Braves. Although the Nats were trailing in the NL East by 7.5 games when the homestand began, good performances could potentially help them back into the race. The homestand began with a 4-game series against the Diamondbacks, which they split. Next came a 4-game series against the Phillies, but the first two games were rained out. One of the postponed games would be made up in a doubleheader, and the other was rescheduled for late September. To make matters worse, on the day of the second rain-out, Max Scherzer took a foul ball in the face while taking batting practice—specifically, while practicing bunts—and suffered a broken nose.
The weather finally cleared enough for the Phillies series to begin. In the first game of the day-night doubleheader, Patrick Corbin, who had been struggling his previous three starts, returned to form and led the Nats to a 6 to 2 victory. In the nightcap, Scherzer took the mound with a black eye and a broken nose and shut out the Phillies for seven innings, allowing the Nats to win 2 to 0. The next day the Nats took the finale 7 to 4, sweeping the Phillies and knocking them back in the divisional race.
Next came a three-game series against the division-leading Braves. After playing three games in two days, the Nats’ bullpen was fatigued. The Nats managed to win Game One 4 to 3, relying on Wander Suero to get the save, helped by a dramatic sliding, game-ending catch by Victor Robles. In Game Two, the Nats held a comfortable 8 to 4 lead after six innings, but when Trevor Rosenthal came in to pitch the seventh, he walked the first three batters. Then Tanner Rainey was brought in and walked in a run and gave up a three-run double, tying the game. In the bottom of the seventh, the Nats scored a run to take a 9–8 lead. But in the top of the eighth, Joe Ross gave up four runs on five hits (including a three-run homer), and the Nats wound up losing the game 13 to 9. The next morning, Ross was optioned to Fresno and Rosenthal was released—the Nats conceding his signing was a $7 million mistake. Game Three seemed winnable when the Nats scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game 2 to 2. But the game went to extra innings, and the Braves scored two in the top of the 10th. The Nats were able to score one in the bottom of the inning but fell 4 to 3. With the series loss, the Nats dropped to 8.5 games behind.
The month ended with a road trip to Miami and Detroit to face two of the worst teams in baseball. The Detroit series featured the return to the active roster of Ryan Zimmerman, the last of a number of Nationals regulars who had been injured during April and May to return. The Nats swept the Marlins and took two of three against the Tigers.
For the month of June, the Nats went 18–8 and finished with a 42–41 record, in third place in the NL East, 7 games behind the Braves (who went 20–8 in June). According to Fangraphs, the Nats had begun June with a 16% chance of winning the division and a 32% chance of making the playoffs, while they ended June with a 19% chance of winning the division and a 60% chance of making the playoffs. By contrast, the 538 website showed them with a 16% chance of winning the division and a 46% chance of making the playoffs, while Baseball Prospectus gave them a 12% chance for the division and 40% for the playoffs.
Throughout the season, the Nationals’ strength has been their starting pitching, and this continued to be the case in June. The starters’ ERA of 3.52 during the month was second best in the National League (behind the Dodgers), and their park-adjusted ERA relative to league (ERA–) of 79 was also second best in the league. Their fielding independent measure, FIP–, was 91, third best in the league. Their 25.8% strikeout rate was the NL’s best. Furthermore, the starters on average went deeper into games than other teams—their average of 6.1 innings per start led baseball.
The team’s relief pitching, which had been among the worst in baseball during the first two months of the season, rebounded to deliver results that were more like league average. Their ERA– of 101 during June ranked eighth among the 15 NL teams, and their FIP– of 87 ranked fourth. In the situation-dependent measures, they ranked ninth in both RE24 (with –3.06) and win probability added (with –0.29). Their 21 shutdowns ranked tenth, and their 10 meltdowns were the third-fewest in the NL. Overall, while the bullpen still wasn’t a strength for the team, its performance was often acceptable.
The offense, meanwhile, contributed to the Nationals’ winning record but was not among the elite offenses in the league. The Nats’ June on-base percentage of .326 ranked eighth in the NL, while their slugging percentage of .467 ranked fifth. Their 44 home runs during June also ranked fifth. The park-adjusted combined measure of offense relative to league, wRC+, was 101, sixth in the league.
Record:
18–8 (.692)
Pythagorean Record:
17–9 (5.58 R/G – 3.92 RA/G)
June MVP:
Max Scherzer (6–0, 1.00 RA/9, 6 G, 45 IP, 13.6 K/9, .196 opp OBP, 3.0 RA9-WAR) had a month that was phenomenal even by his own standard. Overcoming a slow start in April, Max is making yet another bid for the Cy Young Award. Addendum: Scherzer was named NL Pitcher of the Month for June.
Most valuable position player:
Anthony Rendon (.307/.363/.604, 26 G, 9 HR, 22 R, 24 RBI, 144 wRC+, 1.0 fWAR).
Most valuable relief pitcher:
Wander Suero (0–0, 2.77 RA/9, 13 G, 13 IP, 10.4 K/9, .302 opp OBP, 1.17 RE24, 0.4 RA9-WAR, 5 shutdowns, 1 meltdown).
Worst month:
Joe Ross (0–1, 36.00 RA/9, 1 G, 1 IP, 0.0 K/9, .667 opp OBP, –0.4 RA9-WAR, –0.66 WPA, 0 shutdowns, 1 meltdown) was called up as a potential starter for the game on the 23rd but then pressed into service as a reliever on the 22nd, and he delivered a disastrous eighth inning, surrendering four runs to go from a one-run lead to a three-run deficit.
Best start this month:
Max Scherzer (June 2, 4–1 win over the Reds in Cincinnati) pitched 8 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits and 1 walk and striking out 15, for a game score of 86. It was only his third win of the season.
Worst start:
Stephen Strasburg (June 15, 10–3 loss to the Reds in Denver), who gave up 6 runs, 9 hits, and 1 walk in 5 innings, while striking out 5, for a game score of 29.
Tough losses:
- None
Cheap wins:
- Stephen Strasburg (June 4, 9–5 win over the White Sox in Chicago) gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts in 5 innings, for a game score of 40.
Best shutdown:
Sean Doolittle (June 30, 2–1 win over the Tigers in Detroit). Doolittle pitched the ninth with a one-run lead. Although he allowed a single and a walk, he recorded a strikeout and two flyball outs to record his 100th career save (win probability added .205).
Worst meltdown:
Sean Doolittle (June 7, 5–4 loss to the Padres in San Diego). After being held scoreless for six innings, the Nats clawed their way back and took a 4–3 lead in the top of the ninth. Doolittle came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. After striking out Machado, he gave up a triple to Hosmer. He then struck out Franmil Reyes for the second out but gave up a single to Josh Naylor, tying the game. Naylor stole second, and another single from Austin Hedges gave the Padres the win (WPA –.816).
Clutch hit:
Matt Adams (June 27, 8–5 win over the Marlins in Miami). The Nats were trailing 4 to 1 in the top of the sixth when Adams came to bat. There were two outs and runners on first and third, and Adams lofted a hanging slider down the right-field line for a game-tying three-run homer (WPA .327).
Choke:
Juan Soto (June 23, 4–3 loss to the Braves at home). With the score tied 2 to 2 after nine, the game had gone to extra innings. In the top of the tenth, the Braves took a 4 to 2 lead on a 2-run homer by Camargo. But the Nats came back in the bottom of the tenth and had scored one run and had runners on first and second when Soto came to bat with two outs. Soto grounded out to shortstop to end the game (WPA –.171).
Favorite Defensive Plays:
- Victor Robles sprinted a long way to make a diving catch at the warning track against the White Sox.
- Trea Turner made a diving stop to keep a ground ball from going to the outfield, then gunned down the Phillie runner who was trying to score from second.
- Victor Robles made an even more dramatic catch against the Braves, with two outs in the top of the ninth, the Nats holding a one-run lead, and runners on first and second. A pop-up was hit into no-mans land behind second base, and Robles raced in to make a game-ending, sliding catch.
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.
