Some Optimism about the Nats at this dark time

by PhDBrian on Apr 29, 2009 12:21 AM EDT

All data borrowed from From Fangraphs

1. NATS have a team wOBA of .350 which is 9th overall and 3rd in the NL!

So we can hit!

wOBA is a measure of overall offense that includes as much stuff as possible.

2. Last season (2008) the Rangers had the highest wOBA of any team in baseball at .355. The following NATS with at least 30 at bats are currently higher than .355 in wOBA. Guzman, Dunn, Kearns, Johnson, Dukes, Zimmerman, and Flores. In other words, SS, LF, CF, RF, 1B, 3B, and Catcher. Only secondbase is missing!

Most guys are hitting! Only one real hole once Guzz returns. (Granted its a big hole)

3. The following pitchers have positive "value wins" at this moment: Zimmermann, Tavarez, Olsen, Biemel, Lannan, Cabrera, Martis. Granted all are small positive values, but the season is very young. most positive note: the entire rotation is listed!!! even Cabrera

We lack stars, but not quality starters. (Strassburg and Battlestar are on the way!!!) Imagine our rotation for 2010-2011!

4. The following pitchers are the only ones with Negative "Value Wins" right now: Saoool 'overused till he broke" Rivera, Hinckley, Han ra Han "them another blown save". All three have fairly negative values considering how young the year. Feel free to blame all three for ruining this season so far as all other pitchers are Zero win share guys for the season.

So only three bullpen pitchers are really hurting us!

5. the following are playing outstanding defense: Ryan Zimmerman 3b UZR/150 of 27.1! Willingham in lf 12.9! Guzman ss is better than expected at +2.0. That is it for the plus defenders with more than a small number of innings at a position, (Although Nick is only -1.9 at first which is very close to the average of zero).

Ok our defense has few bright spots, and many real dark spots, but as a team we are better than the Orioles, Angels, Indians, and Cardinals so far. So we are not the worst team!! Imagine if we could catch how good our starters would be at this point!

There you go SOME BRIGHTS SPOTS on the NATS

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Comments

You missed the best one.

The Nats are 3 games up already in the race for the first pick of the draft!

by Chris Pendley on Apr 29, 2009 2:33 PM EDT reply actions

true

"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James

by PhDBrian on Apr 29, 2009 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Solid Offense, Potentially Good (not great) pitching

I think the main post is spot on. We really have the makings of a respectable team here. After the first, horrible turn through the rotation, our pitchers have been giving their share of quality starts, and our hitters have been hitting. I see us potentially playing, say. .520 ball for the rest of the year, which would leave us a game or two below .500. That kind of respectability will shut up the awful NYC press and will bring some fans back to the park. And next year could be a breakout year.

by North Potomac on Apr 30, 2009 6:07 AM EDT reply actions

I hope and pray your are right

and think it is possible

"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James

by PhDBrian on Apr 30, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey did anyone

but me notice that the second I posted that our secondbase was a big hole Hernandez went out and had a career night of hitting. He is on basing .390 as of today. I love this game!

"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James

by PhDBrian on Apr 30, 2009 6:24 PM EDT reply actions

Please call Kearns a big hole......

Sincerely,
DC Faithful

"...the bases loaded failures were the reason, the only reason..."
"Let's just move back to Montreal and forget the last 5 years ever
happened"............- e chigliak

by cat daddy3000 on Apr 30, 2009 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Quick, point out another hole!

"It's pretty much all garbage time right now." --ROSCOEtheNATSfan

by Doghouse on Apr 30, 2009 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Closer is a big hole. The biggest I have ever seen!

crossing his fingers it works again!

"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James

by PhDBrian on May 1, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey this worked again.

Noone in the bullpen cost us the win today (complete game). Laugh

"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James

by PhDBrian on May 2, 2009 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Another hole!! ANOTHER HOLE!! And we can tie a series tomorrow!!

Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."

by Patrick Reddington on May 2, 2009 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Kearns has had a very solid bat this season thus far.

He is on basing .403 and slugging .500 as of today. That is a star most of the time. but, oddly, after three stellar seasons in rf with the glove, he seems to have lost his defense badly. But, he could get that back. I can’t call anyone with an OPS over 900 a hole.

"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James

by PhDBrian on May 1, 2009 4:16 PM EDT reply actions

Doghouse will be so happy someone else is supporting Kearnsie...

Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."

by Patrick Reddington on May 1, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I hang my head in shame that Dunn is posting better defensive RF numbers than Kearns right now...

I feel like that won’t last, however.

"It's pretty much all garbage time right now." --ROSCOEtheNATSfan

by Doghouse on May 1, 2009 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions

no but it supports Acta's flipping Dunn back and forth to allow others to play

That seems to be working

"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James

by PhDBrian on May 2, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, I'm hoping Williingham can do something constructive with the playing time.

"It's pretty much all garbage time right now." --ROSCOEtheNATSfan

by Doghouse on May 2, 2009 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I really think we should call the Pirates

they seem to need a bat in the OF. Maybe the Angels since Vlad is now a DH at best. Willinghammer was a very good hitter the past few seasons when he was healthy. On based over .350 with just under 500 slugging, that is a very good bat! To bad everyone is convinced is back wont let him play everyday!

"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James

by PhDBrian on May 2, 2009 11:53 PM EDT up reply actions