Washington Nationals Fan's Confidence On The Rise Thanks To Werth, Espinosa, Livan And Marquis.

Colorado Rockies' right-hander Alan Johnson's four-inning outing on Sunday left the Washington Nationals alone on the list of team's that have received at least 5.0 IP out of each starter they've sent to the hill this season. The Nats have averaged 6.0 IP from their starters through fifteen games and though Nats' Skipper Jim Riggleman said this weekend that they know the team's offense isn't, "...firing on all cylinders yet," if the Nats, "continue to get good starting pitching," Riggleman said, he thinks the team has, "...a chance to have a heck of a ballclub, because we haven't even come close offensively to what we're going to be." Fifteen games into the schedule, however, the Nationals, (following a 4-2 homestand which ended with a three-game sweep of the Brewers), are 8-7, a game over .500...

"You've got to scratch out some wins when you're not hitting on all cylinders," Riggleman said, and though the team's next-to-last in the NL in Team AVG (.226) and ahead of only the unlucky Braves and Padres in Team BABIP (.264), they are getting on base by walking (tied with the Rockies w/ a league-best 10.9 BB%) and scoring however they can. The Nationals currently have two players Jayson Werth (4.41 P/PA) and Adam LaRoche (4.31 P/PA) in the Top 10 for P/PA (Pitches per plate appearance) so far this season, and switch-hitting rookie infielder Danny Espinosa's tied for 29th overall in the NL, seeing an average of 4.0 P/PA through 15 games and 56 plate appearances this season. 

Are you more confident about what the Nationals will accomplish this season than you were when the season started 15 games ago? Holding out til you see what their record is after a month, or two, or at the All-Star Break? Have things really changed? The Nationals are tied for 4th overall in errors, they're 15th overall in Team fld% (.981). The speed and athleticism have been on display at times, the pitching's stronger than most preseason prognosticators predicted through the first fifteen games, the defense...there's room for improvement, and getting Ryan Zimmerman back in the lineup should improve things all around...The Nats' Fan Confidence Poll is clearly trending upward since taking a dip at the start of the season. Cast your vote below...