If someone had told me 2 years ago that something like this would be written about the Nats in 2013, I would've laughed. Man has this team come a long way:
"Right about now, the rest of the clubs in the NL East have to be wondering just what the heck they can do to keep pace with the Nationals.
That the Nats shored up their bullpen is disconcerting in particular for the Atlanta Braves, as bullpen depth appeared to be the one advantage they had on them. But now that the Nats have Soriano in addition to Storen and Tyler Clippard, they have a bullpen that can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Craig Kimbrel, Eric O'Flaherty and Jonny Venters in a close game.
Elsewhere on down the totem pole, the upgrade the Philadelphia Phillies made to their bullpen by signing Mike Adams now looks like a moot point. Their bullpen may have been able to compete with Washington's before, but not now.
The Nats already were the favorites to win the NL East in 2013, and now they're easily the surest bet to win the division. You need a magnifying glass to pick out their weaknesses, and whatever weaknesses they have are petty compared to weaknesses of the other teams in the division.
If they don't repeat as division champs in 2013, it will be an upset."
