2012 media power rankings

[MarquisDeSade]

Also, I read that Uggla put on more muscle

Seriously?  That dude was already ripped beyond ripped last season.

[tomterp]

We split the series with the Braves last year and they've done nothing this offseason.  In what way are they more talented?

Love their pitching staff, including depth represented by Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, or Arodys Vizcaino.  Expect Heyward to have a bounce back year.

Most of the comments in the Braves section are on individual players, not the team as a whole.  I'll keep an eye out for that.

[Rasta]

People keep talking about the innings limit for Stras but I don't see anyone talking about Hudson having back surgery and fusing 2 vertebrae.  He's out until May 1 at the earliest.  Last May he made 6 starts.  That's a big deal.

[The Chief]

And you don't love ours?  I'm fine with flipping a coin on it, but I'll put our rotation + pen up against theirs no problem.  Offense is another matter, but if the Braves can bank on "regression" then so can we.

[Lintyfresh85]

I like Braves lineup and bullpen more than the Nats.

[The Chief]

People keep talking about the innings limit for Stras but I don't see anyone talking about Hudson having back surgery and fusing 2 vertebrae.  He's out until May 1 at the earliest.  Last May he made 6 starts.  That's a big deal.

Or Hanson's car accident and possible concussion.

[wpa2629]

I like our pen more than theirs. They pitched their guys to death last year and I don't see them doing anything differently this year because they don't have the depth we do. 

[cmdterps44]

I trust your objectivity more than most, so I'm gonna take your word on this, but really every hit is clutch when your offense is as bad as ours was

And that still doesn't change the outcomes.  We've always been good against the Braves anyway, but now we're better on the whole.  I would have no problem saying the Braves had more talent than us in previous years, but going into this season I just can't agree with that anymore.

I agree with your post about clutch. I think we're definitely a better team this year than we were last year and at some point this season we'll be even better with the addition of Harper. I just know that if we plan on driving in more runs, we'll need LaRoche to put up numbers equal to Nix. Hell, even if Werth plays just a bit better than he did (I hope he plays MUCH better) last year, we'll see more production than we ever saw last year.

I don't know where these projections are coming from. Then again, Heyward could come back at some point and put up the numbers he's supposed to. I also recall Chipper and McCann being down at some points so that may help them.

IMO, the Braves have to rely on things going right much more than we do: They need Heyward to play to his potential, Freeman to put up similar numbers in his sophmore season, Kimbrel to do the same, Uggla to find that hot streak of hitting again, Chipper to not show age, McCann to not go down again, etc.

I also don't see where the Marlins are going to get 16 wins with that rotation. I can see Reyes, Hanley, and Stanton do damage though.

[houston-nat]

I like our pen more than theirs simply because I think some of their guys were so good that the steps back they take will be bigger than the steps back we take.

Their offense is just as shaky as ours and their infield defense is a sack of road apples.

[tomterp]

Some comments on Stras:

2) How good is Stephen Strasburg compared to the rest of the National League’s finest starters?

DC: In terms of stuff, Strasburg, aka the Reverse Fire Extinguisher, may well be unmatched by anybody in the National League.  You could make a case for a guy like Clayton Kershaw, but we’d really just be talking semantics.  Strasburg has more injury concerns and less polish than guys like Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee, but his ceiling is out of this world.  He consistently sits in the high-90s and complements his heater with a plus change and curve, throwing in a grounder-inducing two-seamer for good measure.

MJ: In terms of talent, Strasburg is impressive, especially at his age. In terms of performance this season, I would not be surprised if he continues right where he left off when he returned for five starts last season. In 92 innings, he has posted a 2.54 ERA and an impossibly low 1.87 FIP. Those numbers are going to go up, but given the skills package you mentioned, it is hard to imagine Strasburg regressing a whole lot in 2012. A sub-3.00 ERA seems very well within reach, and the sky is the limit for this immense talent.

DC: PECOTA projects him to have the best ERA in baseball this year, and it’s not close.  The innings limit will hinder his value a bit, but by the time he’s shut down we could easily be calling it a no contest that he’s the best the NL has to offer.

 

[cmdterps44]

Some comments on Stras:

 

The time is almost here.

[hammondsnats]

I like Braves lineup and bullpen more than the Nats.

line-up yeah, experience probably, bullpen i think is a wash (sure venters/kimbrel are sick, but i think ours has more depth from top to bottom).  i think nats have a better rotation. 

[Lintyfresh85]

I agree about the rotation. The Nats are stacked!

[Tyler Durden]

Braves have a mediocre offense just like we do.  They are starting a 22 year old and a 39 year old at the infield corners, for example - one of those guys is likely to not be very good.  Heyward and Prado had turrible seasons last year.  Who knows if Pastornicky can hit.  They might be a little better, but I doubt it's enough to make much of a difference.  But really I think they have just as many question marks as the Nats.

[The Chief]

I agree about the rotation. The Nats are stacked!

Unacceptable!  You must drink the or the Natosphere will implode!

[HalfSmokes]

Tom, how many abs does Pechora project for zimmerman and LaRoche

[comish4lif]

Tom, how many abs does Pechora project for zimmerman and LaRoche

For Zimm 644 plate appearances.
For LaRovpche 564.

[HalfSmokes]

There goes that explanation

[Tyler Durden]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/post/wall-street-journal-says-nats-had-fourth-best-offseason/2012/02/23/gIQA9WuAWR_blog.html?wprss=dc-sports-bog

More offseason rankings.  Nats had 4th best offseason according WSJ and Heyman.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/post/wall-street-journal-says-nats-had-fourth-best-offseason/2012/02/23/gIQA9WuAWR_blog.html?wprss=dc-sports-bog

More offseason rankings.  Nats had 4th best offseason according WSJ and Heyman.

ssshhhh! don't tell the LoD!   

I can't believe I'm the one saying rely on the ragsheet I call the Wall Street Urinal

[tomterp]

Tom, how many abs does Pechora project for zimmerman and LaRoche

Here you go.

[Baseball is Life]

ssshhhh! don't tell the LoD!   

I can't believe I'm the one saying rely on the ragsheet I call the Wall Street Urinal

But we didn't sign Fielder, we didn't get a CF, we haven't extended Zim...

[imref]

Keith Law and Buster Olney rank us as the 14th best positioned franchise for the next 5 years.  The Rangers are #1.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7574220/mlb-future-power-rankings-2012-nos-20-11

The lowdown

It's one thing to get the No. 1 pick in the draft in a year when there's an obvious future All-Star available. It's quite another to get that pick two years in a row and earn the right to take once-in-a-generation players in consecutive seasons. That's what happened to the Nats with Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, and both appear to be as good as advertised.

If Strasburg can prove he's healthy for a full season after missing most of 2011 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Harper builds on his fabulous minor league debut, this team could quickly become a powerhouse. Of the teams outside the top 10, the Nats probably have the best chance of being in the top five of these rankings a year from now. -- Buster Olney

The next step

Manager Davey Johnson is 69 years old and the Nationals should establish an heir apparent. They could follow the Cardinals and White Sox and hire an unproven manager or go get a known commodity such as Terry Francona. They also could groom an up-and-coming onetime minor league skipper, such as Randy Knorr. Whatever they do, it's crucial they bring in someone who has the respect of Strasburg and Harper and can get the most out of them. -- Jim Bowden

[PatsNats28]

I would have put us a bit higher, at like 10 or so, but I understand the rationale.

[imref]

ESPN breaks us down.  Projects an 87-75 record.

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/21186/nationals-still-longshots-to-catch-phillies

Offense: +59 runs; new total of 683 runs scored
Pitching: -50 runs; new total of 593 runs allowed