It really is dramatic how much better the team, not just Ryan Zimmerman, has played. I’ve been keeping an eye on the actually numbers and it is stunning.
Ryan acknowledged his injury after the final game in the Orioles series in Baltimore and just before the Rockies started in Colorado. The shot was administered in B’more or Colorado…or on the plane ride between them. The effect started in the second game of the Rockies series. As of today, that was 42 games ago. At 42 games, it’s no longer a “small sample size” as it’s more than a quarter of the entire season and more than a third of the games that have already been played.
In those 42 games, the Nationals have the best record in the majors (29-13, .690 winning percentage), followed by the Braves (27-13) and the Reds (27-14). We’ve compiled this record by going 12-8 at home and 17-5 on the road. The Braves, on the other hand, have done it at home, 17-9 (home) and 10-4 (road).
We’re also #1 in runs scored per game in the NL with 5.45 runs per game (the Angels lead at 5.73 runs per game). We’re #4 in runs allowed in the NL (7th overall) at 3.90. We’re #1 in run differential per game at 1.55 post cortisone.
Of course, the one consistent thing, pre and post cortisone, as every Brave and Braves fan knows, is the Washington Nationals in first place in the NL East!
