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Nationals (8-7, 1½ games out in NL East)Rating: RealityA game over .500 isn't anything the Yankees would pop a champagne cork over. But for a team that's lost 205 games the last two years, it's as close to nirvana as the Nationals have ever gotten.Remember, nine of their 15 games have been against the Phillies and Rockies. They're 8-4 in games started by anybody other than Jason Marquis (0-3, and heading for the disabled list). They're in the top 9 in the major leagues in runs scored. And at some point, they should theoretically be able to dramatically upgrade their pitching with the call-up of Stephen Strasburg and closer-of-the-future Drew Storen, plus the arrival of Chien-Ming Wang. "By the end of the year, I bet they're a pretty darned good club," one scout said, "once they bring up those pitchers and get Wang in there. I like what they're doing and where they're going. They've gotten rid of the guys with a losing mentality. At least now they're all big leaguers out there."http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&page=rumblings100422
Twice in the last week, we've heard two scouts make a remark like this: "I think Washington is a much better club than the Mets."
ESPN support is the kiss of death.
Rockies were a playoff team last year and will contend again.
I'm not sure why he mentions the Rockies as if they are world-beaters. So far they look like a middle of the pack team.
What JCA said and the Phils and Rox were the top two offenses in at least the NL last year and to have to face them in 10 of your first 18 games is a tough row to hoe. The Rockies can hit. But I would agree that their pitching has seemed farily pedestrian so far (Jimenez aside)
