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The World Champion Washington Nationals are eager to defend their title in the 2020 season, and it all starts at spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida. The starting lineup makeup will be revealed, and roles will become clearer. The Nationals do understand their concise plan in the outfield. Juan Soto, Adam Eaton, and Victor Robles are the starting options in the outfield barring an unforeseen development. Each has individual motives to improve this season in various categories but will hone in on their crafts in spring training.
To follow is a preview of the team’s outfield:
Left Field-Juan Soto
|Age-21|150 games|.282/.401/.548|.949 OPS|110 RBI’s|34 home runs|
The Nationals have big expectations of Soto and should. Becoming the youngest player to draw over 100 walks in a season justifies those expectations. His calm demeanor and unbelievable eye to take pitches will only help him improve his hitting skills. He showed the superstar ability in the 2019 postseason, hitting .333/.438/.741 with three home runs, two doubles, seven RBIs and six runs scored in the Fall Classic. Some will expect him to garner the Barry Bonds treatment but that can be schemed around due to wherever Nats manager Davey Martinez puts him in the lineup. To be very young and get to learn from former Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon about the science of hitting is something even more valuable than it sounds. Ironically he was one ranking ahead of Rendon (No. 12) in swing rate on pitches outside the zone. The young phenom will only get better and will soon get the crown in D.C.
Center Field-Victor Robles
|Age-22|155 games|.255/.326/.419|.745 OPS|65 RBI’s|17 home runs|
Victor Robles had an impressive first season in the nation’s capital giving the center field position some juice. That juice comprised of being a Gold Glove finalist and having 28 stolen bases. His unique God-given speed is starting to mold his identity as a player. Whether it’s stealing first or making a great play with his legs in the outfield, he gives the Nationals a great outfield tandem with Soto and right-fielder, Adam Eaton. His key focus in spring training will be to become a consistent and reliable batter in the lineup. His lack of plate discipline and power led to him having drastic on-base and slugging percentages. Swinging at 30.6 percent of pitches outside the zone was barely above the league average. If he can find his rhythm at the plate, his ceiling has no barrier due to his other remarkable tools.
Right Field- Adam Eaton
|Age-31|151 games|.279/.365/.428|.792 OPS|49 RBI’s|15 home runs|
Eaton is the ageless vet in the outfield that fans saw bounce back from an injury-riddled start to his Nationals tenure (last year was his first full season since 2016). Some will say it was worth the wait due to Eaton’s consistent hitting with great pop. He hit 15 home runs last year and put the ball in the air, having the best groundball percentage in his career at 39.6. His leadership and ability to help young Soto and Robles is something that goes under the radar. If he continues to stay healthy and remain a steady bat in the lineup, his future in D.C. will be a mainstay.
Other Outfield Options
Having depth and reliable bats who can come in off the bench is pivotal for success in baseball. Also having somebody who can come in and not be a defensive weakness is maybe even more important. Michael Taylor is that and more than anything, he embraces his role. He does, for some odd reason, have a lot of success in spring training. His last five batting averages were: .360, .258, .315, .453, and .323. He will look to finally do the same thing in the regular season — like not striking out as much in 2020 — and provide a consistent bat when called upon.
Andrew Stevenson is what many will call the underdog or odd man out but that may not be the case. The Nationals’ second-round pick in 2015 from LSU is chomping at the bit to earn a roster spot. He made the most of his opportunity playing in Triple-A as well as with the Nationals, hitting .367 in 37 plate appearances in the MLB and hitting .316 with seven home runs in 93 minor league games. If he does prove he is ready to be a full-time hitter on the big stage he could force general manager Mike Rizzo to explore maneuvering some players around. Both Taylor and Stevenson are what you want to have this time of year, competitive solid outfield options in case injuries arise.
Michael A. Taylor
|Age-29|53 games|.250/.305/.364|.692 OPS|3 RBI’s|10 home runs|
Andrew Stevenson
|Age-25|30 games|.367/.486/.467|.953 OPS|0 RBI’s|0 home runs|
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