In my piece for MASNSports.com this morning, I rained on everyone's parade that now expects the Washington Nationals to continue to win at a 13 out of 15 pace the rest of the season. I kinda kept my mouth shut once the winning streak really got rolling, but now that the Nats have lost three of four and folks are actually starting to complain about the fact that Davey Johnson hasn't won a game as manager yet (in two games!), I thought a dose of reality might help keep things in perspective.
NatsTown, there are a lot of good things to look forward to with this team. It's young and talented up the middle in the infield, has some really good arms in the bullpen, has a potential No. 2 type starter recovering from Tommy John surgery, several high-ceiling prospects not too far away from the Major Leagues, and the game's best third baseman when healthy. That is certainly a lot to like.
But the roster, as it's constructed right now, is not of competing quality. There's exactly one starting pitcher on this roster that will be part of the Nats first legitimate contending team. They have one-third of a competitive starting outfield (that is, if the right fielder can find himself), and they are depending too much on a rookie second baseman and 29-year old slugger that is getting his first opportunity to play full-time.
The Nats were on a hot streak, one so pronounced that folks got a little too excited about what was going on. So let's keep things in perspective. It's good that there are things to be optimistic about, but let's keep that optimism grounded in reality.
