Nationals Pitching Daily Briefs (PDB): A Collection
To catch you up on the work Garrett Hooe has been doing this offseason to prepare us all for the pitching analysis he intends to do during the 2013 campaign. A look at the stats and thinking that goes into looking at the Washington Nationals' pitchers as they try to defend the NL East title.
Breaking down the MASN/Nats Ruling
A look at today's court decision vacating the award of the arbitration panel that had awarded the Nats increased rights fees.
Nats' First Half Superlatives
A look back at some of the more notable accomplishments of the Nats' 2015 first half.
The day Bryce Harper scared MLB pitchers
Bryce Harper's always been known as a touted prospect and talented player. But when did pitchers' offerings first start matching the talk?
Ryan Zimmerman No Longer Feared
D.C.'s face of the franchise has had a rough go of it in 2015. What conclusions can we make based on the way pitchers have attacked him so far this year?
Doing Work: Breaking down Bryce Harper's Three HRs
You weren't the only one working during the day yesterday. So if you missed Nationals' slugger Bryce Harper's three-home run game vs the Marlins, here's a look back.
Braves Pay for Uggla Decisions
The Braves paid in more ways than one Tuesday night. Here, we revisit Uggla's heroics and the lead-up.
Full Sinker: Drew Storen closes N.L. East
A quick look at Nationals' closer Drew Storen's use of the sinker at two pivotal career points.
The Struggles of the Nationals' Ian Desmond
Ian Desmond hasn't been the 2012 and 2013 performer that Nats' fans are used to. While his defense has been shaky, we look here at his offense to see what has changed this year, and what the problem might be.
The Nats' Sort of Jekyll and Hyde Offense
While the Nationals have had an impressive early season offensive performance, there's a sense in the community that the team struggles to drive runs in with runners on base. Is that true? And if so, why?
Nats Park is Playing Huge
Nats broadcaster F.P. Santangelo has mentioned during several broadcasts that hard-hit batted balls simply aren't carrying at Nationals Park like they normally do. And it's true, more so with respect to the good guys, it seems. What's going on?
Espinosa's early improvement, and replacing Zim
The Nats had a great bounce-back Monday, then an ugly loss last night after a bad weekend in Atlanta. A big part of the team's success going forward will be how Espinosa contributes. With Ryan Zimmerman out for several weeks, what can we expect?
What's the difference between Ramos and Lobaton?
Some guys have no luck in the game of baseball. When you've suffered multiple season-altering injuries -- never mind a kidnapping -- you probably qualify. With Wilson Ramos on the shelf, can we be optimistic about backup Jose Lobaton?
Nats' Defensive Shifts Could Help in 2014
Last season, the Nationals shifted the least among all major league teams. Before the 2014 campaign, new skipper Matt Williams resolved to use more defensive shifts. Is there room for improvement?
The Nationals Are Better with Detwiler in the Pen
The Nats recently announced that Ross Detwiler was no longer in the running for the fifth starter's spot in the team's rotation. Regardless where you fall on whether Detwiler's performance to date merited the decision, the Nats are better for it.
N.L. East: Third Base Rankings
The Nats have had the top talent -- in my view, anyway -- at three of the first four positions in the we've covered. Does Ryan Zimmerman project to continue the trend? How about Chris Johnson after his good 2013? Nah. It's David Wright.
N.L. East Position Ranks: Shortstop
How do the N.L. East shortstops stack up? There's clear talent at the top, while younger players at the bottom have significant flaws. Like many of the positions we've seen so far, the Nats and Braves are near the top.
N.L. East Position Ranks: Left Fielders
The left field position in the N.L. East is stacked with some high-end, young talent that gives four of the five teams reason for hope for 2014 and beyond. And even the old, I mean odd, man out is pretty good in his own right. How do things look?
N.L. East Center Field Rankings
After an exciting Thursday in NatsTown, we take a moment to check out the five N.L. East center fielders. They have a lot in common, some of it good. The Fan Projects see a pretty close grouping of players, but there are some differences.
N.L. East Position Ranks: Right Fielders
How is the 2014 crop of N.L. East right fielders looking? Overall, pretty good. Here's how the projected starters shape up.
N.L. East Position Rankings: Intro
Introducing Federal Baseball's position-by-position projections for the National League East in 2014! We'll draw on projection systems and some high/low scenarios to figure out which teams are best positioned to win this season.
Nats Pitch Right Strategy To Their Starters*
Thanks to some helpful studies and insightful data, we can take a deeper look into whether the Nationals' starters have the "right" approach. More specifically, is a ground-ball centric method the best way to attack opposing hitters?
Nats '14: Appreciating Doug Fister's Talent
The big news around Major League Baseball last night was the Nationals' trade for former Detroit right-hander Doug Fister. Fister is a one of the better pitchers in the game. How does he do it, and what do Nationals' fans have to look forward to?
Nats '14: A Counterpoint To Signing Ubaldo Jimenez
Several baseball writers have recently opined that the Nationals should target free agent right hander Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenez pitched very well over the second half of 2013, but there's room for debate.
Partially Explaining Tanner Roark's HR/FB Rate
Tanner Roark emerged on the scene in the second half of 2013, showing an impressive display of poise and performance on the way to a sterling 2.41 FIP. But Roark also rocked a miniscule HR/FB rate. What gives?
Ryan Zimmerman's Late Season Surge Explained
Ryan Zimmerman - the Face of the Franchise - ambled through most of 2013 with pretty mediocre numbers. Since the middle of August, however, he's cranked up the power in a big way. What explains this improvement? We look at stats and video to see.
Anthony Rendon's good at hitting soft stuff, too
Last week, we looked at the Nats' Anthony Rendon's performance against fastballs, sinkers, and cutters. This article checks out how the rookie is doing against breaking balls and off speed pitches, and again finds his talent encouraging.
Anthony Rendon Is Hitting Hard Stuff
Anthony Rendon arrived in Washington with considerable fanfare. He's had a good rookie campaign that has been marked by the sort of adjustments that make future success realistic. Here, we look at how he's fared against hard pitches.
Dillon Gee Faces Hot Nats Bats
Dillon Gee is a pretty good pitcher who enjoyed success last season. He's taken something of a step back this year, and with the Nats' sizzling offensive performance of late, signs are favorable for D.C. in the nations' capital tonight.
The Marlins' Henderson Alvarez and Broken Records
Where have Nats fans seen this before? A low strikeout, moderate walk hurler sporting a decent FIP sounds a lot like the Royals' Bruce Chen, and also describes the Marlins' Henderson Alvarez. Over a small sample, Alvarez has seen a curious trend.
In The Clouds With Bruce Chen
Bruce Chen has parlayed a once-top 10 prospect ranking into a 15-year major league career. This PDB looks at what Chen has working in his favor, and what the Nats may do about it.
Understanding Tim Lincecum's Highs and Lows
Tim Lincecum's early career dominance is well known, as was his 2012 performance slide. This PDB looks at Lincecum's primary offerings -- fastball, sinker, and change -- and compares the righty's 2009, 2012, and 2013 using prior articles and reports
The Phils' John Lannan is kind of the Nats' Lannan
After an unremarkable but sentimental tenure with the Washington Nationals, the Philadelphia Phillies' John Lannan has found a major league rotation spot. He's mostly still the same guy, but has reduced his gopher-ball tendencies somewhat.