Washington Nationals

Off-season Overview:

The Nationals unsurprisingly had a boring off-season. They seem to be waiving the white flag before the first is thrown as money does not flow as freely in Washington as it does in the rest of the East. They lost veterans Nelson Cruz, Caesar Hernandez, and Luke Voit remains unsigned. Of note, Washington only added SP Trevor Williams and former Tiger 3B Jeimer Candelario and that's the most exiting part of this post. (You can stop reading here...Washington comes in last place again). There is, however, some promise for the future as the young talent could ripen. The rotation is respectable with Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg (please stay healthy). The Nats will also throw Cade Cavalli, MacKenzie Gore, and Josiah Gray because they have nothing to lose and are hopeful someone will turn into a superstar. Like last season, there will be glimpses of promise for the future but the Nationals are young, inexperienced, and lack offensive ability to be competitive. Keep an eye on catcher Keibert Ruiz and SS CJ Abrams as they could make a splash in the league. Keep waiting Nats fans, the future is more promising than this year will show.

Ceiling:

A 4th place finish in the NL East. Need I repeat that the Mets, Braves, and Phillies play in this division. It's inevitable the Nationals will get knocked around. The best they can do is best the Marlins for 4th place.

Floor:

A 5th place finish in the NL East. Washington is too young and unpolished and if even just a few of their prospects don't pan out, the Nats are racing for the worst record in baseball. It's as simple as that.

My Prediction:

A 5th place finish in the NL East. While this team has a ton of promise, 2023 will be objectively difficult to watch. There are some exciting young guys to tune in for, sure, and I hope their 3 young pitchers pan out, but that is a best-case plea for mediocrity in a stacked NL East. If you enjoy a race to the bottom of the standings, tune in for the Nationals vs. Marlins this season! The future is bright though, chin up Nats fans!

-- Cyrus Beermann