The Nats are going to be tested right out of the gates in their home opening series. There is no bigger challenge than facing the back to back World Series champions. That is what the Nats will do when they square off with the Dodgers. Here are three things I will be watching.
Can the Nats Continue Their Surprising Success Against the Dodgers?
The Nats and Dodgers have been on two different ends of the MLB food chain. While the Dodgers have been the kings of baseball, the Nats have been stuck near
the basement of the National League. However, the Nats have had a surprising amount of success against the Dodgers lately, especially at home.
The Nats have won their home series against the Dodgers in each of the last two seasons. It is a weird phenomenon, but the Nats have tended to give the Dodgers a tough time. I have a feeling the mighty Dodgers may have a tough time getting up for an April matchup across the country against a bad team. They know they can coast through the regular season.
Regardless of why it is, the Nats have given the Dodgers a tough time. Last season, James Wood had a huge series against them. He hit a few towering home runs on cold April nights. Seeing the big man get going would be huge for the Nats.
Wood has continued his struggles from the second half of last season. The strikeouts are still out of control and his swing just does not look totally right at the moment. However, we know what he is capable of, and this would be quite the time for him to snap out of his slump.
Will Joey Wiemer Keep The Good Times Rolling?
Joey Wiemer has been the story of the first week of the Nats season. The waiver claim came out of the gates like a house on fire. He got on base in each of his first 10 plate appearances. Now he is “only” hitting .588 with a .682 on base percentage. Wiemer has been a joy to watch, not only at the plate, but also in the field and on the bases.
It would be really cool if he could stay hot in front of the home crowd. Wiemer has been DFA’d three times in the last year, but now he seems to have found a home. Eventually, he is likely to cool off and settle in as a lefty killing 4th outfielder. However, the Nats are going to ride the hot hand as long as they can.
Wiemer is only 27 and was a former top 100 prospect. So, there is a chance that something just clicked for him and he can be a late bloomer. That is pretty unlikely, but it is why Paul Toboni has been taking a lot of shots on waiver claims like Wiemer.
Can The Starting Pitching Hold Up?
One big worry I have for this series against the Dodgers is the Nats starting pitching. On paper, the matchup is not great for the Nats. They have Miles Mikolas, Jake Irvin and Foster Griffin lined up. Against a ferocious lineup like the Dodgers, that could be trouble.
However, Irvin and Griffin looked solid in their first starts of the season. Irvin was particularly impressive, showing much improved stuff. He is still a guy who posted an ERA that was well over five last year.
Mikolas will be taking the ball today, and he looked really shaky in his first start. Granted, his defense did not do him any favors, but Mikolas is not a guy who misses many bats. The Nats defense will have to be on their toes today, and Mikolas will have to avoid mistakes to keep the ball in the yard.
Luckily for the Nats, they are avoiding Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani. They are also missing Blake Snell, who is out with injury. However, the Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches, so they will still be facing good arms. Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki are all very talented.
I am interested to see what Sasaki looks like in particular. He has not had the easiest transition since coming over from Japan. However, he still has amazing stuff when he is on. Seeing him matchup with Foster Griffin will be cool. That could have been a matchup NPB fans saw a couple years ago.
Overall, the Nats have a tall task this weekend. However, they have not backed down from the Dodgers in the past. Over the first week, they also showed they can go toe to toe with some of the NL’s best. They competed with the Phillies and Cubs, so why can’t this group take a series from the mighty Dodgers.
