Nationals: Pitchers and catchers get set to report to Spring Training
Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 18th, will mark the first official day of the 2015 MLB Spring Training. Only three teams will have their pitchers and catchers reporting tomorrow, as nine more clubs will have theirs report for the first time on Thursday, including the Washington Nationals.
On Friday, the Nats will hold their very first workout of the season. It will begin a new chapter in what has been a successful story here in the Nation’s Capital. After moving from Montreal to Washington in 2005, the Nats started off their first season in D.C. on fire. They won 52 out of their first 88 games, holding a record of 52-36 and leading the National League East division by the All-Star break.
However, they went 28-45 the rest of the way and were eliminated form playoff contention in the last week of the season. The Nationals still managed to finish with a .500 record, which is very impressive for a team playing their first season in a new city.
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From 2006 through 2010, the Nationals ended the season with a record of at least 16 games below .500, and didn’t have a winning season until 2012. However, not only did they finish the year with a winning record in 2012, but they also held a record of 98-64, which was the best in the Majors.
Two years later, they grabbed their second National League regular season title in three years, finishing with the second-best record in the league. That was last season, and the Nationals quickly put themselves on the map. Less than a decade after moving to the Nation’s Capital, Washington has already earned the title as one of the best teams in the MLB.
Thursday will start another run for Washington and they are hungry because they have yet to accomplish the most important thing, and that is grabbing a World Series title. They have made two playoff appearances in the last three season, but have got knocked out in the National League Divisional Series by the eventual champion each year.
This year, they have gained experience, and that is key for a young team like this. They acquired former Detroit Tigers ace Max Scherzer, who pitched in the 2011 and 2013 World Series. In six postseason starts in 2012 and 2013, he pitched to ERA’s of 2.08 and 2.82 respectively.
With him as an addition, and everyone that was previously on the roster gaining a year of postseason experience, the Nationals are more poised for a run at the championship then ever.
Stick with us right here at All Over The Hill for Washington Nationals coverage throughout the 2015 season.