Washington Nationals 2021: Scouting, Projected Lineup, Season Prediction
The 2020 Washington Nationals finished fourth in the American League with a record of 26-34. The team's championship window is closing. The Nats have a lot of young players to develop.
The Washington Nationals are the third-best team in the division behind the Braves and the Mets. Max Scherzer is in his final year of his seven-year, $210 million contract. The Nats would love to keep him, but his performance will go a long way toward dictating the price. The team's offense is a stars-and-scrubs offense. It's a big question mark about Stephen Strasburg.
The Washington Nationals need to improve their farm system. Trea Turner will be the next star player to reach free agency after the 2022 season. Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon are leaving the team. Stephen Strasburg is recovering from a carpal tunnel injury and is expected to be fit for 2021 spring training. Tanner Rainey's fastball velocity dropped by 1 mph in 2019 but he improved his command. He also used his slider more frequently and had a whiff rate of 72.9 percent with that pitch.
