Location: Washington, D.C. | Ballpark: Nationals Park (41,222) | Spring Training: Viera, Fla.
Managing Principal Owner: Theodore N. Lerner | GM: TBD | Manager: Manny Acta | World Championships: 0
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POWER RANKINGS
Power Rankings
Date
Ranking
Previous
07/07/2009
30
30
That's the great thing about sucking so relentlessly: You can spin every move, whether prematurely giving up on a frustrating 24-year-old or importing a good-hit-no-field speedster to play centerfield, as "an attempt to change the culture." So congratulations on the first of what projects to be a lot of culture change in the months ahead, Nats fans.
06/30/2009
30
30
If there's anything that screams "yay, America!" more than a Fourth of July matinee between the soggy-bottom Nationals and the aggressively-not-good Braves, I don't know what it is. Grill safely, kids.
06/23/2009
30
30
Finally, a week in which I don't have to dredge the depths of the baseball mind for good news on baseball's bad boys ("bad" in the classical sense, not in the Samuel L. Jackson one). They took not one but two series from above-average teams, both without scoring more than five runs. A daring prediction: they'll lap the Padres by mid-August.
06/16/2009
30
30
It's getting harder and harder to emphasize the positive and resist the impulse to nickname the team something delightfully impish, like "the Washington Irrationals" or "the Washington Stain on Humanity." Nonetheless, let's see what we can do ... Nick Johnson went five full days without being told that he vaguely resembles Titanic megahunk Billy Zane ... They've only signed one Royals castoff this week ... In last Thursday's game against the Reds, they bunted into fielder's choices a mere two times ... And finally, if you believe the rumors, the Nats/Irrats/Human Stain won't be burdened much longer by Manny Acta's quiet resolve, steadying hand and facility with new-school statistical analysis. It's about damn time!
06/09/2009
30
30
Let's return to the accentuate-the-positive vibe that we'd sustained before last week's uncalled-for negativity. ... They have five more wins than Roy Halladay. ... They're only hours away from adding Stephen Strasburg to their cache of organizational chattel, and agent Scott Boras has signified his willingness to settle for a 10-figure contract. ... Debris from Saturday's postgame fireworks didn't spark any brushfires. ... They only have to get past four above-.500 teams and the defending AL champs before the schedule softens, so there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
06/02/2009
30
30
Why? Why, God, why?
05/26/2009
30
30
And to take us home, your weekly dose of Nationals optimism ... Barring a change in schedule, it is not logistically possible for the Nats to lose on Thursday ... Nick Johnson's removal from Sunday's lineup was due to an upset stomach, rather than an ailment that would require him to cash in a few of his hundred million frequent-MRI-er miles ... Nobody fell into a well, got struck by lightning or was set upon by a rabid puma ... Go, Nats, go.
05/19/2009
30
30
And so we come to the end of the Power Rankings, and another week in which we take a sunny-side-up look at the fair Nationals of Washingtontown. ... Thanks to a rain squall, the Nats didn't have to exert themselves for nine full innings to lose the second half of Saturday's doubleheader. ... They allowed fewer than one run per hour -- 33 in 46, to be precise -- during Philly's three-day visit over the weekend. ... Elijah Dukes made it through a full inning on Sunday before aggravating his hamstring injury. ... Daniel Cabrera allowed a mere 16 base runners in 4 2/3 innings against the San Francisco offensive juggernaut last week ... Since Friday, Jesus Colome has lowered his earned run average from infinity to 22.50. Like they say in that nice building over yonder: Jesus saves.
05/12/2009
30
30
As always, we're keeping things positive and you-go-girl!-ish here ... The Nats affirmed their commitment to responsible environmental practices by recycling Ron Villone ... Last Tuesday's suspended game against the Astros won't go into the loss column until they finish it on July 9 ... Lastings Milledge's broke his finger during a bunt attempt rather than in a bar fight ... Mike Hinckley only threw one pitch last week that struck the netting behind home plate on a fly ... Plus they won a series! Wheeee!
05/05/2009
30
30
Let's continue with last week's sunny-side-up approach to the Nats' blurb ... They're tied for the league lead in moral victories ... Daniel Cabrera refuses to be bound by the white male hierarchy's archaic notion of what constitutes a "strike" ... Several lifelong friendships have sprouted in the bullpen ... No major-league team scored more runs on Monday night ... Yay, Nationals!
Preseason Power Rankings
Date
Ranking
Previous
02/16/2009
24
-
This is Year 5 for the Nats in D.C. and the franchise looks every bit as dizzy as it did in Year 1. ... I understand wanting your fans to have some small degree of hope heading into the season, but that doesn't justify adding Adam Dunn -- an offensive force, mind you -- to an 1B/LF mélange that was overcrowded to begin with. ... They'll score some runs, especially on the days when they jam Dunn, Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes into the lineup at the same time, but it's impossible to take that no-K pitching staff seriously.
