A Fully Healthy Nats Team Is Dangerous, But It Might Be Too Little, Too Late

The Nationals beat the Padres and James Shields 8-3 last night and finally kicked off their playoff push.The Nationals’ season has been an unfathomable disappointment through the first 124 games of the season but the playoff push began last night, as they fielded their first fully-healthy lineup of the season. Sure the Nationals, a team that was estimated as having an 88% chance at making the playoffs as of July 4th should never be in such a desperate situation, but here they are. I feel like a broken record, having said that the team’s run will start soon for about a month now (and each time, the team has just fluttered further and further behind the red hot Mets) but this time I mean it. It’s not going to be easy- they are 5.5 back and the Mets are winning pretty much every night now. It is a glimmer of hope that the Mets have historically led the league in ridiculous Fall collapses but this team does seem a bit different than the Mets teams that have broken KFC’s heart so many times in the past decade.

I look at this series and this coming week as the most likely time for the Nationals to make their push for a number of reasons; unfortunately, most of those reasons are just me grasping at straws. Washington has just a 15% chance of making the playoffs, has played like shit since the All Star Break, and the Mets not only just set a team offensive record but have been playing with extreme vigor over the past few weeks .Yoenis Cespedes is an acquisition that could help catapult the Mets through September whereas Jon Papelbon hasn’t even pitched 9 innings in a Nationals uniform.

Everything seems to be stacked against the Nationals right now while the Mets and fresh off the DL David Wright are cruising through their schedule. But it’s not even close to being over. Denard Span’s return to the lineup last night marks the first time that the team’s entire projected lineup started the same game and it showed, as the Nats looked more like a major league club than I’ve seen all year. Zimmerman’s grandslam and Wilson Ramos’ continued offensive resurgence combined with Strasburg’s return to dominance have all been extremely welcome signs. Strassy has been crushing it.

Is it too little, too late? Yet to be seen. I have faith that the Nats when they put it all together are good enough to win the division, but it’s hard to say if the Mets are just too good to catch. Now or never to go on a big run.