After contentious discussions, the MLB lockout is over and teams have begun their spring training schedules. Opening Day has been pushed to April 14, which gives teams some extra time to finalize their rosters and rotations. In this series, TGH will be summarizing each team’s 2021 season and predicting their Opening Day pitching rotation. Here is the projected Washington Nationals pitching rotation for 2022.
Summary
The Nationals started a rebuild in 2021 by trading star players Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers in return for prospects. They went 18-42 in their next 60 games after the trade, and ended with a record of just 65-97. That record landed them in the cellar of the NL East.
Now in full rebuild mode, the Nationals will still try to be competitive. After all, they once sat with the worst odds in the MLB to win the World Series before eventually winning it all. Here is a look at a potential pitching rotation for the 2022 Washington Nationals.
1. Patrick Corbin
Corbin had a very down year in 2021. He led the entire MLB in losses, going 9-16 over 31 starts. Much of this was due to the lack of offense the Nationals presented last season, but an ERA of 5.82 also did not help his case. With that being said, he is a veteran name who is capable of turning it around. That is why he sits at the top of the rotation.
2. Josiah Gray
Gray was one of the players who was sent back to the Nationals in the Scherzer/Turner trade. Last year was his first year of service in the majors, and he put up a record of 2-2 over 14 appearances (13 starts). He also had an ERA of 5.48 over a relatively small workload of just over 70 innings. His youth and potential earn him a spot in the starting rotation.
3. Erick Fedde
All of Fedde’s five years in the majors have been as a National. During 2021 he saw his largest workload ever, at 133.1 innings. He started 27 games and earned an ERA of 5.47 over that span. Given the talent on this roster, and the fact that Washington at least knows what they are getting with Fedde, he sits in the middle of the rotation.
4. Anibal Sanchez
Sanchez is the seasoned veteran of this Nationals rotation, having been in the league since 2006. He was also a member of the 2019 World Series-winning team. He pitched only 63 innings last season, which spiked his ERA to 6.63. But his career ERA sits at 4.05. The upside to having a veteran in the rotation lands him squarely in contention.
5. Josh Rogers
The player with maybe the biggest upside of all of the names listed here is Rogers. Last year was his third in the MLB, and he put up a respectable ERA of 3.28 over 35.2 innings. Hopefully a higher workload will produce similar results in 2022.
Featured image courtesy of Brad Mills/USA TODAY Sports
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