Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
Even in what has been a stressful and somewhat of an underachieving season for the Washington Nationals, there are many bright spots. As the sample sizes become full season stats in this 60-game season, it is evident that Juan Soto is among the best players in the Majors and Trea Turner is not far behind him. Luis Garcia is batting .318 and playing a premium position at second place, and in a group of the best rookies this season.
While Soto, Turner, and Garcia won’t win the main awards because they are playing for a losing team, they are bright spots in this dismal season. Soto leads the Majors in OPS and leads the NL in batting average and Turner is not too far behind him. Garcia is 20 and in comparison to Alec Bohm who is 24, and Jake Cronenworth who is 26, there is no comparison that Garcia is playing better ball at his age than either of them were at the same point in their lives.
The here and now is that this Nats team is in last place with little chance they will even surpass the Mets for fourth place in the division. In this four-game series with the Phillies, the Nats can play spoiler. The Phillies are barely hanging onto a spot in the Wild Card. Fortunately for the Phillies, two of the teams vying for the last spots are playing each other as the Reds and Brewers face-off.
The Nats made five roster moves today, and the main move was adding Paolo Espino to the roster. In addition there were these moves:
-Recalled OF Yadiel Hernandez
-Placed RHP Aaron Barrett on the 10-day IL (right triceps strain)
-Placed RHP James Bourque on the 10-day IL (right elbow strain)
-Transferred LHP Seth Romero to the 60-day IL
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals
Stadium: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
1st Pitch: 6:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN; NBCSP; MLB App out-of-market
Nats Radio: 106.7 The Fan and via the MLB app
Line-ups subject to change without notice:
