BREAK UP THE F-ING NATIONALS

[chaz]

He's closing the gap of late though. 

Trout is back in his natural Center Field, with Peter Bourjos on the DL.  I'm not saying it's making a difference offensively, but the coincidence of his rebound at the plate is hard to ignore.

Bryce has been slumping a bit, but has been banged up even before he lost the wall fight.   He'll turn it back around soon I'm sure.  Also not playing in his normal position.

[shemptiness]

Eh, I'll take Machado.

[DeathFromAbove1979]

Eh, I'll take Machado.

Meh.

Almost the entire team was slumping except for Bam Bam. He's been the most consistent on the offensive side. Over the past 2 weeks or so the rest of the team has stepped up a bit and he's been in a little slump, I would have been worried if the rest of the line-up was still anemic. He'll be fine. He proved last year he can play through a slump.

[vansmack]

Eh, I'll take Machado.

Sorry, this conversation is about ROY winners only.

[BookerT]

Eh, I'll take Machado.

Meh.

Almost the entire team was slumping except for Bam Bam. He's been the most consistent on the offensive side. Over the past 2 weeks or so the rest of the team has stepped up a bit and he's been in a little slump, I would have been worried if the rest of the line-up was still anemic. He'll be fine. He proved last year he can play through a slump.

Nats have scored 3 or less runs in 8 of their last 13 games. Sadly for them, that actually is stepping it up a bit.

[shemptiness]

Eh, I'll take Machado.

Sorry, this conversation is about ROY winners only.

As Mark McGwire said - 'I'm not here to talk about the past.'

Current WAR:

Machado  2.3
Trout        2.3
Harper     1.7

This story has a lot of time to be played out.

And 'Bam Bam'?  What, like Bam Bam into the wall?

[DeathFromAbove1979]

Exactly. I think Desi or Werth started calling him Bam Bam after he slammed his bat into a wall in the dugout and the bat broke and smacked him right in the face.

So, yeah, the name is making fun of him, but he embraced it being the rook and all.

[vansmack]

Current WAR:

Machado  2.3
Trout        2.3
Harper     1.7

This story has a lot of time to be played out.

K8 and I were talking about this over the twitters last weekend when Duquette said they're identical through their first service time.

I agreed that statistically that's correct, but pointed out that most folks compare Trout and Harper from their call up date (May 2012), not Trout's platoon in 2011, which paints a much different picture. 

But the real difference is Machado's lack of running ability.  He's not going to score the runs and he's not going to steal the bases.  Contrast that with the fact that he plays a hot corner and not an outfield position, and maybe that's a fair trade off (especially in Anaheim where replacing Troy Glaus has been a decade of futility).

They are the three best young players in the league. 

[chaz]

A shame...being west coast AL team we never see much of Trout out here. 

[DeathFromAbove1979]

A shame...being west coast AL team we never see much of Trout out here. 

Agreed.

I'd like their to be 2 big dudes like that in the MLB or NL I guess for the Nats. Something like Ovi/Crysby, not recently of course. With Crosbys injuries and Ovis solemn play the past 2 years. You get what I'm saying.

Even against the O's, only play them 4 times in 4 days this year. Kind of a jip!

[shemptiness]

But the real difference is Machado's lack of running ability.  He's not going to score the runs and he's not going to steal the bases.  Contrast that with the fact that he plays a hot corner and not an outfield position, and maybe that's a fair trade off (especially in Anaheim where replacing Troy Glaus has been a decade of futility).

They are the three best young players in the league. 

Manny will be taking over for Hardy in a couple years, so he'll become more valuable a fielder as a SS rather than a 3B.

[vansmack]

A shame...being west coast AL team we never see much of Trout out here. 

Fear not.  He'll be a Yankee by 2018 and then we'll all get to see much more of him than we ever wanted.

[chaz]

A shame...being west coast AL team we never see much of Trout out here. 

Fear not.  He'll be a Yankee by 2018 and then we'll all get to see much more of him than we ever wanted.

please don't say that

[vansmack]

please don't say that

Grew up in New Jersey, idolized Jeter, strong character, no facial hair - the Yankees even gave his family a suite for his first NY Series.  This photo has haunted me since the day his girlfriend posted it in November:

[DeathFromAbove1979]

A shame...being west coast AL team we never see much of Trout out here. 

Fear not.  He'll be a Yankee by 2018 and then we'll all get to see much more of him than we ever wanted.

please don't say that

Bam Bam will be right there with him. Probably Stras too.

America!