(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
The Washington Nationals might not have the most popular starting pitchers in Major League Baseball, but they have some of the most underated pitchers in all of baseball.
It seems like starting pitching was a major concern for the Nationals going into the 2009 season, as they picked up two starters who have a lot of potential and could be in for breakout seasons this coming year.
Scott Olsen and Daniel Cabrera were both key, under-the-radar type acquisitions who I could see putting up a solid season in 2009.
The key will be consistency, as both of these youngsters have been kind of streaky and, at times, seem to either be lights-out or not have a quality start for a few weeks or more.
The key for Cabrera will be control, as it seems like he is a little too wild at times. He walked 90 and struck out 95 batters at about the same rate last season, which will have to change for his numbers to go above mediocrity.
Olsen's win-loss record might not have looked spectacular last season, but he did eat up over 200 innings, which is something the Nats lacked last season.
The Nationals will also bring back their 24-year-old ace John Lannan, who had an earned run average under 4.00 and held batters to around a .250 average off him.
So quietly, the Nats are stocking up on some arms, and if the back end of the rotation can pitch decently, they might be able to surprise some teams in the NL East this year.
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