Washington Nationals: Who's Hot and Who's Not to Start the Season

The Washington Nationals have had a very successful opening week, winning four of their first six games. They, now, sit atop the NL East in a tie with the New York Mets.

Although the offense has struggled at times, the Nationals are winning games because of stellar pitching.

Stephen Strasburg has been excellent in his two starts, while Jordan Zimmerman and Ross Detwiler excelled in their only starts of the season.

Both Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez pitched poorly, but neither earned losses because of strong performances by the bullpen.

Even without Drew Storen, the bullpen has been strong, as Henry Rodriguez and Brad Lidge have stepped up and pitched well in the closer's role.

This list will not focus on the pitchers, however.

It may still be early on in the season, but there has been a lot to like from the young lineup. Even though they've struggled to score at times, several players—both young and old—have been putting up nice numbers.

Hot: Ian Desmond

Ian Desmond has been red-hot so far.

Desmond has 27 at-bats over the first six games and has collected 10 hits, with two doubles and a home run.

He's scored five runs and driven in two, and he's also stolen a base.

Strikeouts have been a killer for him, though, as he's already struck out seven times.

With a .414 on-base percentage, Desmond is proving to be the leadoff hitter the Nationals need.

Hot: Adam LaRoche

After playing in just 43 games in 2011, Adam LaRoche has come out of the gates strong in 2012.

He's put together a line of .333/.407/.625 in 25 at-bats, with two home runs and six RBIs. He's also scored three runs and walked three times.

Similar to Desmond, though, LaRoche has had issues with strikeouts. He's struck out nine times already this season, which is one more than his eight hits.

LaRoche has been the cleanup hitter so far, and he'll likely stay there if he continues to produce at this level.

Hot: Wilson Ramos

Wilson Ramos had a strong season in 2011, putting together a .267/.334/.445 line with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs.

He's picked up right where he left off in 2012, posting a .286/.375/.357 line with one RBI. Of his four hits, he has one double. 

Unlike other teammates, Ramos has been able to limit his strikeouts.

In 14 at-bats, he's struck out just once.

Hot: Jayson Werth

Although Jayson Werth's line is currently quite pedestrian—.273/.407/.409 in 22 at-bats—I'm going to consider that as "hot" based off of the terrible season he had in 2011.

Last season, Werth hit just .232/.330/.389 with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs.

Werth already has a double and a triple this season, along with three RBIs.

Unfortunately he has followed the trend created by many of his teammates, as he has struck out more times (8) than he has hit (6).

If Werth can keep up this kind of production this season, many will stop questioning Mike Rizzo's decision to sign him to that monster contract.

Lukewarm: Xavier Nady

Xavier Nady was picked up off the scrap heap by the Nationals late in the offseason, and he was a long shot to make the club.

Fast-forward to the beginning of the regular season, and a slew of injuries have opened up a spot for him on the team. 

In four games this season and 15 at-bats, Nady is hitting .267/.267/.267 (no, that's not a mistake) with two runs scored.

None of his four hits have gone for extra bases, and he's struck out four times.

He's also stolen a base.

Although it could be better, it's not bad for a guy who thought he'd be playing in the minors at this time.

Lukewarm: Ryan Zimmerman

Even though Ryan Zimmerman has put up just a .227 batting average, he has still managed to get on base at a .357 clip.

He has laced two doubles already this season, and he leads the team with six runs scored.

He is also one of the few people on the team that has walked more times (5) than he has struck out (4).

The recently-extended Zimmerman will have to perform at a much higher level as the season progresses, but for now, the Nationals can't really complain about his production.

Not: Danny Espinosa

Danny Espinosa has posted a line similar to Zimmerman's in 19 at-bats (.211/.360/.368), but the Nationals know that Zimmerman will pick up the slack.

They may not be so sure about Espinosa.

He only hit .236/.323/.414 last season, and it's a distinct possibility that his struggles will linger as the season gets older.

Sure, he already has a home run, but he's also struck out seven times.

If Espinosa doesn't improve, Steve Lombardozzi could start to see more time at second base later in the season.

Not: Roger Bernadina

Roger Bernadina was given a spot in the outfield in favor of Bryce Harper, but he has not performed well at all so far.

In 20 at-bats, Bernadina has a line of .150/.150/.200. 

He's driven in just one run and has only recorded three hits with one double.

To make matters worse, he has struck out seven more times than he's walked—which is terrible considering he's yet to walk this season.

Not: Mark DeRosa

Mark DeRosa is another player that was unsure of his spot on the team this spring. Like Nady, he earned it because of the various injuries.

Even though he was a member of the Opening Day lineup, he has recorded only 13 at-bats in four games.

He is hitting a putrid .077/.250/.077 with one hit, one RBI and one run scored.

With three walks and just one strikeout, he's at least helping the team by either getting on base or putting the ball in play.

When Morse returns from injury, he'll likely be placed back into a bench role.