Washington Nationals: Ross Detwiler Has Made Davey Johnson Look Like a Genius

Ross Detwiler is off to an outstanding start for the Washington Nationals, and manager Davey Johnson is happy to reap the benefits of putting Detwiler in the rotation instead of left-hander John Lannan.

The decision to send Lannan down to Triple-A Syracuse made headlines this spring, and Johnson was confident that he had made the right decision.

It's been a little over a month since the move was made, and now is as good a time as any to see how both starters have fared.

In Triple-A, Lannan has not been very successful.

Through five starts, Lannan owns a 5.19 ERA and a 2-2 record. His WHIP of 1.692 this season in the minors is above his career major league WHIP of 1.423.

Detwiler, on the other hand, has been dominant in 2012.

He has also started five times, but his ERA is 1.59 and he owns a 3-1 record. His WHIP of 0.988 is well below his career average of 1.390.

To be fair, the Nationals don't know that Lannan would have performed at a similar level if he was with the big league club.

The frustration of being sent down and then being denied a trade is probably affecting his performance, but that's no excuse.

If he wants to get back with the big club, he should probably start pitching well.

Meanwhile, Detwiler is a member of the best rotation in baseball. The group's ERA is a minuscule 2.03.

Although the move made by Johnson was questioned, there's no doubting that he made the right decision. It's a manager's job to know his players, and it seems as if he really knows what's going on with his guys.