3 Good Reasons the Washington Nationals Will Make the Playoffs

Entering the 2012 MLB season, cautious optimism surrounded the nation's capital. Questions about an injured ace and inconsistent lineup left fans of the Nationals hesitant to make any bold predictions or lofty projections for the inexperienced team. 

But nearly one-third of the way through the year, Washington is right where they belong—in first place. 

The emergence of baseball's top prospect, Bryce Harper, provided a spark in both the media attention and the batting order; however, it has been the game's best pitching staff that has led the Nationals to a 31-22 mark thus far. 

Behind pitching sensation Stephen Strasburg and the recently acquired Gio Gonzalez, Washington has assembled one of the hardest-throwing and most dominant starting rotations in recent history. The team's 2.95 ERA is best in the bigs by a longshot, and without key injuries to the bullpen, it could be lower. 

After five last-place finishes in six years from 2005 to 2010, the Nats accumulated a handful of high draft picks which they hoped would turn the franchise around. And while an 81-win campaign in 2011 marked the start of a transition, Washington may be blooming earlier than expected. 

More than 100 games are yet to be played on the schedule, but if the first 52 are any indication of the Nationals' playoff chances, you should expect to see a few curly W's come October.

Pitching Depth

It's no secret that solid pitching is the key to success in modern-day baseball. So it should come as no surprise that the Nationals have spent seven of their last nine first-round draft picks on pitchers. 

Well, the dedication has finally paid off, and Washington has one of the deepest staffs in the last decade. Anchored by young ace Stephen Strasburg, the Nats' starting rotation has surrendered the fewest runs in the majors while holding opponents to a putrid .223 BA against. 

They rank behind only Philadelphia in strikeouts (with four fewer games played), and the offseason acquisition of Gio Gonzalez from Oakland has provided Washington with arguably the best 1-2 punch in all of baseball. 

In fact, with Strasburg and Gio, the Nationals have two bonafide NL Cy Young contenders. With a combined record of 13-3, the two young studs in Washington rank in the top five in nearly every major pitching category including wins, earned run average and strikeouts.

And while Jordan Zimmerman (3-5, 2.82 ERA) and Edwin Jackson (1-3, 3.17 ERA) have been victims of a lack of run support, each starter has posted extremely respectable numbers of their own, giving the Nationals arguably the deepest rotation in Major League Baseball. 

But Washington's strengths extend beyond starting pitching. Early injuries to Drew Storen and Brad Lidge forced manager Davey Johnson to make adjustments to his relief staff; however, the Nationals still have the third-ranked bullpen in the National League. 

Questions about durability and inning limits remain relevant as the season progresses, but with four quality starters, the Nationals should have at least a chance to win each and every game. 

Getting Healthy

So far the Nationals have lost both their first and second options at closer: Drew Storen and Brad Lidge, respectively. Three middle-of-the-order guys—Zimmerman, Werth and Morse—have missed a combined 90 games.

And Washington is STILL atop the competitive NL East. 

The plethora of early injuries speaks volumes to not only the current starting pitching, but the Nationals' playoff chances as well. Zimmerman and Morse are back in the lineup, and both Storen and Lidge have started throwing. 

The addition of a healthy Werth in late July or early August could serve as an internal deadline pickup and give the Nats the second-half push they are going to need. Storen's return will solidify the back end of the bullpen and Lidge will provide Davey Johnson with another late inning option to complement Sean Burnett and Tyler Clippard. 

Of course the organization is going to be careful with young ace Stephen Strasburg as he continues his return from Tommy John surgery, but the Nationals have plenty of options at both AAA and the Major League level that can fill in.

One example is Chien-Ming Wang, who recently took over the fifth spot in the rotation. The former two-time 19-game winner hopes to provide Washington with even more depth on the pitching staff, as he tries to revive a devastating sinker he used with the Yankees.

Inter-Division Success

One of the most impressive parts of the Nationals' early success is their division. With only one team below .500, the NL East is widely considered to be one of the deepest and toughest divisions in baseball. 

Through 20 games thus far, Washington's record against divisional opponents is 13-7, which is good for second-best in the bigs. And while it is certainly too early to count them out, the East favorites, Philadelphia and Atlanta, have struggled mightily at the bottom of the standings. 

Ryan Howard might have something to say when he returns to the Phillies from an achilles injury, but the five-game separation between Philly and Washington is larger than it seems. In just six games so far, the Nats are 4-2 against Howard's club. 

Sure, it's still early in the year, but with 50 games remaining against divisional opponents, continued success in the NL East could help Washington lock up a playoff spot early.

Another factor that increases Washington's chances is the recent introduction of a second wildcard team in the 2012 MLB playoffs. With a deep and talented NL East, it isn't ludicrous to suggest that maybe three teams from the division could make it into October. 

Anyone familiar with the game will tell you that in order to make the playoffs, you have to be able to beat the teams in your division. Yes, the other games count too, but if the trend continues in Washington, the outlook is bright for Davey Johnson's team.