The good news for the Nationals is that they have the most explosive offense in Major League Baseball this season. They are putting an average of 5.46 runs across the plate in this season, far and away the best in the sport. There's quite a gulf between them and the Braves, who are second in the category at 5.21. Yet Washington sits in third place in the National League East at 23-25, nine full games behind the Braves. So there must be some bad news.
And there is. The Nationals are dead last in baseball in runs allowed at 5.91 runs per game.
If that sounds weird, that's because something like this has only happened once. Per MLB.com the only team to pull off this double feature for a full season is the 2008 Rangers. Like the current Nationals, they played around .500 ball, finishing 79-83 on the year. Three different Rockies teams have finished in the top-three of each category over a year, which makes a lot of sense considering the generous offense to be had a mile above sea level.
It's a double-edged sword for the Nationals. Both CJ Abrams and James Wood are having enormous years, clocking in at .913 and .911 respectively in OPS. Wood has done more run scoring than anyone else in baseball, having tallied 41 so far this season. As a team they are fifth in MLB in hits and lead in doubles.
But then you look at the pitching stats and it's slightly less exciting. Their staff carries the second highest ERA in the sport and they've allowed five more home runs than any other squad. Struggles have been across the board when it comes to getting outs as both the starting rotation and bullpen are bottom-five in several metrics.
What's to learn from all this? Well, first off, baseball is amazing game with a ton of stats. Runs scored and allowed are as basic as they come. It stands to reason that a team with the disastrous pitching likely doesn't also have a juggernaut at the plate. The reverse is also true. It's a real anomaly to be the best and worst at the same thing from different angles.
We also learned that we should be watching Nationals games. They may not be winning more than they're losing, but no one can deny the level of entertainment being provided. Especially if you're a person who loves a good over.
