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		<title>2018 MLB Season Preview: Washington Nationals</title>
		<link>https://americaswhiteboy.com/2018/03/21/2018-mlb-season-preview-washington-nationals/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bobby Roberts]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 2018 21:15:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[2018 MLB Team Previews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adam Eaton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Rendon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bryce Harper]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[2018 MLB Team Preview]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Washington Nationals]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americaswhiteboy.com/?p=14551</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The&#160;Washington Nationals won the NL East for the second-straight year, but fell to the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS. Their starters just didn&#8217;t have a very good series and they were rocked. The Nationals didn&#8217;t make many moves this offseason as they are most likely saving their money to re-sign star outfielder Bryce Harper. Will [&#8230;]</p>
The post <a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/2018/03/21/2018-mlb-season-preview-washington-nationals/">2018 MLB Season Preview: Washington Nationals</a> first appeared on <a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com">America's White Boy</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018-MLB-Season-Team-Preview-Washington-Nationals-BamBam-Bryce-Harper-funny.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-14580" src="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018-MLB-Season-Team-Preview-Washington-Nationals-BamBam-Bryce-Harper-funny.jpg" alt="" width="333" height="460" srcset="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018-MLB-Season-Team-Preview-Washington-Nationals-BamBam-Bryce-Harper-funny.jpg 504w, https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018-MLB-Season-Team-Preview-Washington-Nationals-BamBam-Bryce-Harper-funny-217x300.jpg 217w" sizes="(max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px" /></a>The&nbsp;<a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/category/washington-nationals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Nationals</a> won the NL East for the second-straight year, but fell to the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS. Their starters just didn&#8217;t have a very good series and they were rocked.</p>
<p>The Nationals didn&#8217;t make many moves this offseason as they are most likely saving their money to re-sign star outfielder Bryce Harper. Will that hurt them this season? I don&#8217;t see it being a huge issue, but if they do trade for a starter this season, they may look to only acquire a rental with no salary obligation next season.</p>
<p>Washington dealt with injuries to Adam Eaton early last season and both Trea Turner and Bryce Harper missed 50+ games each. They still won 97 games. As long as they stay healthy, they should be one of the best teams in the National League.</p>
<p>Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Washington Nationals.</p>
<p><span id="more-14551"></span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>2017 Win/Loss Record</strong></em></span>: 97-65</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Key Additions</strong></em></span>: C Miguel Montero, RP Joaquin Benoit, 1B Matt Adams, SS Matt Reynolds, SS Reid Brignac, SP Jeremy Hellickson, SP Tommy Milone &amp; 3B Chris Dominguez</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Key Losses</strong></em></span>: OF Jayson Werth, OF Adam Lind, RP Matt Albers, C Jose Lobaton, SS Stephen Drew &amp; RP Oliver Perez</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Interleague Schedule</strong></em></span>:&nbsp;AL&nbsp;East</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Projected Starters</strong></em></span>: Matt Wieters, Ryan Zimmerman, Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, Michael Taylor, Adam Eaton&nbsp;&amp; Bryce Harper</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Projected Starting Rotation</strong></em></span>:&nbsp;Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark &amp; A.J. Cole</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Closer</span>:</strong>&nbsp;Sean Doolittle</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Fantasy Sleeper</strong></span>:&nbsp;</em><strong>OF Michael Taylor</strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;After Adam Eaton went down with an ACL injury, Taylor found himself with a starting role. He fared quite well in that role and hit 19 homers and stole 14 bases in 399 at-bats. His strikeout numbers will be shocking, but as long as he keeps hitting the ball hard and stealing some bases, he should be very solid in mixed leagues.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Prospect To Keep Your Eye On</strong></em></span>: <b>OF Victor Robles</b>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The Nationals outfield is pretty loaded, so Robles could have trouble getting consistent at-bats. Nearly every team in the Majors have inquired about Robles in trade talks, but the Nationals have turned them all down. Two years ago, I guess they almost pulled the trigger on a trade that would have sent him to Pittsburgh for Andrew McCutchen. I believe if the Nationals have a need at the trade deadline, Robles could be moved.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Team Analysis</strong></em></span>: That Nationals are one of the best teams in the Majors. They have a great lineup and the top of their starting rotation is top-notch. Washington just keeps getting better as their young players gain experience and become even better. Shortstop Trea Turner is making the Nationals look like geniuses since they acquired him in a three-team trade three years ago. He is now an All-Star level hitter with power and speed.</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know what else to say about the Nationals. Their lineup is stacked and the front-end of their rotation is among the league&#8217;s best. The one improvement I could see happening this season is possibly trading for another starter. There is a large drop-off by the time they get to their fifth starter.</p>
<p>The Nationals will be neck-and-neck with the Dodgers for home-field advantage in the National League. If both teams can stay healthy, I&#8217;d love to see them face off in the NLCS.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2018 Wins Over/Under Betting Line</strong></span>: 93.5 (<i>Prediction:&nbsp;<strong>OVER</strong>)</i><b><i><br />
</i></b></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2018 Projected Win/Loss Record</strong></span>: 98-63 (1st in AL East)</p>
<p><b><i><a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/category/2018-MLB-Team-Previews/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2018 MLB Team Previews</a></i></b></p>
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<p><em>Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of &#8216;<a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America&#8217;s White Boy&#8217;</a>&nbsp;and contributor at&nbsp;<a href="http://projectshanks.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Project Shanks</a>. His writing has been featured on ESPN&#8217;s &#8216;SportsNation&#8217;,&nbsp;<a href="http://extramustard.si.com/category/hot-clicks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sports Illustrated&#8217;s Hot Clicks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://guyspeed.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guyspeed</a>, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="http://twitter.com/sweetbob" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@Sweetbob</a>.</em></p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">14551</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>2018 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 50 Shortstops</title>
		<link>https://americaswhiteboy.com/2018/02/27/2018-fantasy-baseball-rankings-top-50-shortstops/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bobby Roberts]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Feb 2018 22:48:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Addison Russell]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Carlos Correa]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Trea Turner]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Gleyber Torres]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Javier Baez]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americaswhiteboy.com/?p=13284</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Our&#160;fantasy baseball rankings pick up again with the top fifty shortstops. The shortstop position is always been a place where you can find steals for your fantasy team. Although, over the last decade, there have always been a few guys with major power and speed. Thanks to an increased focus on launch angles, there are [&#8230;]</p>
The post <a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/2018/02/27/2018-fantasy-baseball-rankings-top-50-shortstops/">2018 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 50 Shortstops</a> first appeared on <a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com">America's White Boy</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-top-50-shortstops-fantasy-baseball-Gleyber-Torres-New-York-Yankees-MLB.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-13286" src="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-top-50-shortstops-fantasy-baseball-Gleyber-Torres-New-York-Yankees-MLB.jpg" alt="" width="333" height="474" srcset="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-top-50-shortstops-fantasy-baseball-Gleyber-Torres-New-York-Yankees-MLB.jpg 478w, https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-top-50-shortstops-fantasy-baseball-Gleyber-Torres-New-York-Yankees-MLB-211x300.jpg 211w" sizes="(max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px" /></a>Our&nbsp;<a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/category/fantasy/">fantasy baseball</a> rankings pick up again with the top fifty shortstops.</p>
<p>The shortstop position is always been a place where you can find steals for your fantasy team. Although, over the last decade, there have always been a few guys with major power and speed. Thanks to an increased focus on launch angles, there are quite a few shortstops that will finish the year with 20+ homers.</p>
<p>Two seasons ago, the Yankees traded closer Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs for a package centered around stud prospect Gleyber Torres. He&#8217;s now ready for the Majors, but will he be on the Opening Day roster?</p>
<p>My rankings are based on a standard 5&#215;5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me&nbsp;<a href="mailto:bobbymcrib@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.<img decoding="async" title="More..." src="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" alt=""></a></p>
<p><span id="more-13284"></span></p>
<p><strong>1. Trea Turner &#8211; Washington Nationals</strong> &#8211; Turner is one of the most well-rounded players in the Majors. He hits for high average, swipes bases at an extremely high rate and also has some pop in his bat. He missed some time last season or he could have been in the MVP race. He stole 46 bases in only 412 at-bats. The guy will hit all the categories in a Roto league.</p>
<p><strong>2. Carlos Correa &#8211; Houston Astros</strong> &#8211; Speaking of another guy who missed some time, but still had great numbers, Correa missed 42 games last year. He is right up there with Turner in the rankings, but without the insane steal totals. Correa will have more homers and RBI, but Turner just has him beat by 40+ steals. The Astros lineup is stacked and Correa will have a ton of guys on base when he comes up to bat.</p>
<p><strong>3. Francisco Lindor &#8211; Cleveland Indians</strong> &#8211; Lindor led a lot of categories for shortstops last season. He was healthy and had over 600 at-bats. His cumulative numbers were great since he was playing every day. He had 33 homers last season, which was a shocking jump in his power. I don&#8217;t expect him to hit the 30-homer mark, but I could be wrong. He has all the skills in the world. He will have a very good season.</p>
<p><strong>4. Corey Seager &#8211; Los Angeles Dodgers</strong> &#8211; Seager won a lot of guys fantasy leagues his rookie season. He didn&#8217;t live up to those numbers last season, but he still hit 22 homers with a near-.300 average. He struggled with a back injury last in the season, but shouldn&#8217;t be an issue this season. I expect him to have a few more homers and look more like he did when he was a rookie. I expect a jump in his numbers across the board.</p>
<p><strong>5. Alex Bregman &#8211; Houston Astros</strong> &#8211; Bregman gained shortstop-eligibility when Correa went down with a thumb injury last season. He matured as the season went along and shook off some of the inexperience he had early last year. He was arguably the Astros best player in the second-half of the season. He would be a great dynasty guy to have going forward, but this could be his last season with eligibility at shortstop, barring another Correa injury.</p>
<p><strong>6. Elvis Andrus &#8211; Texas Rangers</strong> &#8211; Here&#8217; another guy who saw his power numbers jump last season. He was lucky to get to double digits in homers before last year&#8217;s total of 20. He was one of many guys to focus on launch angles to increase his power numbers. It&#8217;s up in the air if he will keep swinging for the fences, but he will still be a .290 guy with 25+ steals. He&#8217;s worthy of being ranked in the top-six shortstops.</p>
<p><strong>7. Jean Segura &#8211; Seattle Mariners</strong> &#8211; Segura took a step back last season. It would have been hard for him to match his crazy 2016, so he basically just came down to where he should be at this point in his career. He is comparable to Andrus in just about every category, but since Andrus has an outside chance of matching last year&#8217;s power numbers, he got the spot above Segura. Someone should work with Segura on launch angles, since his ground ball rate was 54.6%.</p>
<p><strong>8. Xander Bogaerts &#8211; Boston Red Sox</strong> &#8211; Bogaerts had a wrist injury in June and his numbers went downhill afterwards. His end-of-the-year numbers should be better than last season, but nothing truly jumps off the paper with him. He&#8217;s just a solid guy who hits nearly every category across the board. He&#8217;s not going to kill a specific category like some of the guys below him.</p>
<p><strong> 9. Didi Gregorius &#8211; New York Yankees</strong> &#8211; Gregorius focused on launch angles and actually has better numbers outside of Yankee Stadium, which was unexpected. Gleyber Torres is breathing down Gregorius&#8217;s neck, but even if Torres is called up early in the season, the Yankees should be able to find at-bats for both guys somewhere in the lineup. There are &#8216;sexier&#8217; picks that could be selected above him in drafts, but I think his numbers at the end of the year will be a top-ten shortstop.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>10. Trevor Story &#8211; Colorado Rockies</strong> &#8211; Story has all the power in the world, but I worry about his contact rate. He&#8217;s going to approach 200 whiffs this season, but since he&#8217;s at Coors Field, if he connects, the ball should go a long way. Story will play every day and if you can stomach a low batting average, you&#8217;ll get power numbers from him.</p>
<p><strong> 11. Paul DeJong &#8211; St. Louis Cardinals</strong> &#8211; I&#8217;m a little higher on DeJong than most people. I said in my <a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/2018/02/25/2018-fantasy-baseball-rankings-top-50-second-baseman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Baseman fantasy rankings</a>, I had him on a few teams last year and was impressed. I do worry about him getting 550 at-bats since the Cardinals have some talented middle infielders, but if DeJong keeps hitting, they will continue to put him in the lineup. The only downfall with him is that he doesn&#8217;t have much speed like many of the guys above.</p>
<p><strong> 12. Javier Baez &#8211; Chicago Cubs</strong> &#8211; Baez is a fun baseball player. He has huge balls and goes for balls that look uncatchable and tries to take an extra base when it looks impossible. Baez and DeJong both face the same problem of playing on a team with other talented middle infielders. Thanks for Ben Zobrist&#8217;s struggles, Baez was able to takeover a role at second base near full-time. I don&#8217;t expect it to change this season, but it wouldn&#8217;t surprise me if Baez sits once a week.</p>
<p><strong> 13. Marwin Gonzalez &#8211; Houston Astros</strong> &#8211; Gonzalez has eligibility all over the diamond. The only two places he&#8217;s not eligible is 3B and Catcher. Gonzalez set a career-high with his power numbers last season, so you may have already saw his ceiling. Even if his power numbers aren&#8217;t as high, you&#8217;re still getting a solid 2B/SS guy.</p>
<p><strong> 14. Tim Beckham &#8211; Baltimore Orioles</strong> &#8211; I almost wrote off Beckham as a former prospect that never became fantasy-relevant. That changed last season when he hit 22 homers and had a .270 average. His BABIP was high, so his average could take a hit this season. He&#8217;s a guy you can draft behind some of the guys below him and you&#8217;ll have better results.</p>
<p><strong> 15. Addison Russell &#8211; Chicago Cubs</strong> &#8211; The shine came off of Russell a little last season. He was battling a foot injury for most of the season, but he only finished the season with 12 homers and a .239 average. I&#8217;m not bullish on him this season, but if he can get his contact rate up, the dude could be a solid starter in NL-only and a solid 2B/SS in mixed leagues.</p>
<p><strong>16. Tim Anderson &#8211; Chicago White Sox</strong> &#8211; Anderson crushed lefties last season and wasn&#8217;t a disaster against righties. He has the skills to be a 20/20 guy, but he&#8217;s streaky. His batting eye isn&#8217;t very good and swings at pitches outside the strike zone. He could be a liability in stretches of the season.</p>
<p><strong> 17. Orlando Arcia &#8211; Milwaukee Brewers</strong> &#8211; if Arcia was batting near the top of the lineup, he would be much higher on this list. He&#8217;s just not going to be a good source of Runs or RBI. You&#8217;ll get 15 homers and 20-ish steals, but could struggle to fill up the box score in the other categories.</p>
<p><strong> 18. Andrelton Simmons &#8211; Los Angeles Angels</strong> &#8211; Simmons was the epitome of a great real-life baseball player, but terrible as a fantasy player. He&#8217;s arguably the best defensive middle infielder in baseball. He surprised everyone last season with solid fantasy numbers. Can he hit 14 homers and hit .278 again this season? The track record isn&#8217;t quite there. He could approach those numbers, but I doubt he will eclipse them.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>19. Marcus Semien &#8211; Oakland A&#8217;s</strong> &#8211; The dreaded &#8216;wrist injury&#8217; killed his season last year. He was still managed to get double-digit homers and steals, so he&#8217;s worthy of a mention. He&#8217;s underrated and could even snag him up off the waiver wire since a few guys like Torres, Solarte and Cozart will probably be drafted ahead of Semien in most leagues.</p>
<p><strong> 20. Jorge Polanco &#8211; Minnesota Twins</strong> &#8211; Polanco is another guy that will get your low double-digit homers and steals. He&#8217;s almost interchangeable with three or four guys ranked above him. He will hit near the bottom of the lineup, so he may not find the dish as a baserunner.</p>
<p><strong> 21. Jose Peraza &#8211; Cincinnati Reds</strong> &#8211; Like Polanco, Peraza will hit at the bottom of the lineup in a pretty weak Reds lineup. He&#8217;s really only going to help you if you&#8217;re in the market for steals.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong> 22. Gleyber Torres &#8211; New York Yankees</strong> &#8211; Torres is an interesting fantasy player. Will the Yankees keep him in the minors for awhile or will he start at second base on Opening Day? The Yankees are stacked with power hitters, so I&#8217;ll be interested in where he will bat in the lineup. If he&#8217;s going to be an Opening day starter, he will shoot up my rankings.</p>
<p><strong> 23. Zack Cozart &#8211; Los Angeles Angels</strong> &#8211; I&#8217;m down on Cozart this season. He had a career year last season and I don&#8217;t see him hitting those numbers this season. He went from a hitter-friendly park to a pitcher-friendly park. Also, going from the NL to the AL could be an issue. Remember, Cozart lost his starting job just two seasons ago. He was able to regain the job last year thanks to a hot start. If Cozart falls to the end of your draft, by all means take him&#8230;but he&#8217;s a bit too risky to take him where he will end up going in most drafts.</p>
<p><strong> 24. Yangervis Solarte &#8211; Toronto Blue Jays</strong> &#8211; Solarte had a rough 2017. His batting average took a nosedive and wasn&#8217;t connecting with much power. Also, he has struggled to stay in the lineup due to injuries in the past. The Blue Jays are a much better team than he&#8217;s been on in the past, so he does intrigue me a little. Keep an eye on him early in the season. He should still be available on the waiver wire.</p>
<p><strong>25. Amed Rosario &#8211; New York Mets</strong> &#8211; Rosario&#8217;s track record in the minors makes one think he will be a solid fantasy option in the Majors. He was able to run in the minors, but can he outrun better catchers? If he can&#8217;t be a source of steals, he will be little help on your fantasy team.</p>
<p><strong> 26. Dansby Swanson &#8211; Atlanta Braves</strong> &#8211; Swanson could fall into the category of being a better real-life baseball player than he is a fantasy baseball player. Andrelton Simmons and Joe Mauer have both been in that category for most of their careers. He&#8217;s having trouble getting contact and I worry he&#8217;s yet not ready for a breakout season at the plate.</p>
<p><strong> 27. Freddy Galvis &#8211; San Diego Padres</strong> &#8211; If Galvis can regain the power he had in his previous seasons, he could be a borderline 2B/SS flex option. He only hit 12 in over 600 at-bats last season, so that worries me. He also went from a hitter-friendly park to one of the most pitcher-friendly park in the Majors. I don&#8217;t see him being a 20 homer guy this season.</p>
<p><strong>28. Brandon Crawford &#8211; San Francisco Giants</strong> &#8211; Crawford took a step back last season. His batting average dropped 20 points and his speed isn&#8217;t up to par with most shortstops. He will have plenty of at-bats, but they will be at the bottom of a stacked Giants lineup, which doesn&#8217;t help his runs total.</p>
<p><strong> 29. Ketel Marte &#8211; Arizona Diamondbacks</strong> &#8211; Many thought Marte was going to be stolen base machine when he arrived in the Majors, but it hasn&#8217;t happened yet. He looks to be in some sort of platoon, so he&#8217;s not going to be an everyday player.</p>
<p><strong> 30. Troy Tulowitzki &#8211; Toronto Blue Jays</strong> &#8211; Tulo is a bounce-back candidate. Fantasy owners will take him late in drafts hoping he regains some of the power he had in Colorado. He &#8216;should&#8217; have better numbers than last season, but due to the amount of random injuries he&#8217;s had over the last five years, his days of being a good fantasy option could be behind him.</p>
<p><strong>31. Matt Duffy &#8211; Tampa Bay Rays</strong><br />
<strong>32. Chris Owings &#8211; Arizona Diamondbacks</strong><br />
<strong>33. Asdrubal Cabrera &#8211; New York Mets</strong><br />
<strong>34. Chad Pinder &#8211; Oakland A&#8217;s</strong><br />
<strong>35. Jose Iglesias &#8211; Detroit Tigers</strong><br />
<strong>36. Aledmys Diaz &#8211; Toronto Blue Jays</strong><br />
<strong>37. Jose Reyes &#8211; New York Mets</strong><br />
<strong>38. Adeiny Hechavarria &#8211; Tampa Bay Rays</strong><br />
<strong>39. Jordy Mercer &#8211; Pittsburgh Pirates</strong><br />
<strong>40. Franklin Barreto &#8211; Oakland A&#8217;s</strong></p>
<p>Matt Duffy intrigues me the most out of the group above. He has a lot of talent and a change of scenery could be what he needed. He&#8217;s a sleeper pick in my book. There are plenty of guys that could be streaming options for teams. If they have a nice match-up, I&#8217;d take a chance of putting Cabrera or Reyes in my lineup for a day or two.</p>
<p><strong>41. Wilmer Difo &#8211; Washington Nationals</strong><br />
<strong>42. Johan Camargo &#8211; Atlanta Braves</strong><br />
<strong>43. Eric Sogard &#8211; Milwaukee Brewers</strong><br />
<strong>44. Taylor Motter &#8211; Seattle Mariners</strong><br />
<strong>45. Enrique Hernandez &#8211; Los Angeles Dodgers</strong><br />
<strong>46. Willy Adames &#8211; Tampa Bay Rays</strong><br />
<strong>47. Alcides Escobar &#8211; Kansas City Royals</strong><br />
<strong>48. Miguel Rojas &#8211; Miami Marlins</strong><br />
<strong>49. Ryan Goins &#8211; Kansas City Royals</strong><br />
<strong>50. Ronald Torreyes &#8211; New York Yankees</strong></p>
<p>The bottom ten guys won&#8217;t have much impact this season. Adames intrigues me as a long-term prospect. Motter also had a few good weeks last season in limited action. The rest are just deep AL or NL-only guys.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoyed our <strong>2018 Fantasy Baseball Top 50 Shortstop</strong>&nbsp;rankings. We are planning on doing this for every position (the outfielder and pitcher rankings will be massive).</p>
<h2>Follow us on Twitter&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitter.com/sweetbob" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@Sweetbob</a>&nbsp;&amp; &#8216;LIKE&#8217; us on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AmericasWhiteBoy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>!</h2>
<p><a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/sweetbob-author-pic.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft" src="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/sweetbob-author-pic.jpg" alt="sweetbob-author-pic" width="114" height="114"></a><em>About the Author&#8230;</em></p>
<p><em>Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of &#8216;<a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America&#8217;s White Boy&#8217;</a>&nbsp;and contributor at&nbsp;<a href="http://projectshanks.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Project Shanks</a>. His writing has been featured on ESPN&#8217;s &#8216;SportsNation&#8217;,&nbsp;<a href="http://extramustard.si.com/category/hot-clicks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sports Illustrated&#8217;s Hot Clicks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://guyspeed.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guyspeed</a>, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="http://twitter.com/sweetbob" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@Sweetbob</a>.</em></p>
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		<title>2017 MLB Season Preview: Washington Nationals</title>
		<link>https://americaswhiteboy.com/2017/03/12/2017-mlb-season-preview-washington-nationals/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bobby Roberts]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Mar 2017 15:59:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[2017 MLB Team Previews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adam Eaton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Rendon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bryce Harper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fantasy baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Max Scherzer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stephen Strasburg]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[washington nationals]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Washington Nationals]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americaswhiteboy.com/?p=11538</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Washington Nationals bounced back after a forgettable 2015 season. They won the AL East by eight games, but lost to the Dodgers 3-2 in the NLDS. The Nationals realized their current roster wasn&#8217;t good enough to take their team to the next level, so they made one of the biggest trades of the Winter. They [&#8230;]</p>
The post <a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/2017/03/12/2017-mlb-season-preview-washington-nationals/">2017 MLB Season Preview: Washington Nationals</a> first appeared on <a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com">America's White Boy</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017-MLB-Season-Team-Preview-Washington-Nationals-Adam-Eaton-funny.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-11574"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-11574" src="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017-MLB-Season-Team-Preview-Washington-Nationals-Adam-Eaton-funny.jpg" alt="2017 MLB Season Team Preview Washington Nationals Adam Eaton funny" width="333" height="436" srcset="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017-MLB-Season-Team-Preview-Washington-Nationals-Adam-Eaton-funny.jpg 526w, https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017-MLB-Season-Team-Preview-Washington-Nationals-Adam-Eaton-funny-229x300.jpg 229w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px" /></a>The Washington Nationals bounced back after a forgettable 2015 season. They won the AL East by eight games, but lost to the Dodgers 3-2 in the NLDS.</p>
<p>The Nationals realized their current roster wasn&#8217;t good enough to take their team to the next level, so they made one of the <a href="http://www.si.com/mlb/2016/12/07/adam-eaton-trade-white-sox-nationals-winter-meetings-news">biggest trades of the Winter</a>. They sent some good prospects to the White Sox for outfielder Adam Eaton. A trade that brings them talent and a player who is under team control until 2020.</p>
<p>The Nationals were unable to retain closer Mark Melancon this offseason. Will have issues closing games in 2017?</p>
<p>Here is the 2017 MLB season preview for the Washington Nationals.</p>
<p><span id="more-11538"></span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>2016 Win/Loss Record</strong></em></span>: 95-67</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Key Additions</strong></em></span>: OF Adam Eaton, C Matt Wieters, C Derek Norris, RP Enny Romero, 1B Adam Lind, RP Joe Nathan, RP Matt Albers, SS Emmanuel Burriss, RP Tim Collins, RP Neal Cotts, 2B Grant Green, OF Brandon Snyder &amp; Vance Worley</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Key Losses</strong></em></span>: RP Mark Melancon, 2B Danny Espinosa, C Wilson Ramos, RP Matt Belisle, RP Yusmeiro Petit, RP Marc Rzepczynski, OF Ben Revere, SP Reynaldo Lopez &amp; SP Sean Burnett</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Interleague Schedule</strong></em></span>: AL West</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Projected Starters</strong></em></span>: Matt Wieters, Ryan Zimmerman, Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, Jayson Werth, Adam Eaton &amp; Bryce Harper</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Projected Starting Rotation</strong></em></span>: Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark &amp; Joe Ross</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Closer</span>:</strong> Blake Treinen</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Fantasy Sleeper</strong></span>: </em><strong>SP Joe Ross</strong> &#8211; Ross had success early last season, but then was mostly shutdown with shoulder inflammation. He&#8217;s currently the Nationals fifth starter and since he&#8217;s on a good team, you could get double-digit wins out of him. He also has decent control, so you shouldn&#8217;t have to deal with a crazy WHIP.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Prospect To Keep Your Eye On</strong></em></span>: <strong>SP</strong><b> Erick Fedde</b> &#8211; If the Nationals suffer a few injuries to their starting rotation, Fedde could be ready by midseason. He was selected 18th overall in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft out  of UNLV. He&#8217;s 24 years old, so the Nationals aren&#8217;t going to take their time pushing him through Double and Triple-A.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Team Analysis</strong></em></span>: That Nationals are one of the best teams in the Majors. They have a great lineup and the top of their starting rotation is top-notch. Washington did something many other top teams should do that think they are close to winning a World Series, trade their top prospects for current stars.</p>
<p>Washington traded a pile of prospects to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Adam Eaton. He will man center field and it should help keep Bryce Harper healthier. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/sports/baseball/adam-eaton-the-mighty-mouse-of-the-washington-nationals.html" target="_blank">Eaton can cover a lot of ground</a> and will stop the thoughts the Nationals would occasionally had of putting Bryce Harper in center.</p>
<p>I think the Nationals still need one more top-of-the-rotation starter and possibly a closer. Scherzer and Strasburg are a nice 1-2 combo in the postseason, but I&#8217;m not sure Gio Gonzalez fits the bill as a reliable #3 postseason starter. Also, Shawn Kelley and Blake Treinen are battling to win the closer&#8217;s job. We will see if either can handle the job, but they could be in the market for a veteran closer at the trade deadline.</p>
<p>The Nationals should win the NL East and will be a formidable opponent for the Cubs and Dodgers in the playoffs.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2017 Wins Over/Under Betting Line</strong></span>: 91.5 (<i>Prediction: <strong>OVER</strong>)</i><b><i><br />
</i></b></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2017 Projected Win/Loss Record</strong></span>: 93-69 (1st in AL East)</p>
<p><b><i><a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/category/2017-MLB-Team-Previews/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2017 MLB Team Previews</a></i></b></p>
<h2>Follow us on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/sweetbob" target="_blank">@Sweetbob</a> &amp; &#8216;LIKE&#8217; us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AmericasWhiteBoy" target="_blank">Facebook</a>!</h2>
<p><a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/sweetbob-author-pic.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft" src="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/sweetbob-author-pic.jpg" alt="sweetbob-author-pic" width="114" height="114" /></a><em>About the Author&#8230;</em></p>
<p><em>Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of &#8216;<a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com" target="_blank">America&#8217;s White Boy&#8217;</a> and contributor at <a href="http://projectshanks.com" target="_blank">Project Shanks</a>. His writing has been featured on ESPN&#8217;s &#8216;SportsNation&#8217;, <a href="http://extramustard.si.com/category/hot-clicks/" target="_blank">Sports Illustrated&#8217;s Hot Clicks</a>, <a href="http://guyspeed.com/" target="_blank">Guyspeed</a>, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/sweetbob" target="_blank">@Sweetbob</a>.</em></p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">11538</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>2016 MLB Season Preview: Washington Nationals</title>
		<link>https://americaswhiteboy.com/2016/04/04/2016-mlb-season-preview-washington-nationals/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bobby Roberts]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2016 18:31:51 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Bryce Harper]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americaswhiteboy.com/?p=10665</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Washington Nationals had a forgettable 2015 season. They were one of the favorites to win the National League pennant, but they didn&#8217;t even end up making the postseason. Bryce Harper had his best season as a pro last year. He took home the National League MVP award and it was the first time since his [&#8230;]</p>
The post <a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/2016/04/04/2016-mlb-season-preview-washington-nationals/">2016 MLB Season Preview: Washington Nationals</a> first appeared on <a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com">America's White Boy</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Daniel-Murphy-Washington-Nationals-season-preview-mlb-2016-americas-white-boy.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-10666"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-10666" src="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Daniel-Murphy-Washington-Nationals-season-preview-mlb-2016-americas-white-boy.jpg" alt="Daniel-Murphy-Washington-Nationals-season-preview-mlb-2016-americas-white-boy" width="333" height="434" srcset="https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Daniel-Murphy-Washington-Nationals-season-preview-mlb-2016-americas-white-boy.jpg 469w, https://americaswhiteboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Daniel-Murphy-Washington-Nationals-season-preview-mlb-2016-americas-white-boy-230x300.jpg 230w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px" /></a>The Washington Nationals had a forgettable 2015 season. They were one of the favorites to win the National League pennant, but they didn&#8217;t even end up making the postseason.</p>
<p>Bryce Harper had his best season as a pro last year. He took home the National League MVP award and it was the first time since his rookie season that he stayed healthy enough to have 500+ at-bats. If he avoids running into outfield walls, this could be a yearly occurrence for the 23-year-old.</p>
<p>Can Dusty Baker push the Nationals to an NL East crown?</p>
<p>Here is the 2016 MLB season preview for the Washington Nationals.</p>
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<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>2015 Win/Loss Record</strong></em></span>: 83-79</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Key Additions</strong></em></span>: 2B Daniel Murphy, SS Stephen Drew, RP Matt Belisle, OF Ben Revere, RP Shawn Kelley, RP Oliver Perez, RP Yusmeiro Petit &amp; OF Chris Heisey</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Key Losses</strong></em></span>: SP Jordan Zimmermann, SS Ian Desmond, OF Denard Span, SP Doug Fister, RP Drew Storen, 3B Yunel Escobar, RP Matt Thornton, RP Casey Janssen, 1B Tyler Moore &amp; 2B Dan Uggla</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Interleague Schedule</strong></em></span>: AL Central</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Projected Starters</strong></em></span>: Wilson Ramos, Ryan Zimmerman, Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon, Danny Espinosa, Jayson Werth, Ben Revere &amp; Bryce Harper</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Projected Starting Rotation</strong></em></span>: Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark &amp; Joe Ross</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Closer</span>:</strong> Jonathan Papelbon</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Fantasy Sleeper</strong></span>: </em><strong>OF Michael Taylor</strong> &#8211; Taylor doesn&#8217;t currently have a spot in the starting outfield, but he should still hit double-digit home runs and steal double-digit bases. He was on fire during Spring Training and the upside is there for Taylor that isn&#8217;t there for Ben Revere. If an injury hits the Washington outfield, Taylor could put up significant numbers.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Prospect To Keep Your Eye On</strong></em></span>: <b>2B Trea Turner</b> &#8211; Turner is starting the season in the minors, but once the Super Two deadline passes, he will get a call-up. He&#8217;s a plus defender and what he lacks in power at the plate, he makes up for it in average and will steal double-digit bases. Turner could turn into an All-Star middle infielder for the Nationals.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Team Analysis</strong></em></span>: That Nationals underachieved last season. They were supposed to run away with the NL East, but they never really put together a string of good games during the season. Bryce Harper was basically a one-man batting machine with the rest of the lineup being on and off all year.</p>
<p>The Nationals are expected to battle the Mets in the NL East with very little competition from the rest of the division. Both have excellent pitching, so I expect to see some awesome pitching duels between the teams this season.</p>
<p>Dusty Baker takes over as manager this season and he has a knack for getting results. He lead the Giants, Cubs and Reds into the postseason early in his tenures as manager. He&#8217;s one of the best managers for a team ready to play in October, but he has yet to win a World Series as a manager. The only thing I worry about is him riding his young pitchers a little too deep into games. I still partially blame him for the early flame outs from Mark Prior and Kerry Wood&#8230;so watch out Stephen Strasburg!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2016 Wins Over/Under Betting Line</strong></span>: 86.5 (<i>Prediction: <strong>UNDER</strong>)</i><b><i><br />
</i></b></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2016 Projected Win/Loss Record</strong></span>: 85-77 (2nd in AL East)</p>
<p><b><i><a href="https://americaswhiteboy.com/category/2016-MLB-Team-Preview/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2016 MLB Team Previews</a></i></b></p>
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