Washington Nationals Have Member Shockingly Atop National League Award Race
The Washington Nationals exceeded expectations earlier in the season, hanging around the .500 mark and lurking as a potential National League wild card contender. But, they have cooled off considerably since that hot start.
The Nationals have struggled over the last few weeks, with fundamentals killing them on the field. Now 62-78, they have the sixth-worst record in baseball.
There has been some speculation about whether manager Dave Martinez should be on the hot seat as a result.
It has been a while since Washington was truly competitive. They won the World Series in 2019 but have yet to make a return to the postseason since. That drought will almost assuredly reach five consecutive years in 2024.
How much time does that World Series ring buy Martinez? The team has gone into a deep rebuild since that championship, and the light can be seen at the end of the tunnel.
However, there is no heat on him from a job security perspective based on the recent MLB awards watch that was shared by Bradford Doolittle of ESPN. Based on the EARL statistic they use to judge managers Martinez is actually in first place for the NL Manager of the Year award.
He has an EARL of 106.9, which is just ahead of Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers, who has a 106.1. Rounding out the top five are Mike Shildt of the San Diego Padres, Rob Thomson of the Philadelphia Phillies and Carlos Mendoza of the New York Mets.
“Martinez has been the EARL leader for months now, and at no point have I ever thought he'd win this award. It's not so much that I don't buy into the job Martinez has done this season with the improving Nationals. It's more that there are some really good candidates on better teams,” Doolittle wrote.
It is shocking to see Martinez atop the list with how much Washington has struggled over the summer. It is even harder to fathom when taking into account just how well the teams of the other managers have performed.
If the Mets are able to sneak into the postseason, Mendoza will have a lot of backing for the award. If they fall just short, Shildt could receive some votes given how strongly the Padres are finishing the campaign.
But, it feels as if Murphy should be the true favorite for the award. In what was expected to be a hotly contested NL Central race, his Brewers have the largest division lead in baseball heading into play on September 6.
KENNETH TEAPE