Nationals full of exciting prospects, but can they win now?

Make absolutely no mistake about it, in a few years time, the Washington Nationals could be genuine World Series contenders. The list of young and supremely talented players in the capital seems almost limitless. The much hyped Bryce Harper, the return of Stephen Strasburg. You have Gio Gonzalez, Drew Storen and Wilson Ramos, who is thankfully safe following a terrifying kidnap in the off-season. Heck, even Ryan Zimmerman is only 27 years old. If all of these players progress the way people think they will, the Nats are going to be tough to beat in a few years time.

But what about right now? They are in an ultra competitive division, and they have no experience of winning which may count against them, mentality, in the big moments. Also, despite their talent, they don’t have a massively deep roster. Once the injuries kick in amongst their core players, they could find it difficult.

The Nationals will be one of the teams to really keep an eye on this season. They will be exciting to watch, but will they be good enough for a first play-off spot since their move to D.C?

IN : Mitch Atkins (RP – Baltimore), Andres Blanco (INF – Texas), Mike Cameron (OF – Miami), Brett Carroll (OF – Boston), Dan Cortes (RP – Seattle), Mark deRosa (INF – San Francisco), Chad Durbin (RP – Cleveland), Jeff Fulchino (RP – San Diego), Gio Gonzalez (SP – Oakland), Edwin Jackson (SP – St.Louis), Waldis Joaquin (RP – San Francisco), Brad Lidge (RP – Philadelphia), Jason Michaels (OF – Houston), Xavier Paul (OF – Pittsburgh), Ryan Perry (RP – Detroit), Mark Teahan (INF – Toronto)

OUT : Collin Balester (RP – Detroit), Todd Coffey (RP – L.A. Dodgers), Alex Cora (INF – St.Louis), Jonny Gomes (OF – Oakland), Livan Hernandez (SP – Houston), Tom Millone (SP – Oakland), Laynce Nix (OF – Philadelphia), Brad Peacock (SP – Oakland), Ivan Rodriguez (C), Doug Slaten (RP – Pittsburgh), Matt Stairs (OF – Retired)

Catchers : Following the departure of an all-time great at the position, Ivan Rodriguez, the starting job goes, undisputedly, to Wilson Ramos. A great young prospect, Ramos hit 15 home runs and batted .267 in his first full season in the Majors. His back-up is Jesus Flores, has been with the Nats as a big league reserve since 2007, while Jhonaton Solano is a career minor leaguer.

Infielders : The leader of the Nats infield is undoubtedly Ryan Zimmerman. The 27 year old former Gold Glove winner has recently signed a six year, $102 million contract that will see him remain in a Nationals uniform until 2019. He has 128 homers to his name since his debut in 2005. Ian Desmond, Andy LaRoche and Danny Espinosa are likely to complete a respectable, if not mouth-watering infield combo. Espinosa hit just .236, but is a base stealing threat and has a power bat that will take some of the heat off Zimmerman. Desmond suffered something of a sophomore slump last year and will be looking to take a step forward, while LaRoche, at 32 years old, is a tried and tested veteran. He’s five years younger, however, than back-up Mark deRosa who hit .279 in limited time at the Giants in 2011. Steve Lombardozzi is the young option off the bench, He played in 13 games last year, batting sub .200. Chris Marrero, Anthony Rendon and Carlos Rivero are all inexperienced youngsters on the roster that could force their way into the reckoning with solid Spring Training displays. Mark Teahan is a veteran non-roster invite.

Outfielders : Jayson Werth is the star of the outfield corps, but it is a sign of his talent that a 20 HR, .232 AVG, debut season in Washington was considered slightly disappointing. The shaggy haired 32 year old gained a reputation and cult following during his spell at the Phillies, where he won a World Series title in 2008. Despite being listed as an infielder, the Nats depth chart has phenom Michael Morse as the left field starter.  The 30 year old came from nowhere to hit .303 and 31 homers last season but he will need to prove that it was not just a fluke. Roger Bernadina will likely be the starting centre fielder. The speedster stole 17 bases in an injury hit season. Phenom Bryce Harper is just 19 years old, but seems certain to make his big league debut this season. Despite a not too flattering reputation, the kid can flat out play. He hit .297 and 17 homers in his first year as a pro, despite the team doctor stating that Harper has ‘some of the worst eyes I’ve ever seen.’ Eury Perez is on the roster, while veteran non-roster invite options include Rick Ankiel, Xavier Paul and Jason Michaels.

Starting Pitchers : Such is the improvement in the Nationals pitching staff recently that 2010 Opening Day starter John Lannan is odds on to not make the opening day rotation, let alone be the number one, despite recording a 3.70 ERA in 33 starts last season. Stephen Strasburg arrived with much fanfare in 2009, but injury robbed him of the entire 2010 season. In five starts, his 1.50 ERA last year is proof that he came back stronger than ever. Gio Gonzalez arrives from Oakland following a 3.17 ERA during the last two seasons, while Jordan Zimmerman is another young star. In 26 starts in 2011, he went 8-11 with a 3.18 ERA. Veterans Edwin Jackson and Chien-Ming Wang are expected to be the 4 and 5 pitchers. The quintet combined for a terrific 3.37 ERA in nearly 650 innings. Similar numbers this time round could see the Nats become a surprise package. Ross Detwiler is another option. A 4-5 record with a 3.00 ERA suggests that he has the ability to succeed in the league, although he may have to leave the Nats to become a key player.

Relief Pitchers : Drew Storen was outstanding last year, claiming 43 saves and a 2.75 ERA, so clearly the closer role will be his again, but with Brad Lidge having arrived, there are plenty of options for the position should Storen suffer an injury or loss of form. The 35 year old Lidge has 223 career saves following spells in Houston and Philadelphia. Tyler Clippard is due to be the main set-up man, with the ex-Yankee going 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 72 appearances in 2011. Being a starter earlier in his career, Clippard has certainly found his groove in the bullpen. Sean Burnett and Henry Rodriguez both return following solid seasons, having appeared in 69 and 59 games respectively. Burnett is one of two lefty options in the bullpen, with Tom Gorzelanny being the other. The veteran is also available for spot starts, having made 110 big league starts (148 total appearances). Atahualpa Severino is another possible option, but will need to earn his place on the roster during Spring Training. Ryan Mattheus, Ryan Perry and Craig Stammen are tall righties that have a fair shot of making the roster.

PREDICTION : I’m finding the Nats to be the most difficult team to predict. They have outstanding young talent, but young talent has a tendency to blow up every now and again. Their pitching staff could be the most under-rated staff in the Majors, but their line-up isn’t particularly impressive, bar a couple of players and they may struggle to score enough runs to win enough games to get a play-off spot. That being said, I wouldn’t be overly surprised if they finish second behind the Phillies, but I’ll go overly cautious and say fourth place.