The Nationals begin their spring training schedule today, and with the start of exhibition games comes the reminder that small sample sizes often don’t reflect player performance over a 162-game season when the games count.
Of course, for players looking to crack the Opening Day roster, exhibition games can count a great deal, but have the best spring training performances in recent years led to continued production in the regular season? Let’s revisit six of the best Nationals spring trainings over the past six years and see how those players fared once the calendar flipped to April.
Michael A. Taylor, 2016
When then-Nationals manager Dusty Baker watched Taylor take batting practice for the first time in February of 2016, he told the then 25-year-old, “You gonna be hell.” Turns out, Baker was right, at least once Taylor took that swing into spring training. The outfielder saw more at-bats than anyone else on the team that spring, and hit like no other as well. In 53 at-bats, Taylor picked up 24 hits, including six doubles and five home runs, good for a ridiculous slash line of .453/.491/.849, in one of the best spring trainings in Washington history.
But Taylor didn’t find the same success when the regular season began, batting .231 across 76 games with seven home runs, and the Nationals even began testing Trea Turner in the outfield to get some production from the center field spot. Taylor turned in his best season in 2017, had some big postseason moments, but had another rough year in 2020, batting .196 in 38 games.
Bryce Harper, 2017
Harper turned in a historic 2015 season at just 22 years old, but after a “down” year in 2016 where he put up an .814 OPS with 24 home runs, he came back in 2016 with something to prove. He made it known almost right away with a torrid spring that included eight home runs in 58 at-bats, 12 total extra-base hits, and an OPS of 1.216. Harper recorded as many walks as strikeouts (10) and was easily the team’s best spring performer.
Harper had no problem continuing that success once the regular season began, picking up his second of four straight All-Star selections, hit 29 home runs and finished with an OPS of 1.008, still the second-best of his career behind only 2015.
Juan Soto, 2019
Soto burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old in 2018, hitting 22 home runs in his first 414 career at-bats, and he showed no signs of slowing down the following spring, when he recorded nine extra-base hits, including three home runs, in 48 at-bats, finishing exhibition play with a 1.117 OPS.
Soto had no problem carrying that momentum into the regular season, smashing 34 home runs, driving in 100 and posting a .949 OPS at just 20 years old. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him raking again this spring.
Matt Adams, 2019
Soto wasn’t the only hot bat in the Nationals’ last full spring training season. After being claimed off waivers in August of 2018, Adams signed back on with the Nationals and made an immediate spring impact, hitting six home runs in 50 at-bats to finish with a 1.022 OPS. Adams and Soto tied for the team lead with 13 RBI, and gave the first baseman a chance to play more than 140 games in a season for the first time since 2014.
That didn’t work out for Adams, who appeared in 111 games and posted an OPS of just .741, hitting .226 while giving the lineup some pop with 20 home runs. He was signed and then released by the Mets in 2020 before going the same route with the Braves.
Max Scherzer, 2015
Scherzer was preparing for his first season in Washington when spring training began in 2015, and the star righty wasted no time settling into his new surroundings. Mad Max tossed an even 20 innings, striking out 23 while allowing just three runs, good for a 1.35 ERA. Scherzer’s command was nearly immaculate, as he walked just one batter all spring.
Of course, Scherzer provided more of the same once the regular season got going, and has ever since. He tossed 228.2 innings in 2015, put up a 2.79 ERA and led the league with four complete games and three shutouts. He struck out 276 batters and walked just 34, the lowest mark of his career in a full season until he allowed just 33 free passes in 2019.
Jeremy Hellickson, 2019
Hellickson was coming off a solid 2018 where he posted a 3.45 ERA in 91.1 innings in his first season with the Nationals, and as spring training of 2019 unfolded, it looked like he would be in for another strong season.
The righty tossed 19 innings over the spring and allowed just two earned runs, good for a 0.95 ERA. He recorded 19 strikeouts in that span against six walks, with hitters batting just .217 against him. But that wasn’t a sign of things to come for Hellickson, who battled shoulder injuries and pitched just 39 innings, logging a 6.23 ERA. But the Nationals were able to win a World Series despite the disappointing performance from Hellickson.