Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
There was one major problem with the Washington Nationals last season — the team lacked a true leadoff hitter.
Washington has fixed that problem with the addition of Denard Span to the top of the lineup. Span was hitting .278 going into Monday’s play and was third on the team with 32 hits. The Nationals aren’t using Span’s strong start in a positive way though, with a 17-15 record so far this season.
Span is a quality player in center field and really makes life easier on the corner outfielders as well. That allows players like Bryce Harper relax even more and could be the reason why Harper has been so good to begin this season.
Washington has the day off on Monday before continuing their tough start of games on the following day, and Span should be familiar with the Detroit Tigers from his days with the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt in my mind that Span will help Washington finish above the .500 mark and be close to the playoffs again.
It will be a disaster if Washington doesn’t make the playoffs, especially with all the moves that were made. We will have to see if Span can improve on his batting average and on-base percentage, which will lead to more runs being scored by the Nationals.
He is going to be the key if Washington can go on a long winning streak. The Nationals are in great shape with Span at the top of the lineup and he is making that trade look worthwhile every day.
Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports, like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.
