Written by Eddie Matz at ESPN.com
Bryce Harper has always been a fast starter. The question is: Can he start fast enough to help the Washington Nationals avoid another slow finish?
When Harper suffered what looked to be a catastrophic knee injury on Aug. 12, the prevailing logic was that if the face of the franchise weren’t able to return this season, the Nats would be in trouble come October. They’d be headed for yet another first-round playoff exit, their fourth in as many tries since moving to D.C. in 2005. However, if Harper were able to make it back in time for the postseason, well, that was another story. After all, his injury affected Washington like no other this season.
Through all the dings and dents the Nationals’ lineup has sustained — including Adam Eaton’s season-ending knee injury, Trea Turner’s broken wrist, Jayson Werth’s broken foot, Michael Taylor’s strained oblique — the offense has kept right on chugging, a testament to just how stacked the Nats’ attack is.
But after Harper went down — missing 42 games with a hyperextended left knee — Washington’s offensive output plummeted by 25 percent (from 5.4 runs per game to 4.1), a testament to just how valuable the former MVP really is. What’s crazy is, despite the drastic drop-off in offense, the Nats still went 26-16 without Harper, a testament to just how good their pitching has been.
But winning series after series against the NL Least & Friends is different than winning series after series against, say, the Chicago Cubs, Arizangeles Dodgerbacks, and whichever AL contestant emerges from the Cleveland IndiansAutumn Invitational. All of which is to say: Harper had better find his groove in a hurry.
To continue reading this article, click here.
