5 Washington Nationals Players that we will be Paying Close Attention to in 2021
There is still ample reason to believe 2021 will be better than 2020 and watching these five Washington Nationals should make the year even better.
Spring Training is currently set to start on February 21st. While we wait for Major League Baseball's official word if that date happens, we want to take a look at five Washington Nationals players we can't wait to watch closely in 2021.
Josh Bell
The newest Washington Nationals Josh Bell will be getting a close up this season. Mike Rizzo traded away two pitching prospects at the end of 2020 for the first baseman who might be placed in the middle of the lineup and hopefully some protection for Juan Soto and Trea Turner. The All-Star first baseman will hopefully show all the great talent he has both on and off the field, and he will continue to show that Rizzo is a great talent evaluator.
Stephen Strasburg
After a rough 2020 and not completing the year, the 2019 World Series MVP will be expected to regain his form and perform at the level that we have come to expect from him. All indications are that Stephen Strasburg has successfully healed from his 2020 injury and is ready to have a strong year on the mound right behind Max Scherzer in the pitching rotation.
Max Scherzer
Since this is Max Scherzer's last contracted season with the Nationals, he will be motivated to perform at peak "Max Scherzerness," if that is even a thing. Scherzer will want to ensure an excellent contract for 2022, or if he decides to hang up his cleats and end his Hall-of-fame career on a high note, it is undoubtedly going to be fun watching him pitch. We are sure that he will deliver a couple of gems to his already impressive career.
Carter Kieboom
As we have noted multiple times, we think that 2021 will be a make or break year for Carter Kieboom. We hope that he takes the moment that has been afforded to him and grabs it and runs with it to make him a fixture here in Washington D.C. for years to come. However, we think that if he can't take steps forward, it might be the last year of the Carter Kieboom project in Washington D.C. because there is a particular third baseman hitting free agency in 2022.
Juan Soto
Juan Soto continues to grow as a baseball player and getting to see him develop up close every time the Washington Nationals play is a treat. After a very successful 2020 season, the spotlight will be even brighter in 2021, and if there is an All-Star game that is played, we might be adding "Juan Soto All-Star Outfielder" to his growing list of accomplishments. One thing is for sure; the Nationals better start saving up money to sign him and make him a Nationals for life.
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