Ah, it's so nice to be talking about the 2022 season and some Washington Nationals storylines instead of talking about the lockout and the current status of negotiations. So let's get into what are some of the key 2022 storylines that Nationals fans need to be focused on during the upcoming season:

Development of younger players

I am starting this perspective with this storyline because I think that this is THE most important storyline of this year. With the Nationals in a full "re-tool" mode, the Nationals and fans alike are going to be paying close attention to all the great young talent that might be on this year's roster. From the starting pitcher of Josiah Gray to the catcher Keibert Ruiz then to all the great prospects that are currently developing in the minor league system, the development of these players is going to play a crucial role in the future of the Nationals beyond this season.

We shouldn't expect breakout seasons from all of these players, however, I think that a lot of these players will hopefully take a step forward as the Nationals need them to do so. Last month during the lockout Henry Marks put together a list of the five prospects that could contribute to the Nationals this season and his list is spot on. I personally do not expect to see RHP Cade Cavalli make an appearance in the majors this year, I do hope that he takes a lot of positive strides and he could be ready to appear at the Major League level in 2023. Another prospect that I am really excited to see make significant progress in his development is RHP Jackson Rutledge. He might have dropped a couple of places in the top prospect list for the Nationals with the other additions of prospects that the Nationals have acquired, however, I know that the 2019 Washington Nationals first-round pick is ready for this upcoming season and will make significant progress in his development and we will see his full potential this year. I am predicting that Rutledge will end his 2022 season in Triple-A.

Related Article: Five Nationals Prospects Who Could Contribute This Season

The one player that I am really excited to see this season and all his abilities for a full season are catcher Keibert Ruiz. From Henry's article: "Keibert Ruiz has a 106 OPS+ on his career. That means he’s 6% better than the average hitter, except that’s not totally true. The average OPS+ for catchers is around 92, and Yadier Molina has a 97 OPS+, so Ruiz’s current offensive production is already well above average."

Either way, all these prospects that are being developed at both the major league and minor league levels need to make significant strides forward and are my top storyline for this year's Washington Nationals.

The Health of Stephen Strasburg and Pitching

Over the last two years, Stephen Strasburg has pitched just 26.2 innings across seven starts, dealing with a variety of ailments that have had him on the Injured List instead of on the mound. Yeah, that isn't great, especially since the Nationals gave him a hefty contract after his 2019 World Series MVP season. Rizzo expressed optimism for Strasburg to return to full strength in 2022:

“You’ve never heard me say seven years for a pitcher is a good idea,” Rizzo said after the team’s trade deadline sell-off this past July. “They throw a baseball very, very fast, many, many times, and it’s an unnatural action.

“But we pick and choose who we want to give these long-term deals to, and I’ve said this many, many times, it’s the person that we’re signing, not the player, and we got ourselves a great player with [Strasburg] and even better person. We are going to get the maximum out of Stephen Strasburg that we can, he’s going to be champing at the bit to get back on the mound and we expect him to work extremely hard to get back and he will. And you guys know when he’s on the mound he’s as good as anybody in baseball. So that’s our expectation, get him back on the mound healthy, and we expect him to be a great pitcher for us.” Either way, the Nationals need Strasburg to return to the top pitcher that we all know that he is especially with Max Scherzer now in Queens. Talking about another pitcher who needs to be the best version of himself this year: Patrick Corbin.

Patrick Corbin hasn't been the pitcher that the Nationals signed back in 2018 for the 2019 season. During the 2021 season, Corbin had a horrible ERA of 5.83 and had a career-high of 16 losses and in 2020 during the shortened season he posted a 4.66 ERA and had seven losses. Corbin needs to pick it up and the Nationals need him to do be the best version of himself this season.

Besides the big names that the Nationals have, the team also needs to have the other starting pitchers to be the best they can be this season. Pitchers such as Erick Fedde, Josiah Gray, Paolo Espino, Joe Ross just to name a few. Also, it would be great to see Will Harris actually play for the Nationals this season out of the bullpen and possibly close games. Either way, the starting pitching, the relief pitching, and the bullpen will always be a story that Nationals fans and reporters will cover during the season and this one is no different.

Soto Contract Deal

Ever heard of the saying: "A Constituent of One?" This saying couldn't be or shouldn't be more true for the Nationals this year and beyond.

For those who tuned out during the lockout, a very interesting story broke with regards to the contract situation with Juan Soto. Last month, it was reported that before the lockout started the Washington Nationals offered Juan Soto a 13-year $350 million contract extension and he turned it down. Now that the CBA has been set for the league for the next few years and the DL is going to be happening in the NL, the Nationals should just pull out all the stops and make Soto an offer he can't refuse.

Plain and simple, end of the story, or whatever saying that you want to say. If the looks of it or from what he said, Soto wants to stay in Washington the Nationals want him to stay, fans want him to stay, let's just make it happen already, and then I don't have to worry about it anymore! Sounds simple right? It should be, however, somethings telling me that will not be the case and this saga will be one of the stories that I am going to be watching during the upcoming season.

Is this Finally the last make or break year for Carter Kieboom?

I have written a lot about the future of Carter Kieboom and how he really needs to take that step finally and become the player that the Nats need him to be at the hot corner. Man, I really wish that he does take that step, however, once again I might find myself disappointed that he hasn't. I know that the agreement is that he hasn't played a full season at third base and in the lineup, but I think that there is a reason why we haven't seen him in the lineup and that's because he just hasn't performed well. It's not like the Nationals front office hasn't given him the chance to be the player.

"I’m going to give him every opportunity to go out there and be our third baseman... I want him to go out there and play like the job is his, and then we’ll go from there. He understands that he knows that, and we’ll see what happens," manager Dave Martinez said at the start of last year's Spring Training. However, he didn't take the opportunity and it was Starlin Castro that started at third base for the Nationals after Spring Training.

Related Article: The Curious Case of Carter Kieboom; The Prospect that the Nationals Need

It was telling that the team moved players around at first when there was a brief COVID-19 outbreak to start the season and didn't call up Kieboom right away. Listen, I am not rooting for anyone to not be successful, however, just maybe Kieboom isn't that player that the Nationals thought he was, and it might be time to change directions. There is nothing wrong with admitting that you were wrong, but there is something wrong when you know it and can't make that decision that would be better for the overall team.

I am going to be paying real close attention to Kieboom during Spring Training and hoping that he makes that leap to being the Nationals full-time and future third baseman, however, his time to prove that might or should be coming to an end. Well, see.