Washington Nationals: 7 Similarities to the 2010 Giants

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Okay, this is probably just a coincidence and really has no bearing on the similarities between the two teams.

But, throwing a soft one out there to open people’s minds is sometimes needed.

The Nationals won their first two games 2-1 and 7-4, while the 2010 Giants won 5-2 and 3-0.

Like I said, a coincidence.

But wait, there’s more.

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Both teams had young, promising catchers on their roster.

The Giants had the boy wonder Buster Posey, who was recalled from Triple-A to play in the big leagues on may 29.

Posey went on to win the Rookie of the Year, hitting .305 with 18 home runs and 67 RBI.

Wilson Ramos was a rookie last year, batting .267 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI.

This year, he’s off to a slow start, but many in the Nationals organization feel like he is going to be the team’s catcher for the next decade, kinda like the Giants faithful feel about Posey.

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The Giants signed Pat Burrell as a free agent in may for the 2010 season, while the Nationals signed Xavier Nady this past offseason.

Nady is currently struggling at the plate, while Burrell played decently for the Giants, batting .266.

Regardless, both players were brought in to provide veteran leadership, which seems to have worked for both sides.

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A solid bullpen is foundational if you want to make a run at the playoffs.

The Giants showed that with Brian Wilson closing, and guys like Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt and Santiago Casilla there to provide a strong bullpen.

The Nationals, on the other hand, have been without closer Drew Storen to begin the season, but will get him back soon.

In the mean time, they have guys like Henry Rodriguez, Brad Lidge, Tyler Clippard and Craig Stammen who have been pretty good to start the year.

Don’t let their ERAs fool you, they’ve done exactly what the Nationals have needed them to do.

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There’s no question that Tim Lincecum is one of the most dominant starters in the game.

With two Cy Young awards already under his belt, Lincecum gladly traded a third-straight award for a World Series ring in 2010.

That year, Lincecum went 16-10 with a 3.43 ERA and 231 strikeouts.

Now, Stephen Strasburg isn’t at the level that Lincecum is—not many pitchers are.

But, one day, Strasburg will be up there with the best in the game, including Lincecum.

Nationals fans have already been convinced that Strasburg is a dominant pitcher and one that you want to send to the hill every five days.

Now, all he has to do is be as consistent as Lincecum has.

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Am I far fetched to compare the two teams?

I know it’s still early in the season for the Nationals, but like I said earlier, there are some things that I find similar between the two teams.

Now, all we have to do is wait until October to see if the Nationals can duplicate what the Giants did in 2010.

Washington Nationals: 7 Similarities to the 2010 Giants