Baseball has a rather long season – 162 games plus the playoffs.  You can break the season down into nine segments of 18 games each.  Each of these ‘mini-seasons’ can be telling; if you can win 10-12 games in each of these segments, you have a very good chance of making the post-season.  The Nats finished up the first 18-game segment by winning 3 of the last 7 games.  Unfortunately, they only won 1 of the first 11 games.  So, the Nats finished the first ‘mini-season’ with a 4-14 record.  NOT GOOD.  The defense and pitching has been terrible.  Hitting, except in clutch situations, has improved drastically.  Adam Dunn was a great signing.  Ryan Zimmerman is playing well, sporting a 17-game hitting streak.  Alas, I fear my prediction of 75 wins may be several dozen too many if things (particularly defense, starting pitching, and bullpen) don’t change in a hurry.  Of course, there are eight more ‘mini-seasons’ – eight more chances to improve and settle down into a more positive groove.  Of course, the Nats started the second ‘mini-season’ the same way they did the first, with a 6-run loss after another poor effort from the ‘ace’ of the staff.

Mini-season 1: 4-14

Season Total: 4-15

Projected season record: 36-126 (would be a modern-day record for futility)

Previous worst Washington baseball team records:

1904 Washington Senators 38-113

1909 Washington Senators 42-110

1949 Washington Nationals 50-104

1955 Washington Nationals 53-101

1961 Washington Senators 61-101

1962 Washington Senators 60-101

1963 Washington Senators 56-106

1964 Washington Senators 62-100

2008 Washington Nationals 59-102