Some fans have already written off this season as a lost one for the Washington Nationals. We're not buying that, especially with over a month left in the 2015 MLB season. In fact, we still believe the Nats could change direction and win the entire thing with an epic September (and October) run. Here's 3 Reasons Why The Washington Nationals Can Win The 2015 World Series.
3. Scheduling Luck
The next two entries are what will get the Nats through the playoffs if they get there, but this one has more to do with why Washington can make up their 6.5-game deficit in the NL East in September. The Mets have a similarly easy schedule, but the fact remains that the Nationals play 20 of their final 26 games against teams with a losing record. Three of the other games come against the Mets at home. Sweep that series and take care of business elsewhere and the Nationals could right this ship quickly and efficiently.
2. Bryce Harper
Let's say the Nats go on a September hot streak like their roster suggests they can. Let's say that the Mets realize they're the Mets and implode in what only can be terms at "Metsian" fashion. If the Nationals get hot and surge past New York, there's no lineup in the National League that has a guy like Bryce Harper -- a multi-facted, five-tool blazing star who changes the way opposing teams approach their entire gameplans. Harper's MVP-level season this year has been muted by the troubles surrounding the team. But, if the Nats get to the dance, he'll be the one leading the three-step to success.
1. The Pitching Staff
Washington's starting pitching has weathered injuries and offensive power outages all year long, coming into play Thursday with the 9th-best combined ERA in the Majors (3.86) despite posting only the 17th-best batting average against (.262) out of 30 MLB teams. You could say that the staff has underperformed this year, especially compared to the Murderers Row: Pitching Edition billing the rotation got before the season. However, the talent's still there and any hot streak Washington gets on -- regular season or otherwise -- will start and end with Max Scherzer and the crew.
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