This offseason, the Washington Nationals were desperate to get back to an identity centered around starting pitching. The signing of All-Star starter Patrick Corbin was a clear signal of intent, but now he has to perform to those sky-high expectations.
The new Nationals’ left-hander is coming off of an outstanding season with the Arizona Diamondbacks after years of inconsistency. He went 11-7 with a 3.15 ERA and pristine 11.1 K/9 as he finally lived up to his potential.
That type of breakout performance helped net him the six-year, $140 million deal with the Nats this offseason.