Washington Nationals news & notes: Bullpen action; Victor Robles & offseason work…

Aid Work(ed):

“From July 6 by the top of the [2022] season,” the Nationals wrote of their Season in Evaluation for his or her ‘22 run, “Washington’s bullpen ranked sixth in Main League Baseball (third within the NL) with a 3.11 ERA.” The beginning pitching induced all types of points for the Nats, however their aid corps managed to provide the membership a variety of innings with optimistic outcomes.

“[The bullpen’s] 1.17 WHIP ranked third and its .228 opponents’ batting common ranked fourth within the Nationwide League over this stretch,” they added of the post-July sixth stats.

“The group completed the season robust, pitching to a 1.26 ERA (8 ER/57.1 IP) with a .215 opponents’ common during the last 14 video games of the season… The 1.26 ERA was – by far – the perfect bullpen ERA in baseball over this stretch…The following finest bullpen was that of the Chicago Cubs (1.63).

“On the season, the bullpen ranked within the Nationwide League in walks per 9.0 innings (fifth, 3.32), ERA (sixth 3.84), WHIP (seventh, 1.28) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (seventh, 2.49).

“Our bullpen, I believe, was an enormous energy of ours final 12 months,” supervisor Davey Martinez instructed reporters when he spoke on the Winter Conferences in early December, “… however I can’t do this to them this 12 months the place they cowl so many innings. We’ve positively bought to enhance in our beginning pitching.”

The Nationals’ 638 innings pitched by the bullpen have been seventh-most within the majors within the 2022 common season, and as their supervisor mentioned, they should get extra out of their beginning pitching in the event that they’re going to maintain their relievers going in addition to they have been this previous 12 months.

“I believe we bought — our beginning pitchers have gotten to go deeper in video games,” he defined. “They actually do. If they’ll do this, I believe our bullpen goes to be actually, actually good once more.”

However you possibly can’t abuse/over-use them and count on them to carry up all through the season.

“These guys endured loads final 12 months, they usually pitched loads,” Martinez mentioned. “We made — sadly, we made a variety of guys one inning-plus guys, which positively helps. Not simply us, however across the league we’ve seen that loads.

“There’s going to be loads — we talked loads this winter about guys we will possibly do this with, that may possibly assist us. Whether or not they have been starters earlier than, and we’re going to make them lengthy guys. Once we go to Spring Coaching, we’ll positively have a plan what guys can actually assist us out within the bullpen going a number of innings.

“I believe it’s going to be essential since you by no means know, proper? I believe with Josiah [Gray], Cade [Cavalli] is available in, with MacKenzie Gore, and even [Patrick] Corbin, who to me goes to be our workhorse, as a result of he takes the ball 5 days — I believe these guys want to know that it’s not simply 5 innings. We’d like them to go six-plus innings and be constant, throwing 100, 105 pitches.”

Robles’s Winter:

Victor Robles completed his 2022 marketing campaign with a .224/.273/.312 line, 10 doubles, two triples, six residence runs, 17 walks, and 104 Ks in 407 plate appearances, over which he was value +0.3 fWAR, with a .983 fld% in middle, a 4.8 UZR (Final Zone Score), which was up from -0.1 UZR in 2021, and 12 DRS (Defensive Runs Saved), which was up from 0 DRS in ‘21 and -4 in 2020.

His 12 DRS have been essentially the most amongst certified NL middle fielders in ‘22, forward of the San Diego Padres’ Trent Grisham (8 DRS), the Atlanta Braves’ Michael Harris II (8), and Arizona Diamondbacks’ Alek Thomas (6 DRS), and Robles’s UZR (4.8) was second-best, behind solely Harris (4.9 UZR), and although he additionally led certified NL outfielders in errors (6 whole, 3 throwing, 3 fielding) he completed with essentially the most outfield assists (7) on the 12 months.

Robles didn’t win, however he was a finalist for, the NL Gold Glove in middle area.

The Nats’ 25-year-old outfielder had a bounce-back season within the area, however on the plate, he’s nonetheless a piece in progress.

Robles has continued to work on his offense within the Dominican Winter League over the winter.

“Victor went and is enjoying winter ball,” supervisor Davey Martinez instructed reporters on the Winter Conferences final month. “He’s doing very well. Engaged on among the issues that [Nationals’ Hitting Coach] Darnell [Coles] needed to work on, and I believe Darnell is definitely headed over there this coming week to go watch him play a bit bit and speak to him.”

As somebody who performed winter ball in his personal enjoying profession, Martinez was requested what he noticed as the advantages of going to play extra as soon as the MLB season ends.

“Look, I’ll be the primary one to let you know it helped me out loads,” he mentioned.

“I speak about it on a regular basis. I began my profession, and I hit .139 within the massive leagues. [former Chicago Cubs’ GM] Dallas Inexperienced mentioned, What are you going to do that winter? I mentioned, I’m going to go residence and work out, get stronger. And he mentioned, ‘No, you’re going to go to winter ball. Play winter ball, and it’s going that can assist you.’

“And I did, and it actually did assist me. It helped me know loads about myself. I labored loads on simply attempting to get on base. I actually knew what sort of balls, what balls I can hit, and it ready me loads higher.

“The following 12 months I ended up hitting the ball very well and doing effectively.”

Martinez hit .292 over 142 video games in his second massive league run.

“For these guys,” he mentioned of the group he’s at present managing, “I encourage these guys to go play winter ball, particularly younger guys, as a result of it positively does assist them. Positively helps them how one can perceive how one can hit breaking balls a bit higher as a result of they do throw a variety of breaking balls there. It does assist them simply get them to know themselves.

“The extra baseball you play, the extra you’re on the sector, you get to know who you’re and what you might be.”

Robles performed in 17 video games again in November/December, going 11 for 54 (.204/.295/.259) on the plate, with a house run, three walks, and 14 strikeouts over 61 plate appearances for Águilas Cibaeñas within the Dominican Winter League.