Washington Nationals: From Favorite to Disappointment

When the highs and lows of the different teams were revealed for the 2015 season, there was a widespread belief in Major League Baseball that the Washington Nationals, on paper, had the best roster in the competition and were the top contender to win the World Series according to various experts and bookmakers.

After 104 games, there is nothing left of that dominating team that was supposed to dominate the league and bring the first baseball title to the capital of the United States since 1924, a recent trend for a club that aspires to a lot but then fails to deliver when it matters most.

In 2015, we haven't even made it to the playoffs where the Nationals have collapsed like a soufflé in their two appearances in 2012 and 2014, where they wasted a 2-0 lead with the last three games played at their home in the first case or losing to a worse team but one that shone like no other, last year's San Francisco Giants.

One of the best rotations in history or one that was intended to be with the arrival of Max Scherzer, has seen the group as a whole fall far below expectations. Interestingly, the only one who has held up has been Scherzer, after his huge contract of $210 million for seven years, and that's not even coming off his best month in July.

But the rest of the teammates are not up to par. Jordan Zimmerman has an ERA almost one run higher compared to last year (3.54 vs 2.66). Doug Fister has a 4.60 and the Golden Boy, Stephen Strasburg, has almost spent more time injured than active and in the latter case, has not been a good pitcher (5.16).

All this has put tremendous pressure on the rest of the team in attack, not to mention the defense, with Ian Desmond being a true sieve early in the season and accumulating 21 errors just as he is about to become a free agent. It's not a good time for that.

One could say that Bryce Harper and Yunel Escobar are the only ones who save a team that is not meeting expectations in attack, between injuries and the performance of some of their most representative players. Jayson Werth has been injured for most of the year and is batting .203. Ryan Zimmerman .211, Ian Desmond .217.

The good news is that Anthony Rendon has returned and they will improve in all areas. Denard Span will also return. But Bryce Harper can't do it all, even though he has been the MVP of the first half of the year, with numbers that everyone dreamed of since he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16 years old with the nickname "The Chosen One".

The New York Mets have won all four games they have played since acquiring Cuban Yoenis Céspedes and occupy the top spot in their division alone, the latest they have done so since September 19, 2008. On the other hand, the Nationals, who had a 3.5-game lead over the New Yorkers at the beginning of July, have had a horrible month with a record of 11-16.

One should never underestimate the psychological impact (in addition to the practical one on the field) that different acquisitions in the transfer market can have. This is what has happened with the Mets and it would not be wise to underestimate the options they have from now until the end of the season. As of today, the Nationals do not seem any better and that is a very dangerous idea for a club that was aiming to win it all just a few months ago.