A-Rod Versus the Nats

Time again to check in on the little ballclub that could, the Washington Nationals. To date, the heretofore monikered "Nots" have, by all accounts, exceeded expectations. Even as their rotation went from questionable to doubtful to utterly unknown, they've managed to win enough games to merit a .413 winning percentage, well on their way to losing fewer than 100 contests. (And losing TJ some beer.)

They're doing it with smoke and mirrors, or so you'd infer from a segment ESPN.com just unveiled. In their super-scientific look at the league's talent, ESPN has ranked the Top 100 players this year. Naturally, the Nationals couldn't crack the 100, the only NL club to miss out. (The ChiSox duplicated the feat as well.) It's certainly saying something to have posted 26 wins by June 10 without anybody making that list.

Meanwhile, Rob and I have decided to import our occasional MLC segment "A-Rod Versus the Nats" to G:TB, a more suitable home for Nots content. See here and here for the origins of the thread, but it's a pretty simple concept: in April, Rob averred:

"It says here that A-Rod will finish the 2007 season with more homers than the Nationals collect wins. And there’s a chance that it won’t really be close. We’ll be watching the Nats closely, so you don’t have to. You're welcome."

The update: With a four-game win streak and taking six of eight in late May, the Nats began to look strangely...not hapless. (Hapful?) They dropped the next three series, but were swept in none of them. After taking two of three against the decidedly competent Twins in the Metrodome, it started to look as if Rob would be blown out of the water by the All-Star Break.

But A-Rod keeps killing the ball (even while engaging in P.R. nightmares on a weekly basis), including his two bombs against woeful Pirates pitching yesterday, and it's kept him in this race.

The current tally:
Nats Wins: 26
ARod HRs: 24

Stay tuned, it could almost get interesting.