Strong spring showings create some tough pitching decisions

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Spring training stats must be taken with more than a grain of salt. Perhaps a full bucket of salt.

Now, having said that, has anyone out there noticed how well the Nationals have pitched this spring?

Wednesday’s 2-1 exhibition victory over the Marlins was merely the latest example. That came on the heels of a 4-1 victory over the Mets. Combine the pitching totals from those two games and the Nats have surrendered a grand total of two runs on six hits, walking only three while striking out 14.

And this has been going on for 2 1/2 weeks now. Eighteen games into their Grapefruit League schedule, the Nationals rank second in the majors in ERA (3.51), WHIP (1.164) and opponents’ batting average (.224), third in walks per nine innings (3.0), fourth in home runs surrendered per nine innings (0.68) and fifth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.1).

There’s a lot to like about the way the entire staff has pitched to date, especially a number of guys who are competing for spots on the Opening Day roster.

How many spots actually are up for grabs, and how many pitchers have put themselves in the conversation for those spots? By the looks of it, the team is going to face some awfully tough decisions in the next 10 days before heading north.

There are currently 21 healthy pitchers still in big league camp. There are seven starters (MacKenzie Gore, Josiah Gray, Patrick Corbin, Jake Irvin, Trevor Williams, Jackson Rutledge and non-roster invitee Zach Davies, who starts tonight against the Astros). And there are 14 relievers (Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey, Dylan Floro, Tanner Rainey, Jordan Weems, Robert Garcia, Jose A. Ferrer and non-roster invitees Jacob Barnes, Matt Barnes, Richard Bleier, Robert Gsellman, Derek Law, Joe La Sorsa and Luis Perdomo).

The Opening Day roster will include 13 pitchers, five of them starters. Unless Davey Martinez and Mike Rizzo are willing to make a bold move and demote Corbin or Williams to the bullpen, the rotation would appear to be set, with Rutledge likely ticketed for Triple-A Rochester and Davies perhaps still under consideration for a long relief role.

Five bullpen jobs would also seem to be locked up: Finnegan, Harvey, Floro (assuming he returns soon from a sore shoulder), Rainey and Weems.

That leaves three available spots, and a whole lot more than three viable candidates for them.

The Nationals will almost certainly carry at least one left-hander in their bullpen, and Martinez has talked up Garcia several times this spring. But based strictly on Grapefruit League stats – again, take these with a grain of salt – Bleier has outperformed him, allowing only five baserunners in 7 2/3 innings and issuing zero walks.

Ferrer has allowed only two batters to reach base across four innings of work and likewise hasn’t walked anybody yet, though curiously he’s made only one game appearance the last two weeks. La Sorsa has allowed seven baserunners in 5 2/3 innings.

There’s even more competition among the veteran right-handers vying for one or perhaps two remaining jobs.

Law has allowed only two baserunners in five innings, with zero walks issued. Gsellman has allowed five baserunners in seven innings and sports a 1.29 ERA. Matt Barnes, a late signee, enjoyed a perfect, 1-2-3 debut inning Tuesday night. Jacob Barnes, also a late signee, has a 1.80 ERA in five games. Perdomo (eight hits, one walk in six innings) has been less effective than his fellow competitors.

How will club officials decide to fill those last three spots? Two right-handers and a lefty? One of each, plus a true long man? Two lefties?

These final 10 days of spring could be critical for everyone in the mix.