Liz Barr: Strong defense has been consistent for Nationals

To say that this season has been a roller coaster for the Nationals would be an understatement. They've struggled to find consistency. Sometimes they score double-digit runs and sometimes they get shut out multiple games in a row. Finding rhythm has been difficult. The pitching has been up and down, the offense has been up and down. But there's one thing the Nationals have been very consistent at all year, something they've done very well all year long: defense.

Sure, they're going to have a couple of games here or there that aren't pretty, but that's bound to happen to everyone in a 162-game-schedule. Throughout the year, the Nats have rarely played sloppy defense, they're always sharp in the field and the defense is rarely something that you have to worry about.

Not only are the Nats playing clean baseball, they are excellent compared to the rest of the league. As a team, the Nationals only have 53 errors this season - that is the fewest in all of baseball. We've had a taste of what error-filled baseball is like facing the Phillies and Cardinals recently, both of whom are tied for the most errors in the majors at 102. The Nationals might not be making the flashiest plays that make it on the highlight reel every night, but there's a lot of pride to take in being the best defensive team in baseball.

Additionally, the Nats have a handful of guys who are above average at throwing around the leather. A lot of them do well in the FanGraphs categories of defensive runs saved (DRS) and ultimate zone rating (UZR), both of which are statistics calculated to measure the total defensive value of a player.

Ryan Zimmerman isn't too shabby at first base, with a solid 2 DRS and 0.5 UZR. Not much to write home about, but being in the positive is important. Same goes for Trea Turner, who has a 2.3 UZR at shortstop. Wilmer Difo has put in a strong campaign on the defensive side, compiling 5 DRS and 3.5 UZR at second base and an additional 0.5 UZR at shortstop, which is very impressive for his limited time. Anthony Rendon, the perennial Gold Glove candidate at third base, has a 5.1 UZR, which is not as high as in previous seasons, but still very good.

And then there's Michael A. Taylor, the man known for his defense. Taylor has had limited playing time this year, so his numbers aren't as high as they could be, but what he's been able to do is still very impressive. His 2.8 UZR is good, his five outfield assists are great, and his 11 DRS are out of this world. Yes, Taylor looks good in the field, and the stats back him up, too.

The Nationals play clean, and the advanced stats also say they're not too shabby out there. The defense is the one thing they've done consistently well all year long, they've done it as a team and they've been at the top of the league. If nothing else, it's nice to see the fundamentals of baseball being executed sharply and efficiently. Outs are made, excessive errors aren't what's hurting them, and that's one thing to be thankful for.

Liz Barr blogs about the Nationals for The Nats Blog. Follow her on Twitter: @RaiseTheBarr1. Her opinions on the Nationals will appear here as part of MASNsports.com's initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our little corner of cyberspace. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.