Nationals
When the Washington Nationals were in Baltimore last week, Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper walked off the Camden Yards field from batting practice together. A few kids above the dugout called to Harper, who disappeared with a wave. Then they called to Werth, who did the same.
The young fans didn’t call to Zimmerman, who headed down the tunnel to the cage with a small smile. He was hitting .420 at the time, better than either teammate, and better than he has hit in three years — if not ever.
Young Nationals fans might not remember the days when Zimmerman was the team’s biggest star. If he keeps hitting like he has this season, they will get to know him soon.
Zimmerman has changed the conversation with a start so impressive he won National League Player of the Month for April and is leading the NL in a handful of offensive categories in May. He is hitting .385 and slugging .792, leading the league in both categories. His reemergence after a dismal 2016 season gives the Nationals a lineup that many in the clubhouse and organization say is the most potent they have ever had.
Life at first base is different for Zimmerman these days. Base runners used to arrive and exchange pleasantries, but recently their curiosity overpowers courtesy, compelling them to ask how exactly is he doing what he’s doing.
“I don’t know man,” he tells them. With all due respect, he would rather not talk about it.
Besides, the secret is so simple it almost defies credulity: He is healthy, which is what he said it would take all along. Thus rejuvenated, the 32-year-old has batted away the question of whether he still has it. The question now is how long he will keep it.
“I’m not going to hit .430,” Zimmerman said. “It’s one of those things where you want to keep it going as long as you can, sustain, and keep the routine.”
Even when they signed him to a $135 million contract, the Nationals did not expect Zimmerman to hit .430. They were counting on him to be the reliable .280, 20-home run face of the franchise. But for three seasons, injuries frequently kept the team’s longest-tenured player off the field and hampered him when he was on it.
“I’m proud of him,” said Werth, sitting at the locker next to Zimmerman’s as the first baseman handed away a few bats for charity and grabbed his own before heading to the cage.
“He has dealt with a lot the last few years: just health, staying healthy,” Werth continued. “He’s kind of fallen into some traps on recurring, kind of nagging injuries that are hard to overcome, especially as you get older. Not that he’s old, but he’s got a lot of miles on the tires.”
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