The Nationals lineup was already lefty heavy, but with Dylan Crews going down, it might become a bit of a problem
After leaving the game last night, it looks like Dylan Crews will have to go on the IL. To replace him, the Nationals decided to call up prospect Robert Hassell III. However, adding Hassell to this lineup would create a little bit of a problem. The team is now severely lacking in right handed hitters.
Even before Crews’ injury, the Nationals lineup had a lot of left handed hitters. The first six guys in the lineup last night were left handed hitters, or switch hitters. Notably, both switch hitters are better as left handed hitters as well.
The only righties in the lineup last night were Alex Call and Dylan Crews, who is now hurt. With Crews going down, the Nationals will only have one right handed hitter in the lineup a lot of nights, unless they want to bench Hassell and play Call and Jacob Young together. While this is an option, I doubt it is one fans would be happy with. They want to see what the highly touted Hassell can do.
However, this is going to create an imbalance in the lineup. This is not the end of the world, but it could be an issue, especially against left handed pitching. Guys like James Wood and CJ Abrams can handle any type of pitcher, but other guys are more platoon reliant.
Nathaniel Lowe and Luis Garcia Jr. both have extreme splits. Garcia is 2/22 against left handed pitching and Lowe is hitting just .180 against southpaws. As a whole, the Nats have a .720 OPS against righties and a .654 mark against lefties. That is a 66 point difference which could become even more extreme with Hassell’s arrival.
Hassell has been raking, but only against right handed pitching. Against righties, the young outfielder is hitting over .300 with an OPS of .798. All of his extra base hits have also come against righties. However, his .491 OPS against lefties is over 300 points lower. Left handed pitching has been a problem for the Nats and it is something Hassell will only make worse.
With this in mind, you are going to have to platoon. Amed Rosario needs to be in the lineup every game against left handers. I also think it would be wise to platoon Hassell with either Jacob Young or Alex Call. Davey Martinez is also going to have to use his bench when lefty relievers inevitably come in the game. Pinch hitting is not as prevalent as it used to be, but it is something Davey Martinez will have to do.
One other potential solution to this issue could be an exciting one. The Nationals have a top prospect performing in Triple-A who just so happens to be a right handed bat. That of course is Brady House.
I believe House could help solve the lack of balance in the lineup. He could replace the left handed Jose Tena and provide an instant impact. House is good against righties with a .794 OPS. However, he really shines against southpaws, hitting .324 with a .959 OPS.
Honestly, he brings a lot of things the Nationals need. He is a right handed bat who crushes lefties and has big power. The Nats also have not gotten much from the third base position offensively. Along with the bat, House has a great glove over at third, which makes things even more appealing.
While Jose Tena has made strides as a defender, he still has his shaky moments. House can be a brick wall at the hot corner the way Paul DeJong was for the first few weeks. However, House brings much more to the table offensively than DeJong. It would also be a move to energize the fanbase.
Right now, the Nats are going to have nights where they only have one true right handed hitter in the lineup. This is not a backbreaking problem or anything, that lack of balance can be exploited by some teams. The Nats are not going to be the same offense against left handed pitching. It is already bad, but losing Crews could make things even worse.
This is a story to watch, and if the lineup looks too unbalanced, they have an answer waiting in Triple-A. Robert Hassell’s call up is very exciting, but it does create a lack of balance in the Washington Nationals lineup.