The MLB season is right around the corner. Spring training is in full swing and the first game is a month away. There are high expectations for the hometown Washington Nationals this year and rightfully so. After a disappointing season last year, missing the playoffs and struggling to stay above .500, the Nats are out to erase all memory of a sub-par 2013 campaign.

The Nats hired a new manager, Matt Williams, this year after the retirement of Davey Johnson. First-time manager Williams has been described as a fiery person who pays attention to every little detail. This style is much different from Johnson, who somewhat let his players manage themselves. That approach did not work last year as the Nats angered many fans, especially me. I am excited to have Matt Williams take over because he can push this team to maximize their full potential.

Last year, the Nats were preseason World Series favorites and were picked by the majority of sportswriters across ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and other experts. They started slowly and never made a real push over the .500 mark until there were only about 40 games left in the season. By then, the Atlanta Braves had already opened up a 10-game lead in the division and the Nats had almost no hope to make the playoffs. It was extremely frustrating watching that team, with unmatched talent, play down to their competition- on an almost daily basis.

The offense was horrible last season and the team fired hitting coach Rick Eckstein after the all-star break. At one point in the second half of the season, the Nats swung at the fewest number of first pitches of any team in the MLB. In 2012, the Nats’ playoff year, they were first in that category.

Denard Span, who was brought in from Minnesota in the off-season last year, was supposed to solidify the Nats leadoff spot in the lineup. He hit .240 until his 30+ game hit-streak late in the season got him all the way to the .260 mark. First basemen Adam Laroche hit .230 most of the year after a .270 average in 2012. Outfielders Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth were injured at different parts of the season hurting the lineup even further. The pitching staff’s ace, Stephen Strasburg, finished with a losing record despite posting a 3.00 ERA because the offense could not support him at all.

Wilson Ramos, the Nats’ catcher, played only 78 games last year but hit 16 homeruns in those games. If he can stay healthy, along with the injury-riddled Harper, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, and Jayson Werth, the Nats’ lineup has too much talent to be anywhere near as bad as last year. Pitcher Doug Fister was brought in from the Detroit Tigers to help stabilize the starting rotation, and as the fourth starter, he should finish off what should be the best rotation in the majors, easily.

My point is that the Nats are way too good to disappoint again this season, and there is no way they can miss the playoffs again. The fans played off their anger last year, chalking it up to just a bad year. This year, the Nats really are World Series or bust.