>The bullpen is good. The line-up is really good. The rotation
>has the potential to be historic. I guess the team defense is
>slightly above average? Who can you pick ahead of them? By the
>odds, the Dodgers are the only ones within shouting distance.

The line-up is great on paper, but werth, zimm, harper and ramos are all injury risks and they've shown that when one or two guys go down, the offense stalls. The bench is shaky so they really have to stay healthy. They have "new" defensive players in four positions. We hope clippard can be replaced, but he's been one of the best pitchers in baseball. and then there is Matt Williams whose decision making in the offs were really questionable.

I am not saying the team has any significant weaknesses, just that it does have a few problem areas to keep an eye on.

>They've won more games than anybody in baseball over the last
>three years and the consensus is that they just got better. Of
>course they're going to be heavy favorites. I want to believe
>that the disappointment of missing the playoffs as favorites
>in 2013 will keep the team in check, but it's mostly just
>wishful thinking. The reality is, a one week Andrew McCutchen
>blackout in October could bounce them in a 5 game series. I'm
>at peace with this.

>I mean, in those 4 games in the 2015 NLDS, the Giants scored 9
>runs and the Nationals scored 9 runs. Over 45 innings. It's
>not like either team was setting the world on fire. They did
>beat Madison Bumgarner, which was apparently really hard to do
>in October last year.
>
>It's baseball. The best team doesn't always win. At this
>point, the 2010s Nationals could still be the 1970s Royals or
>the 1970s Reds.

You're right. There will be 90-100 wins to enjoy this season. The rest is playoff baseball and will be what it will be.