The Miami Marlins and the Washington Nationals meet up to kick off major league baseball's Opening Day. The Marlins are coming off an underachieving 2012 and need to begin the season off on a high note. The Washington Nationals are baseball's next great team and have high expectations to meet with a new lineup that has fan's ready for a fresh new season.
Ace Stephen Strasburg will get his first season in the major leagues without any restrictions. He will not be held to a certain pitch count. He will not be limited to a certain number of starts. This is his first season to really show that he is ready to be one of the next best pitchers in the MLB.
"I haven't gone over seven innings yet in my career. I know in the past, when I've been allowed to do that, I feel like my game's gotten better later on in the game. The hitters change their approach later in the game. It's going to be interesting to see how the game changes in later innings," Strasburg said.
The Nationals are the defending NL East Champions and a good reason for that is Strasburg. He is 21-10 with a 2.94 ERA in the major league. Last season he posted a 3.16 ERA, going 15-6. The Nationals decided to shut him down early after having reconstructive elbow surgery in September 2010. The Nationals won 98 games last season and are a favorite to repeat that success this year.
The Marlins are on a much different path. The team spent the offseason trading away most of their big names. Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell and Hanley Ramirez have all been sent away. That was almost every marquee player on the Marlins' roster. General manager Ozzie Guillen was also shown the door, replaced by rookie manager Mike Redmond.
Ricky Nolasco will get the start for the Marlins. In 2012, he went 12-13 with a 4.48 ERA. The Marlins are in desperate need of a fresh start. They cut their payroll in half during the offseason, but will start with seven players on the disabled list. Fans might have to expect more of the same from the that was expected to be in play for the World Series last season.
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