Stephen Strasburg's Absence Won't Affect the Washington Nationals in Playoffs

The Washington Nationals currently sport the best record in baseball at 73-45, putting them a solid four games over the second-place Atlanta Braves in the National League East.

While pitching carried the Nationals in the early going this season, the offense has begun to come around lately. As a result, Washington is one of the most complete teams in all of baseball.

Much of the team's pitching success can be attributed to breakout campaigns from Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler, while some of the success can also be accredited to general manager Mike Rizzo and his smart acquisitions of Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson this past offseason.

The biggest name in that rotation is still Stephen Strasburg, though, and his infamous innings limit draws ever closer with each passing start.

Strasburg has tossed 139.1 innings up to this point. While Rizzo has yet to establish an official number for when he will shut down the right-handed phenom, speculation leads us to believe that the number will be between 160 and 180.

Assuming he gives the Nationals six innings in each of his final starts, that gives him anywhere from four to seven more starts this season. That would shut him down sometime in September, obviously giving him no shot at pitching in the postseason.

There's no need to fear, Nationals fans. Your team will be absolutely fine without Strasburg in the postseason; I'm sure of it.

Washington's pitching is deep enough to easily cope with the loss of Strasburg. While he is the team's top pitcher, he really isn't all that much better than some of his rotation mates. Gonzalez and Zimmermann are having seasons that are nearly as impressive as Strasburg's.

Gonzalez can step up and toe the rubber against the opposing team's ace, while Zimmermann is more than capable as a No. 2 starter in the postseason. Jackson, while not always the most consistent of starters, has pitched well enough this season to earn a spot in the postseason rotation.

Jackson's postseason experience with the St. Louis Cardinals last season should also give him the upper hand against Detwiler.

Even if the three aforementioned pitchers aren't dominant in the playoffs, the Nationals will be just fine. Long gone are the days of the Nationals' offensive outbursts consisting of four run games. Now, the Nationals can put up five or six runs with regularity.

With a consistent offense backing a strong pitching staff and bullpen, even without the presence of Strasburg, the Nationals should be ready to make a deep run in the postseason.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1301225-stephen-strasburgs-absence-wont-affect-the-washington-nationals-in-playoffs

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