By Jared Trexler, MLB Analyst (My Sportsbook)

2005 FINISH (81-81) - Fifth place (NL East)

OVERVIEW

Unfortunately for the Washington Nationals, baseball is a marathon not a sprint.

With the nation's capital as a majestic backdrop, the Nationals quickly became baseball's darlings during the first half of the season. A 10-game winning streak from June 2-12 propelled the Nats to a 52-36 first half and first-place in the balanced National League East.

Livan Hernandez collected 12 wins, free agent pickup Jose Guillen was batting .310 with 18 homers and manager Frank Robinson was utilizing his bullpen and shuffling his lineup card to perfection. Chad Cordero, who just two years ago was pitching in the College World Series for Cal State Fullerton, had 31 saves and was the main reason why the Nationals were an incredible 24-10 in one-run games.

The team -- with a payroll hovering around $50 million and a group of players almost identical to the 2004 Montreal Expos -- had stormed out in front of a division full of big spenders and World Series contenders.

But, one half does not make a season, and the rigors of a 162-game schedule eventually took its toll on a team whose performance slowly began to match its potential.

Hernandez went 3-4 in the second half, Guillen hit only four home runs after the break, and even though Cordero recorded 47 saves for the season he seemed to tire down the stretch, giving up eight earned runs in his last eight appearances. As a result, the Nationals faded to a 29-45 second half and a 6-21 record in one-run games.

Judging the season by two separate halves, it would seem the Nationals collapsed, especially during a 4-13 stretch right after the All-Star break. However, looking at the season as a whole, a .500 record is not underachieving for a team with a low payroll, a young closer and a group of players trying to get accustomed to new surroundings.

Brad Wilkerson could not back up his 32-homer, 13-stolen base 2004 campaign, striking out 147 times and only hitting 11 home runs. The Preston Wilson trade near the July deadline turned into a bust, as the slugger hit only 10 of his 25 homers in a Washington uniform.

Pitching took them to the division lead and kept them in the race as long as possible considering an offense that finished last in the majors in runs scored. Hernandez, Esteban Loaiza and John Patterson combined to go 36-27 and all posted earned run averages under 4.00.

PEAK PERFORMER

The entire pitching staff. The Nationals won when they pitched extremely well and lost when they just pitched well. The staff went out every night knowing they had three runs or less to work with and excelled under that pressure. Patterson had a 3.13 ERA despite only recording nine wins. Hernandez's rubber arm allowed him to throw a league-leading 246 1/3 innings. Cordero was brilliant and the men in front of him -- Luis Ayala, Hector Carrasco, Joey Eischen and Gary Majewski -- were successful in getting him the ball.

WEAKEST LINK

The entire offense except Guillen and Nick Johnson. It's rare that a team's proficiencies and deficiencies are so pronounced, but as good as the pitching was, the offense may have been worse. Wilkerson strikes out too often for a leadoff hitter. Jose Vidro was on the disabled list almost half the season, playing in only 87 games. Cristian Guzman hit just .219 and had three times as many strikeouts as walks, yet Robinson was forced to trot him out to shortstop 142 times. The team finished last in the league in every major offensive category.

OFF-SEASON NEEDS

First, the Nationals need ownership so they can set a 2006 budget. No one can envision the payroll increasing to the point where it would be realistic for the Nationals to spend like any of the other four teams in the NL East. Ryan Zimmerman should get his shot at third base next season, ending Vinny Castilla's one-year stint in the nation's capital. Wilson most likely will not be back, so signing a slugger is a must. The Nationals only hit 117 home runs last season and need to find ways to generate runs. One way may be to look into adding a leadoff hitter with some speed so Wilkerson can move down in the order.