The Washington Nationals were formally eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday, and Jayson Werth is as surprised as anybody that his team fell short of expectations.
The Nationals were among the preseason favorites to contend for the World Series, but instead they’ll finish well behind the New York Mets in the NL East. Werth had this to say to the Washington Post’s James Wagner when reflecting on the season:
Jayson Werth: "I'm more surprised than anything else. I never thought we'd end up here. Obviously, we've underachieved."
— James Wagner (@JamesWagnerWP) September 27, 2015
Werth isn’t wrong, as a roster as talented as Washington’s really shouldn’t have been realistically out of the race in the middle of September. Werth is one of a number of Nationals players who underachieved personally, as he hit just .228 in an injury-riddled season.
There appear to be many problems in Washington, as one player called the clubhouse environment “terrible” on Saturday. With manager Matt Williams under fire from players and fans alike, the Nationals are going to have to make some tough decisions this offseason after the disappointment of 2015.
