Did I mention the Nationals would be good?

Yes, yes I did.

After years of losing seasons, the Washington Nationals are sitting pretty atop their division with a solid record of 12-4. They have far more talent this season both at the plate and at the mound, and it is showing.

 Strasburg continues to impress (Google Images)

In terms of offense, Jayson Werth is looking much better so far this season as he is batting .322. Ian Desmond and Adam LaRoche have also looked pretty good so far, batting .294 and .288 respectively. I am still waiting to see Ryan Zimmerman and Danny Espinosa to play like they are capable, meaning there is still room for improvement at the plate for the Nats.

The most impressive aspect of this year's team is without question the pitching. Paced by phenom Stephen Strasburg, who has an ERA of 1.08 in four starts, all five starters have played very well. Strasburg has 25 strikeouts compared to just 6 walks in his four outings and is showing no sign of elbow problems. Jordan Zimmerman is also off to a good start with an ERA of 1.29 in three starts. Ross Detwiler has been a pleasant surprise, replacing John Lannon in the rotation. He is leading the team in ERA with 0.56 in three starts.

Gio Gonzalez, the biggest off-season pickup for the Nats, has also been solid on the mound with an ERA of 2.04 in three starts. The other off-season pitching pickup, Edwin Jackson, has not been as steady, with an ERA of 4.26. This is somewhat typical of Jackson, who is a very up and down pitcher, famous for his no-hitter in 2011 with 149 pitches and eight walks. He has potential for great games but is not as consistent as guys like Strasburg and Gonzalez.

This is a talented young ball club with the potential to become even better as the season goes on. I'm not going to guarantee a World Series title or anything crazy like that, but the 12-4 record is no fluke.