Last season, the Washington Nationals lost 102 games and their accompanying statistics bore that out. In 2008, they were 13th in runs per game, 15th in home runs and dead last in slugging percentage.

This year, the Washington Nationals seem to be on their way to losing 108 games, but this time, their statistics seem to make their bad start an aberration. After 20 games, the team is score a league-average 4.5 runs per game, is sixth in the league with 22 home runs and a .270 team batting average and are tied for second with 87 walks.

This is how the starting eight's statistics project for a full season (give or take, of course, because of the relatively small sample):

1B- Nick Johnson: .333-16-50
2B-Anderson Hernandez: .304-0-32
SS-Cristian Guzman: .474-0-32
3B-Ryan Zimmerman: .291-32-112
LF-Adam Dunn: .324-48-120
CF-Elijah Dukes: .292-24-104
RF-Austin Kearns: .240-24-88
C - Jesus Flores: .267-16-80

Other than the batting averages of Nick Johnson (.280 is more likely), Anderson Hernandez (he doesn't have a large enough major league sample to suggest he is that good a hitter), Cristian Guzman (he has only played in eight games) and Adam Dunn (he's a .250 hitter) every other projection looks spot-on.

This is why I have such high hopes for the Nationals this year. In 2008, the team didn't hit for average, didn't hit for power, and didn't walk enough. They led the league in grounding into double plays.

In other words, they earned their 59-102 record.

If projections hold, the 2009 Nationals are on pace to bat .270 with 178 home runs and score 750 runs. Using 2008 for comparison purposes, this team would have finished 3rd in the National League in batting average, 6th in home runs and 7th in runs scored.

Those numbers are most similar to the New York Mets (89 wins), the Houston Astros (86 wins) and the Milwaukee Brewers (90 wins.)

There is little doubt, then that the Nationals' offense is well above average, at least to this point in the season. Whether or not the team gets hot and can close in on a .500 record by season's end depends on the pitching staff.

Though the bullpen has been atrocious thus far, it has the talent already on the roster to be much better. The Nationals left some of their better relief pitchers off of the Opening Day roster because they had options remaining, keeping instead players who didn't have particularly good springs. A prime example was Jason Bergman, who did not allow a run in 11 innings but was optioned to Syracuse nonetheless.

The Nationals now have at least five relievers who are pitching well: Julian Taverez (3.12 ERA), Mike Hinckley (1.93), Joe Beimel (1.23), Jason Bergman (3.60) and Kip Wells (2.08). Yes, Bergman was sent down again, but he'll be back up soon. And Joe Beimel, without question the best reliever on the staff, is due to return from a non-throwing injury May 6th.

The remaining question mark is the starting rotation. All five starters-John Lannan, Scott Olsen, Daniel Cabrera, Jordan Zimmermann and Shairon Martis-have pitched well recently after getting pummeled early in the season, and things should get even better with the arrival of future number-one draft pick Steven Strasburg of San Diego State.

The current rotation will be okay this year, looking great one day and bad the next. But in the end, they will be a plus for the team overall.

Will the Nationals make it back to .500 in 2009? It's doubtful to be sure. But it's also doubtful-near impossible I'd venture-that the team loses 100+ games for the second season in a row.

The bullpen (hopefully) is fixed, and the starting pitching has vastly improved in the last two weeks, with the rotation throwing six quality starts (six innings pitched, three runs or less given up) in their last nine games.

If nothing untoward happens between now and the end of the season, the Nationals could very well win 73-75 games and be in a good position to contend in 2010, assuming they can sign one or two more quality free agents.

Sometimes, being 5-15 just isn't that bad.