February 9, 2012

Lombardozzi made great strides with Nats in '11

For Steve Lombardozzi, it was somewhat easy to be overlooked. In a system where former top picks Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg garnered a great amount attention, the second baseman quietly plugged his way toward the big leagues. In 2011, Lombardozzi put himself squarely on the radar.

Nationals made giant strides in 2011

The Nationals took significant steps this past year. They finished in third place in the National League East and nearly had a record over .500 for the first time since moving to the nation's capital after the '04 season.

Nats' bullpen has made strides since '09

The Nats sought to make bullpen improvement a priority from last season, and they are seeing the results of it now.

Flores taking strides in recovery

Nationals catcher Jesus Flores, who has yet to play a game because of a surgically repaired right shoulder, is throwing at 120 feet and taking batting practice.

Nationals take strides during first half

Even though the Nationals have a record under .500, there are some positives to take from the first half of the 2010 season.