Notes and quotes on Nick Senzel’s big game in Saturday’s win over the Braves in Nationals Park…
Hours before Nick Senzel went 3 for 3 with a walk, two doubles, and a two-run home run in the Nationals’ 7-3 win over the Atlanta Braves in the nation’s capital, Davey Martinez said he was really happy with the progress Washington’s third baseman was making at the plate.
Senzel went into Sunday’s game on a nice run, as the Nationals highlighted in their notes for the third of four with their NL East rivals.
Senzel, 28, was 12 for 41 (.293/.370/.390) over his previous 14 games, with four doubles, five runs scored, and four walks over that stretch, and a .368 OBP (15 H, 13 BB) over his previous 23 games.
“We’re trying to get him to swing at strikes,” Martinez said of the 2nd overall pick in the 2016 Draft by the Cincinnati Reds, who signed with the Nationals as a free agent this winter.
“We’re really working on — [Hitting Coach] Darnell [Coles] and I know CJ [Assistant Hitting Coach Chris Johnson] talk to him a lot about getting the ball in the strike zone, waiting for a good pitch to hit. He’s done a lot better, he really has, and I’m glad that you noticed.
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
“Because it’s been a work in progress. We feel like if he can take his walks, everything else will go up.”
Senzel took his 22nd walk of the season in his final plate appearance of Saturday’s game, in his 43rd game and 160th PA of the year, after he’d walked 26 times over 104 games and 301 PAs last season.
Martinez said in his pregame comments it wasn’t too hard to convince Senzel to buy into the plans the Nationals had for him.
“It’s not as tough as you think,” the manager explained.
“Especially with all of the information that we can get and show him. It’s just knowing what balls you can hit, and what balls you should lay off of, and he’s got to buy in, and he’s done that, and he’s done really well.”
As he’s gotten to know Senzel in their first season together, Martinez has really started to appreciate what the six-year veteran has to offer.
“He’s very quiet, he’s very [matter of fact], but I know he loves to play the game,” Martinez said. “He really does. And he’s getting better. I know he’s working diligently on his hitting.”
“He wants to get better, but we feel like he’s got potential to be really good.”
Senzel was really good on Saturday. He hit a leadoff double and scored a run in the second inning, hit an RBI double in the fourth, and added a two-run home run in the sixth before he walked in his final trip to the plate.
“He’s getting back early, but every at-bat was really good,” the manager said. “He’s getting back, staying in his legs, and he’s got some length in his swing, so today, his last at-bat, I just said, ‘Hey, you just got to get the ball up on this guy,’ and he smoked a home run, and he came back and said, ‘Yeah, I got the ball up.’”
“He was good. He was really good,” Martinez added. “He’s getting better. We’re working on his pitch selection and hitting, he’s starting to swing at strikes, he’s playing good defense.”
Senzel dealt with injuries in recent years, and again at the start of this season, but Martinez said he’s healthy now, and it shows.
SENZ IT pic.twitter.com/3pgVHNhiNu
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 8, 2024
“It’s part of the game, but for me he’s starting to feel healthy. He’s starting to get in his legs a little bit,” the manager said.
“Remember he had all these injuries, so now he’s feeling good, his body is starting to really get healthy, so he’s able to do some of those things.
“His defense, his first step on his defense has been a lot better, because his legs feel a lot better.
“And I think the key is just to maintain him, keep him healthy like that, and hopefully he keeps driving the ball like he did today.”
“I have to thank the staff and the Nationals for giving me the opportunity to play every day,” Senzel said after his big game, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman.
“I think the more I play, the better rhythm I can get in. I just have the comfort of coming to the field, getting into a rhythm and just going about my work and playing the game.”