A Few Good Men: 24 - Sean Burnett

Sean Burnett: Age 29 - 5 Years MLB Service

How he became a Nat: Acquired June 30, 2009 along with Nyjer Morgan, for Joel Hanrahan and Lastings Milledge.

The Raw Numbers:
ERA - 3.81
K/9 - 5.9
WHIP - 1.361
WAR - 0.5

Key Stat: Right-Handed Batters Average Against - .297. Not good. While lefties hit at a .200 clip against him, righties eat him up with an almost .300 average and an OPS against almost .200 points higher compared to his OPS vs lefties. Hopefully the Nats realize he is eminently more hittable for right-handed batters and he should not be counted on to get a right handed batter out in any situation.

Best Game: He had a few very important games for the Nats this year, but nothing can beat the efficiency of a 1 pitch save. May 6th against the Marlins he relieved Drew Storen in the bottom of the 10th with the Nats up 3-2 but the Fish threatening with 2 on and 2 out. Chris Coghlan swung at the first pitch and flied out to center, ending the threat and giving Sean Burnett a one-pitch save.

Worst Game: April 27th against the Mets. Burnett entered the game at the beginning of the ninth with the Nats up 3-2 and proceeded to give up 4 runs on 4 hits while getting just 2 outs only to be lifted for Drew Storen. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise as this awful performance helped put the closer's job securely in Drew's hands.

Capball Grade: D+. He got some lefties out. Got a few saves. But the Nats asked him to (and frankly needed him to) be a go-to set-up man capable of getting righties and lefties out in the 7th and 8th innings. He blew 7 saves and allowed 44 percent of his inherited runners to score.

2011 Nats Status: He's under contract through 2012 with a mutual option for 2013. He should break camp as the go-to lefty out of the pen, but Tyler Clippard, Henry Rodriguez and possibly Ryan Mattheus should supplant him as straight set-up relievers.