They were projected to lose 100 times last season. The Washington Nationals went 73-89.

Come late September, search around 10 games shy of .500 for this season's club, which moves into a new D.C. stadium, Nationals Park. Don't count on this because of pitching problems, but Washington could surprise again, this time with an astounding run for a wild card berth, if . . . Zimmerman roars back

University of Virginia alumnus Ryan Zimmerman hit .287 with 110 RBI two years ago. Last season, the third baseman dipped to .266 with 91 RBI. "I would take a sophomore year like the one Zim had any time, especially at his age," Washington manager Manny Acta said of Zimmerman, 23. But the Nationals require more offense to cover for a highly questionable starting pitching rotation. Zimmerman is the lineup's centerpiece. "Second time around last year, I know a lot of people made the adjustment to him, and he adjusted back to them," Acta said. "So I'm expecting that from now on, he's just going to put a streak of years [together] of 30 home runs and a lot of RBIs." Fresh faces lift offense

Catcher Paul Lo Duca. Outfielders Elijah Dukes, Wily Mo Pena (joined club in mid-August 2007), Lastings Milledge. They're expected to spice up an offense that ranked last in the majors in runs scored and last in the National League in homers. "We've gotten more athletic, and we've got some energy in here, especially with our outfield situation," Acta said. Best chance for significant impact: Pena, 26, who's been a part-timer with the Reds and Red Sox and will start the season on the DL (oblique muscle tear). "Our team got a lot better when Wily showed up toward the last month of the [2007] season," Acta said. "We [averaged] one more run per game after he showed up. Wily is a guy with a lot of potential and for years, everybody has been wondering 'What would he do if he played every day?' We're going to give him that opportunity this year." Bullpen holds up

This was the 2007 club's strength and will be activated a ton this season because of the Nats' lack of reliable starters. Acta must be careful not to overuse his relievers. Closer Chad Cordero saved 47 games two years ago and collected 37 saves last year. Setup man Jon Rauch, Luis Ayala and Saul Rivera are also quality components. Asked to assess his club's strengths, Acta begins with a description of his bullpen. But Nationals relievers pitched more innings than any other in the big leagues last season, and that's likely to happen again. Can these guys stay strong for a team that badly needs their contributions every game? Starting pitching shocks

There's really no reason to believe a rotation of Odalis Perez, Tim Redding, Jason Bergmann, Shawn Hill and Matt Chico will carry the Nats. "None of these guys have a track record where they've been 20-game winners or have been [in the big leagues] for 10 years," Acta acknowledges. This is the area in which Washington needed offseason help and didn't get much other than the bounced-around Perez, a 30-year-old lefty. Hill, 26, has the best stuff of the bunch but has been injury-prone. He will start the season on the DL "Our starting rotation is still intriguing to us, but it's a better situation than last year," Acta said. The starters must exceed expectations for this club to reach .500. "We're still not at the point where we can consider our starting rotation a strong point of our team," Acta said. Nick Johnson returns to form

Once a highly regarded Yankees prospect, Johnson broke his right leg late in the 2006 season and missed last year because of the injury. Johnson batted .290 with 23 HRs and 77 RBI in'06. "He looks great so far. He's lost a lot of weight," Acta said of Johnson during spring training. "His mobility around first base is night and day compared to the last time we saw him in D.C. He shows no signs of having any type of setback from that injury." Dmitri Young played first last season and batted .320 with 13 HR and 74 RBI. Johnson, 29, and Zimmerman could be the organization's cornerstones on which to build. Nationals Park is a hit, or not

Washington will get home-field support this season. New parks draw. But the Nats could sure use more measurable help from their facility. Their former home, RFK Stadium, was large: great for pitchers, rough for long-ball hitters. Of Nationals Park, Acta projects "I would say it will play in between those real small ballparks like Philadelphia and Cincinnati, and cavernous RFK." While the Nats hitters may celebrate, Washington's starting pitchers may have to focus more this season on keeping the ball in the park.

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or joconnor@timesdispatch.com.