Let's provide two facts about Ryan Zimmerman that initially don't seem to make a lot of sense when paired together, facts that could go a long way toward explaining his 2016 season and projecting what Washington may expect in 2017.
Fact No. 1: Zimmerman crushed the ball in 2016
His 93.7-mph average exit velocity was the 12th best of the 375 batters who had at least 100 tracked balls in play -- better than Josh Donaldson and Paul Goldschmidt. Sluggers like Nelson Cruz and Miguel Cabrera are in the Top 5; slap hitters like Billy Hamilton and Dee Gordon are in the bottom five.