With these three data points, two of our previous Nationals beat writers – Barry Svrluga and Adam Kilgore – decided to debate the merits of all three teams, position by position. The idea was to focus on the roster available for the playoffs, so that leaves out prominent regular-season contributors such as Stephen Strasburg in 2012 and 2016 and Wilson Ramos this year. It’s possible our two beat guys are the only two people who care to dork out on this subject to this level. If not, feel free to join them.

Below, view the numbers and cast your votes. Or jump to our writers’ debate over their picks, by position:

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2012: Kurt Suzuki – .267/.321/.404, five homers, 25 RBI

2014: Wilson Ramos – .267/.299/.399, 11 homers, 47 RBI

2016: Wilson Ramos – .307/.354/.497, 22 homers, 80 RBI

Kilgore: This had been easy choice until Monday night, at which point it turned just plain sad. Ramos had been having the best season of his hard-luck career, finally healthy and able to express the full extent of his talent, and then he suffered his third major knee injury, a torn ACL in his right knee. Compared to the 2014 version of Ramos – who, you may recall, Matt Williams batted fourth on opening day – the edge goes to Suzuki, a great deadline pick-up with a knack for clutch hits. He knocked in what seemed like a decisive insurance run in Game 5. It was not decisive.

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Svrluga: The shame, of course, is that this year’s Ramos won’t impact the postseason. But given that we can’t evaluate Jose Lobaton in the upcoming playoffs (yet), it would be a further shame not to acknowledge Ramos’s 2016, when he became an all-star and ranked second among all catchers with at least 300 plate appearances in on-base-plus slugging percentage. But Ramos’s second-half slowdown – .330/.382/.536 before the break, .279/.317/.447 after – had already left me somewhat tepid, and served as a reminder of the addition of Suzuki in 2012. Acquired from Oakland for minor-leaguer David Freitas, Suzuki took over regular catching duties from Jesus Flores and hit .313/.364/.500 from Aug. 25 on, with a penchant for driving in important runs.

2012: Adam LaRoche – .271/.343/.510, 33 homers, 100 RBI

2014: Adam LaRoche – .259/.362/.455, 26 homers, 92 RBI

2016: Ryan Zimmerman (through Sept. 25) – .216/.271/.374, 15 homers, 46 RBI

Kilgore: The 2012 version of LaRoche was one of the more fun Nats stories in recent years. A bad shoulder injury and horrendous April in his first season made it reasonable to question whether he was washed up and if his signing would be a disaster. He turned out to be a power-hitting, patient hitter and slick-gloved first baseman, loved by teammates and feared by four-legged animals.

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Svrluga: It has to be 2012 LaRoche, when he was 32 (the age Zimmerman turns later this month), set his career high in homers and matched his career best in RBI. Keep in mind that, in spring training, Manager Davey Johnson contemplated platooning LaRoche. This was at the height of his defensive prowess, too, when he won a Gold Glove and gave the entire infield the idea that they could bounce throws over to first and he would scoop every single one of them.

2012: Danny Espinosa — .247/.315/.402, 17 homers, 56 RBI

2014: Asdrubal Cabrera — .229/.312/.455, five homers, 21 RBI

2016: Daniel Murphy (through Sept. 25) – .347/.391/.596, 25 homers, 104 RBI

Kilgore: Thank heavens Brandon Phillips felt so committed Cincinnati. Murphy fell into the Nationals’ hands after they failed in their attempt to sign Ben Zobrist and trade for Phillips, who used his no-trade clause to nix a deal. The fear then: Murphy’s playoff power surge was a fluke and his shaky defense would only get worse. The reality: Murphy was a transformed, artful hitter with a Boggsian swing who might win the MVP.

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Svrluga: Murphy, an MVP hopeful, is the easy choice here. Keep in mind that when Phillips turned down the trade, the Nationals didn’t spend $27 million over 2016-17 for a player who will turn 36 next year. Murphy’s three-year, $37.5-million deal now looks like perhaps the best free-agent contract issued last offseason, and he turns just 32 next April. He may never again lead the league in doubles, slugging percentage and OPS, as he does now. Still.

2012: Ian Desmond – .292/.335/.511, 25 homers, 73 RBI

2014: Ian Desmond – .255/.313/.430, 24 homers, 91 RBI

2016: Danny Espinosa (through Sept. 25) – .212/.308/.381, 23 homers, 69 RBI

Kilgore: Ian Desmond’s 2012 season resides at the top of the second tier of great seasons by Nationals, behind Bryce Harper’s 2015, Daniel Murphy’s 2016 and Alfonso Soriano’s 2006 (with apologies to Anthony Rendon’s 2014 and Ryan Zimmerman’s 2010). Desmond played his best defense as a National and clobbered the ball at a time when few shortstops hit much at all, let alone for power. Danny Espinosa has given the Nats their best-ever shortstop defense this season, but the total package can’t compare to Desmond in 2012.

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Svrluga: The best version of Desmond is that from 2012, when he became an all-star for the first time (though he missed the game with an injury), won the first of three straight Silver Sluggers, and had his most consistent defensive campaign. It is still his only year with an OPS above .800 (he led all full-time shortstops in the category), and he did it mostly being one of the most dangerous sixth-place hitters in the game. Small aside: Espinosa’s return to his natural position of shortstop has provided stability to the entire infield this season.

2012: Ryan Zimmerman – .282/.346/.478, 25 homers, 95 RBI

2014: Anthony Rendon – .287/.351/.473, 21 homers, 83 RBI, 111 runs

2016: Anthony Rendon (through Sept. 25) – .271/.350/.446, 18 homers, 81 RBI

Kilgore: The raw numbers suggest this is close. It’s not. The 2012 season is when Ryan Zimmerman’s throwing started to deteriorate, and he sat out 17 games. Rendon in 2014 finished fifth in MVP voting, played incredible defense and led the league in runs. Teammates talked about him as a franchise pillar on par with Harper. He hasn’t matched that level this year, but his recent performance suggests he can be that player again, and perhaps more.

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Svrluga: How to decide this one? Zimmerman of 2012 and Rendon of 2014 had the same OPS (.824). Rendon led the league in runs scored and hit for a slightly higher average, won the Silver Slugger and was fifth in the MVP voting. Zimmerman was slightly more productive from a run-producing standpoint, but he hit third in every single one of his starts (remember those days?) while Rendon was primarily in the second spot in the order. My vote goes to Zimmerman, though, because the 2012 version of him was not only superior, but he also had signed extensions twice when times were bleak, volunteering to be the franchise foundation when there was none.

2012: Michael Morse – .291/.321/.470, 18 homers, 62 RBI

2014: Bryce Harper – .273/.344/.423, 13 homers, 32 RBI

2016: Jayson Werth (through Sept. 25) – .250/.338/.429, 21 homers, 70 RBI

Kilgore: This is probably the toughest call, and would have been even tougher if Werth’s bat had not cooled recently. Morse was in full Beast Mode in 2012, especially down the stretch, and in 2014 Harper wasn’t playing like BRYCE HARPER. As late as August, there were questions about Harper resetting himself at Class AAA after slumping in his return from a thumb injury. (They were dumb questions, but they were there, and not totally dismissed by Williams.) But Harper hit .289 in September, which combined with his superior defense makes him the choice.

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Svrluga: Oh, man, I just don’t know. Morse? Man, there were times I thought I’d rather have Adam Dunn in left field. (Not really.) He did mash that year, though, hitting those 18 homers in just 430 plate appearances. I’ll take the 2014 version of Harper, though, despite the fact that he missed two months that season because of a thumb injury. The reason: defense, for one, but also when the Nats got to the playoffs, it was clear he wasn’t afraid, blasting three homers and a double in the four-game series against the Giants.

2012: Bryce Harper – .270/.340/.477, 22 homers, 59 RBI

2014: Denard Span – .302/.355/.416, 5 homers, 37 RBI, 94 runs

2016: Trea Turner (through Sept. 25) – .336/.356/.558, 12 homers, 35 RBI

Kilgore: During a national telecast this month, the broadcast booth compared Turner, without irony, to Rickey Henderson, Mike Trout and Willie Mays. It didn’t even seem ridiculous. Harper was a sensation in 2012, a 19-year-old spark for a team going places it never had before, putting up one of the best years for a teenager in baseball history. But he didn’t have Turner’s speed, or his ability to hit for contact or even his power – Harper hit a homer once every 27.1 plate appearances, and Turner has done it once every 24.2. Here’s another stunning comparison that displays Turner’s brilliance: He’s better as a rookie than Harper was. (Span, by the way, was really good and compared himself to Steve/Stephon Urkel.)

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Svrluga: Honestly this might be the hardest choice of all. Harper transformed the franchise when he arrived in 2012, being named the National League rookie of the year. Span’s 2014 season has to be cast against the Nats’ decade-long search for a leadoff hitter, with images of Nook Logan and Nyjer Morgan and Felipe Lopez still fresh in the minds of fans. He gave Washington a legitimate, consistent table-setter atop the order for the first time since baseball returned. But Turner? He has lifted the Nationals’ lineup with his speed and power. He has provided a bridge to the future, because the franchise believes he can return to shortstop long-term (Espinosa is a free agent after 2017) and still be among the best leadoff men in the game. And he has heightened the anticipation for October, because what playoff team has an X-factor like him?

2012: Jayson Werth – .300/.387/.440, five homers, 31 RBI

2014: Jayson Werth – .292/.394/.455, 16 homers, 83 RBI

2016: Bryce Harper (through Sept. 25) – .244/.375/.444, 24 homers, 85 RBI

Kilgore: If we wanted, we could have an all-Harper outfield. He’ll have to stick in left. Werth finished 18th in National League MVP voting in 2014. He took over as the three-hole hitter for one of the best offenses in baseball and hit .322/.451/.500 for the final two months. He was potent as a leadoff hitter down the stretch in 2012, but nothing like the destructive force he was in 2014.

Svrluga: As someone who still expects Harper to have a rip-roaring October, I’m tempted to lean that way. But Werth was a monster for that 2014 team. People scoffed at the Nationals for signing him to the seven-year, $126-million deal that ends next season. They declared the deal a disaster after he hit .232 and drove in 58 runs in 2011, his first year here. He played just 80 games in 2012. But he was arguably as valuable to the 2014 team as Rendon.

2012: Gio Gonzalez – 21-8, 2.89 ERA, 1.129 WHIP, 207 K in 199-1/3 innings

2014: Stephen Strasburg – 14-11, 3.14 ERA, 1.121 WHIP, 242 K in 215 innings

2016: Max Scherzer (through Sept. 27) – 19-7, 2.82 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 277 K in 223-1/3 innings

Kilgore: It’s hard to pick against Gonzalez’s 2012 season, which netted him a third-place finish in the Cy Young vote. But Scherzer probably will win the thing this year. He’s giving up fewer homers per nine innings than any pitcher in baseball the past three months, turning his only weakness into a considerable strength. His experience in the playoffs only helps; Gonzalez and Strasburg had none in 2012 and 2014, and it showed.

Svrluga: The notion of Gonzalez as a Cy Young candidate seems so foreign now, but he led the NL not just in old-school wins but in modern-day Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) at 2.94 and allowed a league-best 0.4 homers per nine innings. It’s also instructive that the fan base felt comfortable with Gonzalez as the starter in the Nationals’ first-ever playoff game after Strasburg was shut down. But Scherzer’s 2016 scoffs at Gonzalez’s 2012. His NL rankings in ERA, innings, WHIP, batting average against, and strikeouts: sixth, third, first, second, and first, respectively.

2012: Jordan Zimmermann – 12-8, 2.94 ERA, 1.170 WHIP, 153 K in 195-2/3 innings

2014: Jordan Zimmermann – 14-5, 2.66 ERA, 1.072 WHIP, 182 K in 199-2/3 innings

2016: Tanner Roark (through Sept. 25) – 15-9, 2.70 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 162 K in 200-1/3 innings

Kilgore: This might be the toughest pick on the board. Roark has been nothing short of a godsend for the Nationals, who will lean heavily on him in the postseason now that Stephen Strasburg has been ruled out, at least for the NLDS. Roark has proven he can win a game by himself, throwing seven innings of shutout ball with greater frequency than anyone in the league. His front-hip cutter is a work of art and makes him just as tough on lefties as right-handed hitters. The edge still goes to the 2014 version of Zimmermann. He finished the season with the first no-hitter in Nationals history, and his power slider/four-seam fastball combination gave him a higher capacity for dominance than Roark. Ask us again tomorrow, and the answer may be different.

Svrluga: The statistical similarities between Zimmermann in 2014 and Roark in 2016 are striking. But as much as Zimmermann could dominate, that stat about seven innings of shutout ball (Roark has done it nine times) is telling. Zimmermann managed that bit of dominance four times. But maybe the greatest similarity is how comfortable the fan base is with each on the mound. Strasburg in 2014 and Scherzer this year may have greater potential for the spectacular. But 2014 Zimmermann and 2016 Roark are among the most reliable commodities in Nationals’ history. I’ll take Roark by a hair.

2012: Edwin Jackson – 10-11, 4.03 ERA, 1.218 WHIP, 168 K in 189-2/3 innings

2014: Doug Fister – 16-6, 2.41 ERA, 1.079 WHIP, 98 K in 164 innings

2016: Gio Gonzalez (through Sept. 25) – 11-10, 4.51 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 167 K in 173-2/3 innings

Kilgore: There were people who wanted Fister to start Game 1 of the 2014 NLDS, and they were not crazy. Fister’s cannonball sinker stabilized the Nationals all season long, and once in October he pitched them to their only victory (although Zimmermann was obviously blameless in the Game 2 loss). Jackson faltered down the stretch after a better first half than you may remember.

Svrluga: The choice here is easy, because even though Gonzalez is important to the Nationals’ playoff hopes against the Dodgers, who don’t hit lefties, he is a constant worry. Fister was an inarguable strength. The list of NL pitchers with a better ERA than Fister in 2014: Clayton Kershaw, Johnny Cueto and Adam Wainwright. What’s surprising is what’s happened to Fister since: a 4.35 ERA and 1.404 WHIP combined with Washington last year and Houston this season.

2012: Ross Detwiler – 10-8, 3.40 ERA, 1.223 WHIP, 105 K in 164-1/3 innings

2014: Gio Gonzalez – 10-10, 3.57 ERA, 1.197 WHIP, 162 K in 158-2/3 innings

2016: Joe Ross (through Sept. 25) – 7-5, 3.48 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 88 K in 101 innings

Kilgore: Ross Detwiler might not have seen the mound in the playoffs if not for the Strasburg Shutdown. He seemed to come out of nowhere before his exquisite Game 4 start, but it’s easy to forget how good he was all season. He threw practically nothing but sinkers, and he was still an efficient, groundball machine.

Svrluga: Detwiler’s the pick here. But two things are amazing: that Gonzalez started in the 2014 playoffs over Roark, who went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA, and that this year’s rotation has the second-best ERA in baseball even though Ross missed two-and-a-half months.

2012: Drew Storen – 37 G, four saves in five opportunities, 2.37 ERA, 0.989 WHIP, 24 K in 30-1/3 IP

2014: Drew Storen – 65 G, 1.12 ERA, 11 saves in 15 opportunities, 0.976 WHIP, 46 K in 56-1/3 IP

2016: Mark Melancon – 26 G, 2.10 ERA, 13 saves in 14 opportunities, 0.90 WHIP, 24 K in 25-2/3 IP

Kilgore: The Nationals’ first two playoff runs turned on bullpen meltdowns, and all three have included midseason swaps at the position. Storen hurt himself in the spring of 2012 and took over for Tyler Clippard in September. He seized the job from an ineffective Rafael Soriano late in 2014. This year, the Nationals dealt for Melancon to close instead of Jonathan Papelbon. Storen experienced disaster once in the postseason, but for the purposes of this exercise, the 2014 version of Storen wins out – he didn’t allow an earned run in the final 20 innings of the regular season.

Svrluga: I always wonder how Storen’s career might have been different had one of two pitches – a 3-2 slider to Yadier Molina or a 1-2 slider to David Freese – been called a strike rather than a ball. Either would have ended Game 5 of the 2012 division series against the Cardinals. Alas, the Nationals signed Soriano to replace him that offseason. And there was reason to believe he had buried the problems by the end of 2014, when those final 20 innings included a 0.850 WHIP and .196 batting average against. And yet the fan base might be more comfortable with Melancon this year?

2012: Tyler Clippard – 74 G, 32 saves in 37 opportunities, 3.72 ERA, 1.156 WHIP, 84 K in 72-2/3 IP

2014: Tyler Clippard – 75 G, 2.18 ERA, 0.995 WHIP, 82 K in 70-1/3 IP

2016: Shawn Kelley (through Sept. 25) – 65 G, 2.73 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 80 K in 56 IP

Kilgore: From 2010 through 2014, Clippard was arguably the most consistent and durable reliever in baseball. He made the all-star team for the second time in 2014, his best season thanks to the addition of a splitter, which cut down on his dangerous penchant for fly balls. Kelley’s strikeout ability makes him a tempting pick, but no pitcher could be tougher to solve when he was on than Clip.

Svrluga: Clippard was at the height of his powers in 2014, with that splitter accompanying his devastating changeup. It’s instructive to remember, too, that he got off to a slow start, allowing runs in four of his first seven outings of the year, losing a pair of games the Nats might have won. Over his last 64 outings: a 1.93 ERA and .182 average against.

2012: Sean Burnett (pictured, left), Michael Gonzalez, Tom Gorzelanny

2014: Jerry Blevins (center), Matt Thornton

2016: Oliver Perez (right), Mark Rzepczynski

Kilgore: It’s 2012, although Sammy Solis’s availability would make it closer. Burnett was a beast, plain and simple, against both righties and lefties. Michael Gonzalez doused himself in wildly expensive cologne before games. Gorzelanny was a secret weapon, soaking up innings that either enabled comebacks or prevented blown leads. (Davey Johnson returned to the departure of Gorzelanny, with oddly great frequency, as a significant factor in the letdown of 2013.)

Svrluga: I’ll take 2012 if for one reason only: Burnett faced 95 left-handed hitters that year and walked one (1) of them. Perez, this year, has faced 96, walked eight and hit six more.

2012: Craig Stammen (pictured, left), Christian Garcia, Ryan Mattheus

2014: Aaron Barrett (center), Rafael Soriano, Craig Stammen, Tanner Roark

2016: Blake Treinen (right), Matt Belisle, Koda Glover, Reynaldo Lopez

Kilgore: Does the 2012 crew get credit for Zimmermann’s electric seventh inning in Game 4? If not, we have to take the 2016 unit. Treinen, although maligned, has been excellent all season, and Glover and Lopez give the bullpen a higher ceiling, if with some risk. But, man, Garcia was nasty as a call-up and Mattheus was better than you remember.

Svrluga: The 2014 crew has Game 4 of the division series held against it, when Matt Williams deployed Barrett with two men on and then watched him walk Hunter Pence and uncork the run-scoring wild pitch that essentially ended the Nats’ season. I’ll take the intrigue of this year’s group. If Lopez can harness and trust his stuff, he could be the kind of one-inning tornado that can help a team shorten October games.

2012: Tyler Moore (pictured, left), Steve Lombardozzi, Roger Bernadina, Chad Tracy, Jesus Flores (Mark DeRosa didn’t make playoff roster)

2014: Ryan Zimmerman (center), Kevin Frandsen, Danny Espinosa, Nate Schierholtz, Jose Lobaton (Scott Hairston didn’t make playoff roster)

2016: Ben Revere (right), Clint Robinson, Chris Heisey, Stephen Drew, Jose Lobaton

Kilgore: The 2012 bunch, which nicknamed itself the Goon Squad, was exceptional and led by Tracy, who drove in more runs as a pinch-hitter than anyone in baseball despite missing a month. But the 2016 group is even better. Drew is good enough, in every regard, to play every day. Heisey is a true power threat. Robinson is a threat to punish right-handers, even if he hasn’t for much of the season. Revere provides speed. Moore and Lombardozzi were solid in 2012 – Moore knocked in the winning run of NLDS Game 1 with a pinch-hit off new friend Marc Rzepczynski. It’s a testament to this year’s bench that neither would sniff a roster spot on it.

Svrluga: I’m always astonished by the warm, fuzzy memories of Lombardozzi, in particular, given that, of his 105 hits, 86 were singles, and he had just 19 walks. I’d take Tracy over Robinson as the primary left-handed bat off the bench, in part because Robinson has slugged just .346 against right-handers, and while Revere is indeed fast, he’s an offensive black hole. But as a whole, I think I’d take the 2014 group, which had Zimmerman, still recovering from his hamstring injury, as a potential game-changer from the right side (had he been used properly) and had Espinosa as a plus defensive replacement late in games. And though Schierholtz didn’t have a huge impact in the regular season, he doubled and walked twice in his only three plate appearances of the playoffs.

2012: Davey Johnson, 98-64 (.605)

2014: Matt Williams, 96-66 (.593)

2016: Dusty Baker, TBD

Kilgore: Davey Johnson’s inglorious final season and his botching of Game 5 does not take away from what he accomplished in 2012. The Nationals were climbing out of the 100-loss-a-year muck, and he convinced them they were the best team in baseball. Ninety-eight wins later, they were. Baker has been wondrous, but he guided a team craving a new voice in the wake of 2015, a team that had been there before and knew how to get back. As for Williams, we’ll leave it to Werth, speaking in the champagne-soaked, clinching clubhouse in Atlanta: “He was given a good team, and he didn’t screw it up.”