On the surface, things might not look promising for the Washington Nationals. But behind the scenes, it is impossible to ignore that D.C.’s Major League Baseball franchise is in a position to become a legitimate force in the not-so-distant future.

The defending division champion Philadelphia Phillies added starting pitcher Cliff Lee, arguably the best free agent available this winter, to a cool five-year, $120 million contract with an option for a sixth year, while the runner-up Atlanta Braves acquired slugging second baseman Dan Uggla who, in hitting 33 homers in 2010 for the Florida Marlins, eclipsed the 30-homerun mark for the fourth consecutive year.

But even with the additions their competitors have made, the future of the Nats is so bright that you just might want to grab a pair of shades.

While the division’s top two squads appear poised to duel for the division title again in 2011, the Nationals’ young players and newest additions have the opportunity to position the organization well for the 2012 season and beyond.

Finishing with the worst record in MLB in 2008 and 2009, the Nationals were awarded the first overall selection in the draft in 2009 and 2010 and were able to select arguably the two most talented prospects of the new millennium. Last year, fans were able to get a glimpse of the future when 2009 first overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg struck out 14 Pittsburgh Pirates over seven innings in a 5-2 victory in his MLB debut on June 8. (An elbow injury, however, will keep Strasburg out for the majority of the 2011 season.)

The 2010 draft brought the other piece of the puzzle in 18-year-old catcher-turned-outfielder Bryce Harper, who hit 31 homers in just 66 junior college games in 2010. While most prospects take several years in the minor leagues to develop, scouts expect Harper to make his debut in 2012 and immediately hit in the heart of the Nationals’ order.

Even without these two, the Nationals have developed a team that can compete in 2011. In December the Nats shocked the baseball world when they signed Phillies slugger Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million contract after he hit .296 with 27 homers last season. While the Nats lost first baseman Adam Dunn to the White Sox via free agency, they replaced him with veteran Adam LaRoche, who hit 25 homers with 100 runs batted in for the Diamondbacks in 2010; LaRoche will also provide significantly better defense than Dunn according to advanced sabermetrics.

The Nationals, however, also boast several talented young players other than Strasburg and Harper who will improve and remain under team control for several seasons. Twenty-six-year-old third baseman Ryan Zimmerman remains one of the best young hitters and defenders in the league, while rookie shortstop Ian Desmond impressed in his first season. The Nats also have two top prospects joining the lineup — catcher Wilson Ramos, acquired for reliever Matt Capps in July last year, and second baseman Danny Espinosa — who are slated to provide 20-plus homerun potential at two positions considered the weakest offensively in the majors. Catcher/first baseman Derek Norris, an even more highly touted prospect, should join the big league club by 2012.

Starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann also impressed last year in his return from an elbow injury suffered in his 2009 rookie campaign; in Washington’s long-term vision, he is projected as a solid No. 2 starter behind Strasburg. The Nats also found their set-up man (Tyler Clippard) and closer (Drew Storen) of the future in 2010. Clippard, in his second season with the club, struck out 112 batters in 91 innings and led all relievers in the majors with 11 wins. Storen, the 10th overall pick in 2009, saved five games after inheriting the closer role late in the season and is the team’s projected ninth-inning man entering 2011.

Regardless of their bright future, however, the Nationals will still struggle to compete for the NL East division title in 2011. The Phillies and Braves still remain superior and are positioned well to contend next year and beyond, and the Nationals will likely have to settle for third place this summer.

It’s also worth noting that the Nats have long-term holes that need filling despite their wealth of young players. While Harper and Werth appear set to man the corner outfield spots in the years to come, current center fielder Nyjer Morgan leaves a lot to be desired both on and off the field, and the minor league system lacks a dynamic replacement in the near future.

But the biggest concern with the team is its starting rotation, which lacks an impact arm behind Strasburg and Zimmermann. Lefty John Lannan has been average thus far in his career while journeymen Jason Marquis and Livan Hernandez are average at best and entering the final year of their respective contracts. Twenty-nine-year-old Cuban defector Yunesky Maya, youngsters Ross Detwiler and Luis Atilano and former Yankee Chien-Ming Wang will each get a chance to pitch this season and could provide decent value, while prospects A.J. Cole and Sammy Solis, both draft picks in 2010, could develop into substantial pieces in the future but are too far away to play a large role for the 2011 club.

The bottom line is that the Nationals will be a much-improved squad in 2011, but fans should not be concerned if the team finishes at or near the bottom of the division again. Washington is headed in the right direction under General Manager Mike Rizzo, and the club should be ready to contend with Philadelphia and Atlanta in 2012.

Preston Barclay is a freshman in the McDonough School of Business. Turning Two in the 202 appears in every other Tuesday edition of Hoya Sports.