Improved Nats are back in mix

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Here is what the Mets are up against in the NL East:

Sure, free agent Bryce Harper is not in the Nationals clubhouse, but this most dangerous team reloaded.

“We had several needs that we had to fill,’’ Washington general manager Mike Rizzo told The Post on Tuesday at the club’s training facility at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. “We had a laundry list of stuff to get done, and I think that we painstakingly and systematically went through and achieved what our goals were in the offseason, and that was to restore our roster to championship-caliber efficiency.’’

Here is the blueprint the Nationals followed after winning just 82 games in 2018:

“We wanted to be much better,’’ Rizzo said. “Our philosophy is pitching, defense, speed and athleticism, and I think we hit on all of those.’’

Through free agency and trades, the Nationals added lefthanded starter Patrick Corbin and right-hander Anibal Sanchez, second baseman Brian Dozier, catchers Kurt Suzuki and Yan Gomes, and relievers Trevor Rosenthal and Kyle Barraclough — to go along with such building blocks as third baseman Anthony Rendon, left fielder Juan Soto, center fielder Victor Robles, shortstop Trea Turner, first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and, of course, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.

That gives them a Big Three in the starting rotation — Scherzer, Strasburg and Corbin. That is a lot to match — even for the Mets.

“We thought starting pitching was a need for us, and we went out and signed two new starters [Corbin and Sanchez] and resigned [Jeremy] Hellickson, and added to our bullpen with a couple of big arms out, and the catchers will be a big part of our pitching staff and we feel good about that,” Rizzo said.

“You got Gomes and Suzuki defensively. You got Turner and Dozier defensively. You got two elite center fielders defensively in Robles and [Michael] Taylor and we feel we hit all our marks.”

One of those marks was Corbin, who appeared to be heading to the Yankees before the Nationals signed him to a six-year, $140 million deal.

“Corbin is ready to roll. He is in his prime,’’ Rizzo said. “He’s a guy we are going to count on a lot, and we love him. We identified him and went after him hard.’’

The Nationals’ clubhouse is a blend of young stars like the 20-year-old Soto (.292/.406/ .517) and 21-year-old Robles, to go along with veterans Adam Eaton, Dozier and Zimmerman. Eaton will be in right field this season instead of Harper, barring some last-second free-agent magic.

Until Harper officially signs a deal somewhere else, anything is possible.

“As the free-agent process goes, you always want to win,’’ Dozier said. “You take care of your family, positioning where you want to be, all that kind of stuff goes into effect. But you look at the roster, too, and Rizzo going in there and adding and adding and adding, he’s a winner. He wants to win. That’s encouraging for me being a free agent and a lot of the other guys coming over here.’’

Noted Scherzer of Rizzo and ownership: “They had a shopping list and went out there and executed it. It shows you ownership believes in us and what we are able to do in 2019. They want to make sure we can accomplish our goals. We are all pulling on the same rope. It’s up to us now as players to give it our best.’’

Scherzer owns three Cy Young awards and appreciated what Jacob deGrom accomplished in winning his Cy Young Award in 2018. Scherzer is looking for more. “Winning awards is not why I play the game,’’ he said. “I’d rather get to the postseason, win [a] postseason series and get to the World Series and win the whole thing before I win the Cy Young Award.’’

For all the amazing talent since 2012, the Nationals have appeared in four postseasons and have not won a playoff series in the Harper era. In three of the four division series, they took it to a fifth game but lost.

Once again this year they have top-shelf talent but need to get to October and put it all together.