Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our pre-2022 revision of our top 50 Washington Nationals.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

The Rangers were not very good last year, but there is one new entry, though we acknowledge that he should have made the list last year.

As always, we present the top five immediately, which has no changes.

1. Ivan Rodriguez

2. Rafael Palmeiro

3. Juan Gonzalez

4. Adrian Beltre

5. Frank Howard

You can find the entire list here.

The only new entry is Joey Gallo, who enters at #38.  Last year was the best season of Gallo’s career, and while he was traded to the Yankees during it, his overall work with Texas earns him a spot.

Gallo’s addition removes Cole Hamels from the list.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Professional wrestling lost one of the great ones as Blackjack Lanza died today.  He was 86 years old.

Lanza began his career in 1961, and while he did wrestle all around the world, it was with the American Wrestling Association where he performed the most.  His biggest success would be with Blackjack Mulligan, where under the management of Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, he won their Tag Team Titles, and they would also win the tag titles in the then-named WWWF.  

Lanza wrestled until 1983, and two years later would go to work for the WWF as an agent/producer, a role he held for years.

Along with Mulligan, the Blackjacks were inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, family and friends of Blackjack Lanza.

Few athletes in the history of the sport have ever challenged the limits of the "Three True Outcomes" quite like Joey Gallo. Selected by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 2012 draft, this imposing, left-handed power hitter possessed a formidable, legendary power before making his debut in Arlington. It required a diligent five-year progression through the minor leagues to secure a permanent spot on the major league roster. Upon achievement, Gallo profoundly transformed the understanding of a contemporary middle-of-the-order hitter, turning every at-bat into a significant and high-pressure event.

Gallo's offensive profile exhibited considerable volatility, favoring long-distance power hitting over conventional contact and demonstrating disciplined plate approach. He assumed a full-time starting position with consecutive outstanding performances, hitting 41 home runs in 2017 and repeating with 40 additional home runs in 2018. Although these substantial totals were accompanied by a regrettably low batting average below .210, his exceptional capacity to draw walks sustained his overall offensive contribution.

His performance demonstrated a remarkable offensive development during the 2019 season. Gallo was selected for his first career American League All-Star team, posting a career-high batting average of .253, along with 23 home runs and an impressive 1.401 OPS in the first half of the season. These achievements indicated his potential to become a well-rounded offensive player, although an oblique injury prematurely curtailed his summer to merely 70 games.

However, an exclusive focus on his low batting average and high strikeout count overlooks a significant analytical asset within his skill set: his exceptional defensive efficiency. Despite his height of 6-foot-5, Gallo consistently demonstrated remarkable agility and athleticism as an outfielder, complemented by an impeccable internal clock and a cannon of a throwing arm. When his offensive performance declined during the pandemic-impacted 2020 season, his defensive capabilities fully sustained his value. He was awarded his inaugural Gold Glove Award in right field and led all Major League Baseball players with 12 Total Zone Runs, thereby providing an essential safety net for the Texas pitching staff.

His final chapter in Arlington arrived during a bizarre, high-octane 2021 campaign. Showcasing his signature paradox nightly, Gallo was selected to his second All-Star Game and secured a second consecutive Gold Glove. Yet his statistical profile was a historic anomaly; he batted just .199 while leading the American League in both walks (111) and strikeouts (213), along with 25 home runs. With his free agency looming and the franchise entering a rebuilding phase, the front office traded him to the New York Yankees just before the July deadline.

Gallo had 408 hits, 145 home runs, 317 RBIs, and drew 359 walks while generating a unique .211/.336/.497 slash line (113 OPS+) in Texas.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our pre-2022 revision of our top 50 Washington Nationals.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National League. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Please note, that this is our first revision, reflective of the last year.

The Nationals went into full rebuilding mode, trading many of their stars during the season.  There were no new entries, but were some rank elevations.

As always, we present the top five immediately, which has no changes.

1. Gary Carter

2. Tim Raines

3. Max Scherzer

4. Andre Dawson

5. Steve Rogers

You can find the entire list here.

Scherzer almost supplanted Raines at #2, and he completed the season with the Nationals, he likely would have.

Ryan Zimmerman moves up from #9 to #6.  This could be the end of the climb for Zimmerman, as it is speculated that he might soon retire.

Infielder, Trea Turner, was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the season.  Despite, not playing all of the year with Washington, he was fantastic this year, and moves up to #14 from #22.

Juan Soto, who was this year’s National League MVP runner-up, rockets up to #17 from #36.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.