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Top 50 Washington Nationals

The Nation’s Capital of Washington D.C. may have seen a World Series Championship but it was not from the current incarnation of their team, the Washington Nationals.

The Nationals originally began in French Canada as the Montreal Expos in 1969, a team that finally made the MLB playoffs in 1981.  In 1994, prior to the MLB strike, they had the best record in the game, but as imagined they would not have the opportunity to compete for the World Series.  

The franchise would relocate to the Washington D.C. area, marking the third time that America's capital hosted a baseball team.  After making the playoffs multiple times, the Nationals finally won their first World Series in 2019.

Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2022 Season.
Entering the Baseball Hall of Fame with an Expos hat in 2003, “The Kid”, Gary Carter, was considered to be one of the best Catchers in baseball for a decade, both with his bat and behind the plate.  
One of the most exciting players of the 1980s, Tim Raines would lead the National League in Stolen Bases four years in a row (1981-84) and would make seven consecutive All-Star Games (1981-87).  “The Rock” would also win a Batting Title and On Base Percentage Title in 1986 and would make the top ten in MVP voting three times.  A two-time Runs leader, Raines was the best leadoff man in the National League in the 80s and had it not been for RIckey Henderson, would have held that title in all baseball.The Expos traded Raines to the White Sox, and…
Max Scherzer had only been with the Washington Nationals for four seasons and he did something that we thought either Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg would do first when we began this list.  He is the first player who competed in Washington and not Montreal to be in the top five in franchise history.
While “The Hawk”, Andre Dawson might be best known for winning the 1987 National League MVP with the Chicago Cubs, it was with the Montreal Expos that he had by far his greatest overall run.  
Spending his entire career in a Montreal Expos uniform, Steve Rogers would have a very healthy career which would see him lead the league in Earned Run Average in 1982 and make the National League All-Star Team five times.  Rogers would finish in the top five in Cy Young voting three times.Rogers posted a lifetime record of 158-152 with 1,621 Strikeouts and an ERA of 3.17.  Regardless of how the franchise advances, there will be no better Pitcher specifically as an Expo than Steve Rogers.
Ryan Zimmerman completed sixteen years in Major League Baseball, all of which have been with the Washington Nationals.  He has been a constant for the team providing power and a solid batting average.  While Zimmerman will never be considered an elite player he has been better than the average Major League Baseball and he also owns two Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and two All-Star Game appearances.Zimmerman was a member of the Washington Nationals 2019 World Series Championship Team, and is at present the all-time franchise leader in Games Played (1,799), Runs Scored (964), Hits (1,846), Doubles (417), Home Runs…
In the last fifty years, Stephen Strasburg was about as highly prized a pitching prospect as there was.  Strasburg has famously had his pitch count watched (even keeping him out of the 2012 Playoffs) after coming off of rehab of Tommy John surgery and the overall protection of the former number one draft pick might be the most of any player in baseball history.The perceived coddling has paid off as Strasburg has represented Washington in three All-Star Games and was a second runner-up for the National League Cy Young (losing to his teammate, Max Scherzer) in 2017 where he was…
Easily one of the most highly touted players in baseball history, Vladimir Guerrero did not disappoint when he was finally called up to the Majors.  Guerrero actually goes down as the man who will have the most home runs as a Montreal Expo (234) with a Slugging Percentage well over .500.  He would also lead the NL in Hits in 2002 as well as Total Bases.
One of the more underrated players in the 1980s, Tim Wallach would make five All-Star Games on the strength of his reputation with the respective National League Managers who selected him.  In addition to his five All-Star appearances, Wallach would earn a pair of Silver Slugger Awards and three Gold Gloves. With the Expos, Wallach smacked 204 Home Runs, 905 RBIs and collected 1.694 Hits.
The greatest Pitcher to come out of Nicaragua, Dennis Martinez had the best years of his long career with the Montreal Expos where he would be a three-time All-Star and won the ERA title in 1991.  Martinez would finish fifth in National League Cy Young voting that season.  Martinez had 100 of his 245 with the Expos, and had a 3.06 ERA with 973 Strikeouts.
Anthony Rendon came with a lot of expectations and how could he not be?  The former Dick Howser Trophy winner from Rice University was drafted sixth overall in 2011 and he has proven to be a balanced player for the Nationals as of this writing.
Pedro Martinez would become a Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, predominantly based on his work with the Boston Red Sox.  Still, it was with the Montreal Expos where Pedro would assert his stardom.
Juan Soto is currently one of the most exciting young baseball players in the game, where he has played all of his four years in the Majors with the Washington Senators.
Trea Turner played the first six-and-a-half years of his career with the Washington Nationals and had it not been for their 2021 firesale, his tenure in D.C. would likely have been longer.
A three-pitch Pitcher, Jordan Zimmermann spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Washington Nationals.  As a Nat, Zimmermann would be named a National League All-Star twice and led the league in Wins in the 2013 season.  Overall with Washington, Zmmerman posted a 70-50 Record with 903 Strikeouts.
A three-time All-Star from Puerto Rico, Jose Vidro had 1,280 Hits as an Expo/National and would be higher on this list had he been better on the defensive side of the baseball.  He also batted .301 for the team with 115 Home Runs.
With his blazing speed Marquis Grissom was a demon on the basepaths, twice leading the National League in Stolen Bases as an Expo.  Grissom was also quite adept utilizing his speed patrolling the outfield, as he would earn two of his four Gold Gloves in Montreal.  The Expos were unable to keep Grissom and was unloaded to the Braves in 1995, where he won a World Series Ring.  Grissom had 747 Hits with 266 Stoken Bases.

PETCO PARK TOURS

Jan 01, 1970

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ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS VS. OAKLAND ATHLETICS

Mar 18, 2024

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CLASSIC TOUR AT YANKEE STADIUM

Jan 01, 1970

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TOURS: TRUIST PARK

Jan 01, 1970

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Gio Gonzalez had a great first season with the Washington Nationals in 2012 where he would become the second runner up for the National League Cy Young Award and lead the league in Wins, FIP and SO/9.  While he has not yet replicated that All Star season he has been earned his rotation spot earning double digit Wins every year since joining the Nats.  In 2017 he would again finish in the top ten in Cy Young voting (sixth) while going 15 and 9 with a 2.96 ERA.  Gonzalez would be traded in 2018 to the Milwaukee Brewers but his…