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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 2023 Season.
 Daniel Murphy only played two-and-a-half seasons with the Washington Nationals, which came after a long run with the New York Mets where he was poised to be a star in Gotham.
A two-time All-Star with the Montreal Expos in the 1980s, Hubie Brooks would also win two Silver Sluggers and was one of the better hitting Shortstop of his day.  He had 75 Home Runs and 689 Hits with the Expos.
Al Oliver was only with Montreal for two seasons but those were excellent offensive campaigns, which saw him win the National League Batting Title and lead the league in Hits.  Oliver was an All-Star both years and also led the NL in doubles both times.  Had he been a better defensive player (or at least not a liability as he led the NL in errors for a First Basemen both years) he would have been ranked much higher.
An All-Star in 1989, Tim Burke was a Relief Pitcher the duration of his Montreal Expos stay and would Save 101 Games for the team..  Prior to being the team’s closer, Burke was used in middle relief and led the National League in Games Played in 1985, his rookie year.
Dan Schatzeder was a Montreal Expo twice (1977-79 & (1982-86) where both times he was not considered to be an elite (or even a above average) Pitcher.  That did not stop the southpaw from putting together very solid runs predominantly as a spot starter and middle reliever.  Schatzeder would be with Montreal for eight seasons and was a lot more valuable than his traditional statistics.  He had a 37-31 Record for the Expos.
Spending three seasons with the Montreal Expos, Ken Hill would twice win 16 games as a Starting Pitcher, one of which (1994) saw Hill finish second in the Cy Young race.  Hill’s 16 wins would be enough to win that category that year.  With Montreal, Hill went 41-21 with an ERA of 3.04.
A member of the Washington Nationals for seven years, Wilson Ramos’s first six years in the Capital City would see him suffer through multiple injuries and occasional platooning, which would limit to a degree his production.  He made it on this list of the top 50 Washington Nationals based on the strength of his final season (2016) where he had career highs in Hits (148), Home Runs (22), Runs Batted In (80), and all aspects of the Slash Line (.307/.354/.496).  He was also named an All-Star, a Silver Slugger and finished 17th in MVP voting that year.
Injury riddled for a good chunk of his career (he missed the entire 2007 season), Nick Johnson still produced well for the Expos/Nationals and had an On Base Percentage for that team over .400.  Johnson would hit 23 Home Runs for the organization in 2006.
The closer for the Montreal Expos for three seasons, John Wetteland would accumulate 105 Saves for the team with each year showcasing his relieving ability better than the year before.  Wetteland would become a three-time All-Star with the New York Yankees later in his career.
Playing for the Montreal Expos for three seasons in the late 1980’s, Pascual Perez had a solid stint where he would lead the National League in WHIP in 1988 and SO/BB in 1989.  With Montreal, Perez had a record of 28-21 with a 2.80 ERA.
An everyday Second Baseman for the Montreal Exposfrom 1993 to 1997, Mike Lansing would have a great season in 1996 when he belted 183 Hits with 11 Home Runs.  He would also have another season where he managed 20 Home Runs.   Like many other Expos, the small market club sent him elsewhere when he approached free agency.
Ken Singleton spent three seasons with the Montreal Expos in the 1970’s and would lead the National League in On Base Percentage in the 1973 season.  Singleton would finish ninth in NL MVP voting that year.