March 30, 2022 marks the 14-year anniversary of Ryan Zimmerman christening in the brand-new Nats Park with a walk-off HR on Opening Day 2008, making it a great time to look at the top-5 greatest players of all time in Expos and Nats history with him topping the list.
Beginning as the Montreal Expos in 1969, the team relocated to DC and changed their name to the Nationals in 2005 after financial issues. Throughout their time in Canada, the Expos only made the postseason once, but a location change was able to bring some luck, winning their first World Series in 2019. Despite a handful of rough seasons, the franchise has still produced some of the best players in the game. Honorable mention includes: C Gary Carter, OF Tim Raines, & OF Bryce Harper with OF Juan Soto looking to claim a spot on this list in the future.
Here are the top 5 greatest Expos & Nats players of all time. Create your own rankings below!
– 2x All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, 2019 WS Champ
– Most career HR (284) & Hits (1,846) in franchise history
– Leads franchise in RBI (1,061), Runs (963), & TB (3,159)
As the only player in MLB history to ever be a team’s first draft pick and hit their first World Series home run, Ryan Zimmerman has set a plethora of franchise records that will permanently etch his name into their history.
Ryan Zimmerman's career resume:
– 2019 World Series Champion
– 2x All-Star
– 2x Silver Slugger
– 2009 Gold Glove
– 2007 MLB GP (162) leader
– #Nationals' 1st ever draft pick
– #Nats/#Expos all-time HR (284) & Hits (1,846) leader
pic.twitter.com/DKv200mv3a— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) February 17, 2022
– 2x Cy Young, 5x All-Star, 2019 WS Champ
– 2x NL Wins, 3x NL WHIP, & 3x NL Ks leader
– 2nd in career ERA (2.80) for franchise; 2x MLB SHO leader
Known for his ability to send batters back to the dugout, Max Scherzer is one of the best pitchers baseball has seen. A longer tenure with the Nats would have undoubtedly led to franchise records being broken.
Max Scherzer ranks in Nationals/Expos history:
– 2nd in career ERA (2.80)
– 2nd-5th in season Ks (300-268)
– T-2nd in season Wins (20)
– 3rd in career Ks (1,605)
– 4th in career Wins (91)
pic.twitter.com/uTMSuGw5dg— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 30, 2021
– 3x All-Star, Silver Slugger, 2019 WS Champ & WS MVP
– Most career Ks (1,718) for Nats; 2019 NL Wins (18) leader
– Only pitcher with 12+ Ks/0 ER/0 BB in 1 postseason game
Stephen Strasburg was the first No.1 overall draft pick to win a World Series MVP, which coupled with his record strikeouts, presents a strong case for being considered one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Most career Ks in Washington #Nationals history:
1. Stephen Strasburg (1,718)^
2. Steve Rogers (1,621)
3. Max Scherzer (1,605)^
4. Gio Gonzalez (1,215)
5. Javier Vazquez (1,076)
pic.twitter.com/vJeGctMt7r— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 21, 2021
– 3x All-Star, 6x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger, 1977 ROY
– 1983 NL Hits (189) & TB (341) leader
– 3rd in HR (225), RBI (838), & Runs (828) in franchise history
Andre Dawson was every pitcher’s nightmare. Not only a power-hitter who knew how to get on base, ‘The Hawk’ was a skilled base-runner that could not be ignored once he reached base.
Andre Dawson's HOF resume:
– 8x All Star
– 8x Gold Glove
– 4x Silver Slugger
– 1987 NL MVP
– 1977 NL ROY
– 1987 MLB HR & RBI Leader
– 1983 NL Hits Leader
– #10 retired by Expos
pic.twitter.com/E6MwW5SSlY— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 11, 2021
– 4x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, 2002 NL Hits (206) leader
– Best career AVG (.323) & SLG (.588) in Expos/Nats history
– Most seasons of 100+ RBI (5) & 200+ Hits (2) in team history
Also known as Vlad the Impaler, Vladimir Guerrero was one of the most consistent hitters Montreal had ever seen, with a 31-game hit streak that has yet to be broken. His peak as a hitter is up there with any player in franchise history but his 6.5 years in Canada are sometimes overshadowed by his MVP tenure in Los Angeles.
Vladimir Guerrero's HOF resume:
– 2004 AL MVP
– 9x All-Star
– 8x Silver Slugger
– 2002 NL Hits leader (206)
– 2007 HR Derby Champion
– Highest career AVG in #Nationals/#Expos (.323) & Angels (.319) history
pic.twitter.com/OdIKwKaC3q— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) March 2, 2022
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