Greatest Washington Nationals/Expos Players
The Washington Nationals are a Major League Baseball team that was established in 1969 as the Montreal Expos. The team struggled for many years and made the playoffs only once in their first 35 seasons.
In 2005, they moved to Washington, D.C., and became the Nationals. Since then, the team has had much more success, winning four National League East division titles and one World Series in 2019.
In this article, we will explore the greatest Washington Nationals/Expos players of all time.
Gary Carter
Gary Carter played for the Expos from 1974 to 1984, and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers of all time. He was an 11-time All-Star, won five Gold Gloves, and three Silver Slugger awards.
Carter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. Franchise Career Stats: Carter had a career WAR (wins above replacement) of 69.9, which is the highest of any Expos/Nationals player.
He scored 870 runs, had 1,529 hits, and hit 220 home runs during his career with the Expos. Playoff Performance: Carter played in four postseason series with the Expos and had some of his best performances in those games.
In the 1981 NLCS, he hit .421 with two home runs and five RBIs. In the 1981 World Series, he hit .438 with one home run and three RBIs.
Steve Rogers
Steve Rogers pitched for the Expos from 1973 to 1985 and holds many of the team’s pitching records. He was a three-time All-Star and finished second in Cy Young voting twice during his career.
Franchise Pitching Records: Rogers holds the franchise record for wins (158), innings pitched (2,837.2), strikeouts (1,621), shutouts (37), and complete games (129).
Tim Raines
Tim Raines played for the Expos from 1979 to 1990 and was one of the most exciting players in baseball during his career. Raines was a seven-time All-Star, won the National League batting title in 1986, and stole 70 or more bases six times.
Franchise Offensive Records: Raines holds the Expos’ franchise record for runs scored (947), stolen bases (635), and games played (1,452). He also had 1,622 hits and hit 63 home runs during his career with the Expos.
Andre Dawson
Andre Dawson played for the Expos from 1976 to 1986 and was the first player in franchise history to win the Rookie of the Year award. He was an eight-time All-Star and won the 1987 National League MVP award while playing for the Chicago Cubs.
Franchise Offensive Records: Dawson holds the Expos’ franchise record for home runs (225) and RBIs (838). He also had 1,575 hits and stole 253 bases during his career with the Expos.
Max Scherzer
Max Scherzer has pitched for the Nationals since 2015 and is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball today. He is a three-time Cy Young award winner, seven-time All-Star, and won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019.
Franchise Pitching Records: Scherzer holds the Nationals’ franchise record for strikeouts in a season (300) and strikeouts per nine innings (12.24). He also has the second-most strikeouts in franchise history (1,276) and has a career ERA of 3.19 with the Nationals.
Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Zimmerman has played for the Nationals his entire career, which started in 2005. He is the franchise leader in many offensive categories and played a key role in the team’s World Series win in 2019.
Franchise Offensive Records: Zimmerman holds the Nationals’ franchise record for career hits (1,784), home runs (270), RBIs (1,015), and runs scored (934). He is also a one-time Silver Slugger award winner and has been named to two All-Star teams.
Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero played for the Expos from 1996 to 2003 and was one of the most exciting players in baseball during his career. He was a nine-time All-Star, won the 2004 American League MVP award while playing for the Anaheim Angels, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Franchise Offensive Records: Guerrero holds the Expos’ franchise record for batting average (.323) and slugging percentage (.588). He also had 234 home runs, 702 RBIs, and 123 stolen bases during his career with the Expos.
Stephen Strasburg
Stephen Strasburg has pitched for the Nationals since 2010 and is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball when healthy. He is a one-time Cy Young award winner, World Series MVP, and has set several franchise pitching records.
Franchise Pitching Records: Strasburg holds the Nationals’ franchise record for strikeouts in a single season (251) and has the second-most strikeouts in franchise history (1,695). He also has the highest strikeout per nine innings rate (10.5) of any pitcher in franchise history.
Tim Wallach
Tim Wallach played for the Expos from 1980 to 1992 and was a key member of some of the team’s best teams in franchise history. He was a five-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves, and two Silver Slugger awards.
Franchise Offensive Records: Wallach holds the Expos’ franchise record for hits (1,694) and total bases (2,728). He also had 204 home runs, 792 RBIs, and 126 stolen bases during his career with the Expos.
Bryce Harper
Bryce Harper played for the Nationals from 2012 to 2018 and was one of the most exciting players in baseball during his time with the team. He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2012 and the National League MVP award in 2015.
Franchise Offensive Records: Harper holds the Nationals’ franchise record for home runs in a season (42) and walks in a season (130). He is also second on the franchise’s all-time list for home runs (184) and RBIs (521) and was a six-time All-Star while playing for the Nationals.
Conclusion
The Washington Nationals/Expos have had many great players over the years, and these ten individuals represent the best of the best. From
Gary Carter’s dominant catching to
Bryce Harper’s powerful hitting, these players left a lasting impact on the franchise and their fans.
As the Nationals continue to build for the future, fans can look back on the careers of these players with fondness and a deep appreciation for what they accomplished on the field.
Steve Rogers
Steve Rogers was one of the top pitchers for the Montreal Expos during the 1970s and 1980s. During his 13-year career with the team, Rogers was known for his consistency and reliability on the mound.
In this article, we will take a closer look at his accomplishments and awards, franchise career stats, and playoff performance. Accomplishments and Awards: Rogers was a three-time All-Star, earning the honor in 1974, 1978, and 1979.
He also won the National League ERA title in 1982 with a 2.40 ERA. In addition, Rogers finished second in Cy Young voting in both 1973 and 1974.
Franchise Career Stats: Rogers played for the Expos from 1973 to 1985 and holds a number of pitching records for the franchise. He finished his career with a WAR of 51.5, which is the second-highest in team history.
Rogers also had 158 wins, 2,837.2 innings pitched, 1,621 strikeouts, 37 shutouts, and 129 complete games during his time with the Expos. Playoff Performance: Rogers played in two postseason series with the Expos during his career.
In those games, he went 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 34.2 innings pitched. Rogers’ playoff performance helped the Expos win their first playoff series in team history in 1981.
In 1981, the Expos faced off against the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series. In Game 2 of the series, Rogers pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on six hits with eight strikeouts to earn the win.
He followed up that performance with another complete game victory in Game 5, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five. In the 1981 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Rogers once again dominated.
In Game 3, he pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just five hits with four strikeouts to help the Expos take a 2-1 lead in the series. Rogers would go on to pitch in two more games in the series, earning a save in Game 4 and picking up a win in Game 5.
Tim Raines
Tim Raines was one of the most exciting players in baseball during his career with the Montreal Expos. Known for his speed and ability to get on base, Raines was a seven-time All-Star and won the National League batting title in 1986.
In this article, we will take a closer look at his accomplishments and awards, franchise career stats, and playoff performance. Accomplishments and Awards: Raines won the National League batting title in 1986 with a .334 batting average.
He was also a seven-time All-Star, earning the honor in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987. In addition, Raines was a four-time Stolen Base Champion, leading the National League in steals from 1981-1984.
Franchise Career Stats: Raines played for the Expos from 1979 to 1990 and is one of the greatest players in franchise history. He finished his career with 1,622 hits, 947 runs scored, 430 doubles, 82 triples, and 170 home runs.
Raines also stole 635 bases during his time with the Expos and had a WAR of 63.4, which is the fifth-highest in team history. Playoff Performance: Raines played in four postseason series with the Expos during his career but did not have much success.
In 16 playoff games, he batted .261 with two home runs, seven runs scored, and seven RBIs. Despite his struggles in the playoffs, Raines remains one of the greatest players in Expos history.
Conclusion
Steve Rogers and
Tim Raines were two of the most important players in the history of the Montreal Expos franchise. Rogers was a workhorse on the mound, setting franchise records for wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, complete games, and shutouts.
He also had a tremendous playoff run in 1981, leading the Expos to their first postseason series victory in team history. Raines, on the other hand, was a dynamic player who could do it all.
He won a batting title, was a seven-time All-Star, and led the National League in stolen bases four times. Raines remains one of the greatest players in Expos history, and his career with the team is a testament to his skill and versatility on the diamond.
Andre Dawson
Andre Dawson, known as “The Hawk,” was a star outfielder for the Montreal Expos in the 1980s. He was an eight-time All-Star and won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1977.
In this article, we will take a closer look at his accomplishments and awards, franchise career stats, and playoff performance. Accomplishments and Awards: Dawson won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1977 after hitting .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBIs. He was also an eight-time All-Star, earning the honor from 1981-1987 and again in 1991.
In addition, Dawson won the National League Gold Glove award in 1987 and the Silver Slugger award in 1980 and 1981. Franchise Career Stats: Dawson played for the Expos from 1976 to 1986 and was one of the greatest players in franchise history.
He finished his career with a WAR of 44.9, which is the fifth-highest in team history. Dawson also had 1,575 hits, 838 RBIs, 225 home runs, and 253 stolen bases during his time with the Expos.
He also had 57 triples, which is the most in team history. Playoff Performance: Dawson played in two postseason series with the Expos and had some success.
In 13 playoff games, he batted .324 with six runs scored and six stolen bases. Dawson was a key member of the 1981 Expos team that reached the National League Championship Series, but they ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Max Scherzer
Max Scherzer is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball today and has been a major part of the Washington Nationals’ success since joining the team in 2015. He is a three-time Cy Young award winner, five-time All-Star, and won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019.
In this article, we will take a closer look at his accomplishments and awards, franchise career stats, and playoff performance. Accomplishments and Awards: Scherzer has won three Cy Young awards, two in the National League (2016, 2017) and one in the American League (2013).
He has also been named to five All-Star teams and won the 2013 American League strikeout title. In addition, Scherzer helped lead the Nationals to their first World Series championship in 2019.
Franchise Career Stats: Scherzer has played for the Nationals since 2015 and has already established himself as one of the greatest pitchers in team history. He has a WAR of 30.4 with the Nationals, which is the second-highest of any pitcher in team history.
Scherzer also has 87 wins, 1,276 strikeouts, and has thrown 1,029.1 innings pitched while wearing a Nationals uniform. Playoff Performance: Scherzer has been dominant in the postseason for the Nationals, helping them win their first World Series championship in 2019.
In the 2019 playoffs, Scherzer went 3-0 with a 2.40 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched. He also won Game 7 of the World Series against the Houston Astros, allowing just two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts in five innings pitched.
In addition, Scherzer played a key role in the Nationals’ playoff run in 2017 but ultimately came up short in the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs. In two starts in that series, Scherzer went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched.
Conclusion
Andre Dawson and
Max Scherzer were both integral parts of their respective teams during their careers. Dawson was a consistent performer for the Expos and won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1977.
He was also an eight-time All-Star and won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards during his time in Montreal. Scherzer, on the other hand, has been a dominant force on the mound for the Nationals, winning three Cy Young awards and helping the team win its first World Series championship in 2019.