If Ryan Zimmerman is not on your list of top franchise players, trash it. Inspired by an MLB Network segment about each team in which they named the top players — position by position, we will attempt to do the same. Of course they included the longer history in Montreal with the Expos. Yes, it was fun to see names like Jose Vidro and Chad Cordero — two players who played for both the Expos and Nationals. But how do you leave Zimmerman off of your list? Fortunately, Nationals’ broadcaster, Dan Kolko, had Zim on his list in that MLB Network piece.
There is no doubt that players like Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, and Tim Raines should get mentions on any great Expos list. The Nationals honored all three in their Ring of Honor at Nationals Park. And let’s also mention Frank Robinson who managed the final Expos team as well as the first Nationals teams in 2005 and 2006. Obviously, there are many more great players from the Expos years like Rusty Staub, Vladimir Guerrero, and so many more. Some made the list on this MLB Network special.
For our purposes, let’s do a list of just Nationals players to keep this simpler. And that isn’t even simple.
Catcher — Wilson Ramos
This one has so many great names from Yan Gomes, Brian Schneider, Kurt Suzuki, and even Ivan Rodriguez. But Ramos, The Buffalo, was the guy. If not for Dusty Baker leaving him in a rainy game at the end of September in 2016 — a meaningless game — Ramos might have had an even greater career. That ACL tear was devastating and changed everything for the Nats a week later in the playoffs.
Seven years with the Nats, Ramos was an All-Star, a Silver Slugger, Top-4 in Rookie of the Year, and even had MVP votes in 2016. He was clutch with multiple walk-off hits, and he caught three no-hitters that included the first in Nats history with Jordan Zimmermann and two with Max Scherzer.
In my opinion, Ramos should have been on this coaching staff, especially since he had been in a coach in training as we mentioned after we talked to him in the Arizona Fall League this past season.
First Base — Ryan Zimmerman
Obviously Zim has to be on this list. We put him at first base to make room for another player who dominated at third base — and truthfully, the Nats haven’t been great at first base for more than two year stints — so Zim really was the best first baseman. Runners-up were Nick Johnson, Adam Dunn, and Adam LaRoche.
Zim was the Face of the Franchise, and now after his retirement from baseball is the Voice of the Franchise. He holds the record for most career home runs with 284, two-time All-Star, Gold Glove (at third base), Silver Slugger, multiple MVP votes, second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2006, and a World Series champion.
In all, Zim played in three different decades for the Nationals spanning from the team’s inaugural season in 2025 to 2021. He literally went from the draft to the big league in a little over a month. Raised in Virginia, Zim played at the University of Virginia and played his entire MLB career for just one team: The Washington Nationals.
Second Base — Howie Kendrick
While Howie Kendrick didn’t have a long career at second base, he had two of the most memorable hits in Nats history. The grand slam to win the decisive game of the 2019 NLDS, and the “foul pole” CLANG hear ’round the world to win the World Series in Game 7 in Houston.
Sure, Jose Vidro, Daniel Murphy, Brian Dozier, and even Luis Garcia Jr. get honorable mentions, Howie or Howard as he really likes to be called needs to be on this list as a postseason hero.
Third Base — Anthony Rendon
They might hate Rendon in Angels’ territory, but he was a star third baseman for the Nats. Was he quirky? Yes. Did he give fans a reason to dislike him? Yes. Did he blow a chance at the Hall-of-Fame? Yes. But he played seven seasons in a Nats uni and was a part of every postseason except for 2012.
He had so many key moments, and maybe none more impactful than that 3-2 count in the Wild Card game of 2019 when he took his walk against Josh Hader to load the bases ahead of some kid named Juan Soto.
Rendon was a Silver Slugger, an All-Star, and five times was high on the list of MVP voting in which he finished Top-3 in 2019. Some forget that he hit .319 with a 1.010 OPS in 2019 and a +7.3 WAR that season. Very underrated in baseball because he wasn’t a showman. He quietly went about his business — and maybe that was it, he treated it like a business he didn’t like.
Runners-up for top third baseman in Nats’ history is a very short list of Zim and Tony Two-bags. They basically covered every year from 2005 to 2019. Can you even name the other third baseman since then?
Shortstop — Trea Turner
This was one that everyone on the MLB Network pointed to as Trea as the guy. For those who were Danny Espinosa fans, it wasn’t easy for them to see Trea come on the scene. For those with baseball brains, what were you thinking? Sure, Espinosa had a bazooka for an arm, but that was about it. You stressed over Turner’s arm, and why? Turner is quietly on a Hall-0f-Fame trajectory, and if the Nats were smart, going back to a TalkNats article in 2016, Turner should have been extended. People laughed at it. They say he didn’t have enough power. Some said he couldn’t hit. Really? He’s won two batting titles.
Turner showed that 20/20 speed and power. He always had the speed, and then the power appeared — not by bulking up — but by perfecting backspinning baseballs. His best year, he was on a 30 home run pace until an injury, and he finished with 28 homers and 32 stolen bases keeping him out of the prestigious 30/30 Club.
In 2019, Turner gutted through that season with broken fingers that needed additional surgery after winning the World Series. He had his own set of clutch moments during that season and the postseason. So clearly, the choice for best shortstop wasn’t with Trea and Danny, it was Trea and Desi. Yes, Ian Desmond was the clear runner-up with Cristian Guzman behind them from the past players. CJ Abrams is the only current player to make any of these lists. The talent is there, the defense has to solidify him as a shortstop if he wants to gain ground on the other names on this list.
Left Field — Juan Soto
Most forget that Soto began his Nats tenure as the primary left fielder. He probably should have stayed there given his defensive struggles in right field. He could have been a Nats player for life — but maybe his turndown of $440 million or what it could have been negotiated to, was a blessing in disguise. When he was traded, he gave the Nats a second chance. The haul in return might have been the biggest in MLB history. Time will tell as we see how James Wood, CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, and Jarlin Susana do on the Nats tree of life.
Forget all of that for a moment, Soto’s single with bases loaded in the 2019 Wild Card sprung life into the team and won that game. With two outs, it was what Soto does. He takes what the game gives him. Most 20-year-olds would have been trying to crank a grand slam and would have struck out in that Wild Card spot. Soto took his single then hit some huge home runs in the World Series to propel the Nats to hoist the trophy.
Yes, Jayson Werth could have been named as the top left fielder and some might have wanted Alfonso Soriano who probably had the single greatest season in Nats offensive history going 40-40-40 in 2006 — but Soriano only played one year in a Nats uni. Brad Wilkerson was an Expo and then a Nat for the inaugural season and was traded for Soriano. Plenty of players have played left field in a Nats uni like Zim, Dunn, Howie, Michael Morse, Josh Willingham, and many others. Few played there long enough to have a lasting impact.
Maybe James Wood and/or Daylen Lile will have their names here when we do this list in the future.
Center Field — Bryce Harper
This was the toughest one of them all. Love Harp or hate Harp, he had some amazing years in a Nats’ uni. He once decided to play manager and was asked in an interview how he would set the lineup and outfield, and he put himself in center field and that ostensibly put Denard Span on the bench in Harper’s configuration. You can read it here. That was Harper. Some felt you couldn’t win it all with him because he was a “me first” type of teammate. Just ask Jonathan Papelbon, and maybe you can get some others to talk about it. With class, Span tried to defuse what could have been a bigger issue in what was a divided clubhouse, and Span wouldn’t take the bait. Span responded, “He’s still one of my teammates.”
Span was the smooth operator in center field. He made everything look easy. Things are never as easy as they look. Just ask Jacob Young who probably is the Nats best defensive center fielder in the Nats’ history. It’s not an easy position. It involves a lot of sprinting that zaps your energy. It is why the Nats’ brass didn’t want Harper playing there due to the greater injury risk.
So the great CFs in Nats’ history is another short list of Harper, Span, and you have to go Victor Robles in that next grouping. Michael A. Taylor should be somewhere in there. Again, not a long list.
Right Field — Jayson Werth
When most Nats’ fans think of right field, they think Harper and Soto, and with recency bias — Dylan Crews. Maybe you have Adam Eaton, Lane Thomas, Roger Bernadina or Austin Kearns. When he signed with the Nats in 2011, Werth was the right fielder until Harper took over full-time there. Werth changed the Nats’ mindset from losing to winning. The team almost finished with a winning record in his first season in D.C. In fact when Jim Riggleman “quit” the team in 2011 as the manager, the Nats had a winning record at the time — but finished at 80-81. In fact, the team had all winning seasons going forward with Werth on the roster. How many players in Nats history can say that? Okay, Harper can.
Werth brought real change, mentorship, and a winning culture. He was a really good player until multiple wrist injuries changed his trajectory, and his broken wrist in 2015 caused some uneven seasons going forward. He was a late-bloomer and proved that you could find greatness later in baseball. He got MVP votes in both 2013 and 2014. In the 2013 season, Werth finished with a .931 OPS and a best in baseball rOBA of .414. In his seven years with the Nats, he still finished with a .788 OPS.
In 2012, Werth had one of the greatest moments in Nats’ history with a walk-off home run to send the Nats to a decisive Game 5 in the team’s first postseason ever. He really did have a lot of great moments.
Agree or Disagree
Certainly there will be some disagreement here. You can tell us how you would set your Nats top franchise players. All I know is that in 10 more years, there better be some new names on this list!
