Not all great Nats players technically made history as a Washington National. Before the team relocated to America’s capital, their first seeds were sown in the Great White North as the Montreal Expos.
The Expos era was like a time capsule — a moment in history full of challenges, brief successes, and a failed disbanding that eventually led to its purchase by the MLB and subsequent relocation. It also produced some highly-recognized Hall of Famers, including Gary Carter, Tim Raines, and Andre Dawson, names more celebrated than even some of the top-ranked social casinos on casinos.com. The red, white, and blue established its home in Washington, D.C., in 2005, which ended up being quite fitting.
The Nationals finished their first season in 2005 at an exact .500 with an 81-81 record and went on to select their first draft pick, Ryan Zimmerman — one of the greats on this list. With a record of 284 home runs in his career, he’s tied for 184th on the MLB career home run leaders list. But who else on the Nats is considered one of the greatest scorers in history?
(*all statistics are accurate as of January 2024)
Bryce Harper
Bryce Harper is a highly acclaimed outfielder, first baseman, and DH (designated hitter) who was signed and played for the Nats between 2012 and 2018. Considered a five-tool player, he absolutely excels on the field and has the career highlights to prove it. Harper currently has 184 career home runs, notably hitting his first grand slam on his 100th home run against the Braves in 2016.
As his time with the Nationals went on, his game only improved, ending his 2018 season and final season with the team with a career-record 130 walks, 34 home runs, and 100 RBIs. He is a seven-time MLB All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and two-time NL Hank Aaron Award winner, among his many other accolades.
Ryan Zimmerman
This list wouldn’t be complete without Mr. National himself, Ryan Zimmerman — the reason why number 11 is retired. Before his retirement, he left behind a legacy of baseball records and established himself as an all-time leader in a variety of stats for the franchise.
His MLB debut was with the Nats in their inaugural season in 2005, and he played his entire career with the team up until October 2021. Zimmerman tops the list of all-time home run leaders for the Washington Nationals, surpassing second-place Vladimir Guerrero by 50 home runs. In his 2009 season, he had a hitting streak of 30 games, tied with the likes of Freddie Freeman and Stan Musial. He also has a unique flair for walk-off home runs, with 11 career walk-off homers, and boasts 1,061 all-time RBIs.
Vladimir Guerrero
Nine-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero needs no introduction. The Dominican Republic native played for the Montreal Expos between 1996 and 2003 and is known for his aggressive batting style. Although Guerrero didn’t even own a real baseball glove until he was 15, it’s clear that he was destined for the game.
With 234 all-time home runs, he remains second on the list of home run leaders for the Nats (Expos). Complementing that record, he boasts a range of single-season records in total bases, home runs, batting average, and more, as well as all-time records in batting at .323 and slugging at .588.
In 2018, he was finally — and deservedly — inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Juan Soto
While Juan Soto had a short tenure with the Nats, his imprint on the franchise is certainly unforgettable. Since his rookie season, it was obvious that Soto was destined for greatness. He entered record books as the youngest player in franchise history to hit a home run and the first teen to homer in a major-league game since his fellow Nats teammate Bryce Harper did so back in 2012.
Soto won a World Series title at just 21 years old, leading the Nationals in the series in four categories: hits, runs scored, walks, and home runs. It was the franchise’s first and only World Series win, making it a true moment of glory in Soto’s career. Time and time again, he’s been considered the most disciplined hitter in baseball, with a league-low of 15.1% of pitches swung outside the strike zone.
Andre Dawson
The Hawk, as he’s affectionately nicknamed, is a Hall of Famer who played with the Expos for 10 years. As an eight-time All-Star, eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, and four-time Silver Slugger Award, Dawson’s time with the MLB was nothing short of legendary. Andre Dawson was highly underestimated at first, being pick #250 in the 1975 MLB draft, but eventually hit a total of 225 home runs, putting him third on the all-time Nats list.
Within his 1,443 games with the Montreal Expos, he set plenty of single-season records for RBIs, extra-base hits, and sacrifice flies — which he still holds the record for. He’s even remarkably hit two home runs in the same inning two times, against the Braves and the Cubs in 1978 and 1985, respectively.
Tim Wallach
Tim Wallach was with the Expos for 12 years, between 1980 and 1992. He is fifth on the all-time home run leaders list with 204 home runs and also holds the franchise record for the most RBIs in a game (a total of 8) against San Diego in 1990. Wallach once held team records for most hits and runs batted until Ryan Zimmerman came along and surpassed them both in 2017 and 2018.
As a five-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove Award winner, and two-time Silver Slugger Award, he’s an enduring player within the Montreal Expos franchise and the MLB. Wallach has accumulated an impressive collection of offensive stats and continued his baseball career as a coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins.
