20 Greatest Players in Nats History (Nos. 1-5)

And so we have reached the final installment of a series 20 years in the making. It’s time to reveal the five greatest players in Nationals history. Thanks again to everyone who has read and commented on the previous editions. It’s always great to hear the diverse set of opinions on such a fun topic. For those who haven’t read them yet, here are links to the articles on Nos. 16-20, Nos. 11-15 and Nos. 6-10.

These final five share a lot of things in common. Every one of them excelled while in Washington, all of them performing not only at an All-Star level but at times a Hall of Fame level. All played here for at least parts of five seasons, two of them for more than a decade. Four were homegrown, one acquired in a massive free agent deal. Most importantly, all five played in and were significant contributors to the first World Series title in franchise history.

There will be plenty of discussion about the final order selected below. There’s a reasonable case for everyone from this group to rank anywhere in the top five. In the end, it came down to a combination of excellence, longevity and legacy …

NO. 5 – JUAN SOTO
Outfielder, 2018-22
Stats: 565 G, 2439 PA, 1954 AB, 399 R, 569 H, 108 2B, 9 3B, 119 HR, 358 RBI, 38 SB, 14 CS, 464 BB, 414 SO, .291 AVG, .427 OBP, .538 SLG, .966 OPS, 159 OPS+, 21.3 bWAR, 21.0 fWAR

Soto didn’t come out of nowhere; the Nationals gave him a $1.5 million bonus when they signed him at 16 out of the Dominican Republic. And they always knew he had elite hitting skills and a patient eye to go along with it. But his rise to the majors was shockingly quick. In the span of three weeks in April-May 2018, he was promoted from low Single-A Hagerstown to high Single-A Potomac to Double-A Harrisburg to the big leagues. And then immediately thrived and never looked back.

Soto’s .923 OPS as a rookie proved to be the lowest mark of his first four seasons in the majors. He raised it to .949 (while blasting 34 homers, driving in and scoring 110 runs while also drawing 108 walks) in 2019. His slash line during the abbreviated 2020 season (.351/.490/.695, leading to a 1.185 OPS) was otherworldly. And he followed that up with a .999 OPS buoyed by a ridiculous 145 walks (23 of them intentional) in 2021.

All of that helped turn Soto into a regular All-Star, Silver Slugger and MVP-vote getter, but his performance in October 2019 turned him into a legend. Pick your moment. The three-run hit off Josh Hader in the Wild Card Game. The towering homer off Clayton Kershaw in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. The opposite-field homer off Gerrit Cole over the train track in Houston in Game 1 of the World Series. The go-ahead blast off Justin Verlander in Game 6. All of this during a month in which he turned 21.

The end in D.C., of course, came far sooner than anyone could have imagined. The Nats were already in rebuild mode by 2022 and were well on their way to a 107-loss season when they offered Soto a 15-year, $440 million extension to stay. Under the advice of his agent, Scott Boras, he turned it down, then was furious when the story leaked a few weeks later and it was reported general manager Mike Rizzo would listen to trade offers for him. Whether you agree with the eventual trade to the Padres – a deal made with Soto still under club control for 2 1/3 more seasons – or not, it surely altered the history of this franchise (and others) in ways we won’t fully know for several more years.

Here's what we do know: Soto is the best offensive player in Nationals history, bar none. And with his bat, he delivered some of the most significant moments in the club’s two decades of existence. But because his time here was considerably shorter than the others ahead of him on this list, he resides in this relatively low slot.

NO. 4 – ANTHONY RENDON
Infielder, 2013-19
Stats: 916 G, 3927 PA, 3424 AB, 571 R, 994 H, 245 2B, 15 3B, 136 HR, 546 RBI, 45 SB, 16 CS, 409 BB, 610 SO, .290 AVG, .369 OBP, .490 SLG, .859 OPS, 126 OPS+, 30.0 bWAR, 30.0 fWAR

The Nationals held the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft in both 2009 and 2010 and emerged with generational talents. They held the No. 6 pick in 2011 and were so sure Rendon would be off the board by the time their turn arrived that they didn’t even bother to pre-write a press release for him. And then, shockingly, five teams passed on him, perhaps scared off by a shoulder injury that limited his playing time at third base his final season at Rice.

The Nats had no such reservations, and boy are they forever grateful for that. Rendon’s rookie season wasn’t anything special, but he took off in 2014 and fully established himself as one of the best all-around third basemen in the sport, finishing fifth in MVP balloting. A knee injury disrupted his 2015 season, but “Tony Two Bags” was back strong in 2016 and went on a remarkable, four-year run of excellence. From 2016-19, he averaged 94 runs, 42 doubles, 26 homers, 101 RBIs, a .299/.384/.528 slash line and Gold Glove-caliber defense that allowed him to average 5.7 bWAR each season.

And when it really mattered, Rendon always rose to the occasion. His October 2019 resume is almost impossible to believe: In seven plate appearances in the seventh inning or later in five elimination games, he had three homers, three doubles and a walk (the one that preceded Soto’s go-ahead hit off Hader in the Wild Card Game). And he did it all with a cool-as-a-cucumber swagger that almost made you wonder if he even realized how significant those moments were.

The Nationals ultimately benefitted from Rendon turning down their (deferrals-included) $245 million offer and instead accepting a (deferrals-absent) deal of the same amount from the Angels. His body broke down almost from the moment he arrived in Anaheim, and any thought of an eventual spot in Cooperstown has gone by the wayside. But let’s acknowledge what he was during his seven seasons in D.C.: The best, most consistent, clutch, all-around player the Nats have ever had.

NO. 3 – STEPHEN STRASBURG
Starting pitcher: 2010-22
Stats: 113-62, 3.24 ERA, 247 GS, 1470 IP, 1217 H, 582 R, 530 ER, 149 HR, 394 BB, 1723 SO, 127 ERA+, 1.096 WHIP, 32.3 bWAR, 37.8 fWAR

It’s not an understatement to declare that the drafting of Strasburg, then his monumental debut one year later, represented the turning point in franchise history. Until then, the Nationals were an afterthought in the baseball world, the ex-Expos plodding along in a new city. Strasburg, though, brought them instant attention. Positive attention. And on that joy-filled evening in June 2010, he completely changed the perception of the organization forever.

Strasburg’s rookie season was unlike anything we’d seen before or are likely to see again. And though it came to a sudden, jarring halt when he tore his elbow ligament on one ill-fated changeup in his 12th career start, there was so much more still to come. He was the ace of a 98-win division champion in 2012, albeit one who wasn’t allowed to pitch most of September or into October. He was the ace and league strikeout champion of another division winner in 2014. He morphed into the de facto No. 2 starter after that but still delivered for two more division champs in 2016-17.

And then he put it all together with a season for the ages in 2019. No injuries. No shutdowns. No moments of panic. Just 33 brilliant starts, producing a league-leading 18 wins, league-leading 209 innings and career-high 251 strikeouts. Then came October, and an extended run of domination: six games (five starts), five wins, zero losses, a 1.98 ERA, 47 strikeouts against only four walks and an 8 1/3-inning master class in Game 6 of the World Series that ultimately earned him MVP honors.

Strasburg gave everything he had to win that title, and it probably cost him the second half of his career. He made only eight starts after the World Series, his arm unable to bounce back anymore. It all led to a frustrating, sad, premature, bitter retirement that did not afford him the glorious farewell he deserved. Hopefully with the passage of time, that celebration will come.

Regardless, here’s a case for Strasburg as not the best player in Nationals history, but the most important player in Nationals history: He made 24 or more starts six times in his career, and the team made the playoffs in five of those seasons. They’ve never made the playoffs otherwise. In short, no single player has meant more to the team’s success than him.

NO. 2 – RYAN ZIMMERMAN
Infielder: 2005-21
Stats: 1799 G, 7402 PA, 6654 AB, 963 R, 1846 H, 417 2B, 22 3B, 284 HR, 1061 RBI, 43 SB, 16 CS, 646 BB, 1384 SO, .277 AVG, .341 OBP, .475 SLG, .816 OPS, 116 OPS+, 40.1 bWAR, 39.5 fWAR

Sometimes, the stars just align and a team and a player are brought together in perfect harmony. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s a thing of beauty. That’s Zimmerman and the Nationals. The first draft pick in club history not only was an exceptional prospect, but he was big-league-ready within months and he hailed from the region. Oh, and he was the embodiment of a good citizen and representative of the franchise during good times and bad times.

Those who came to the party late may not fully realize just how great a ballplayer Zimmerman was during the first extended stretch of his career. From 2006-10, he averaged 37 doubles, 23 homers and 89 RBIs while producing a .286/.353/.482 slash line. Oh, and he was as gifted a third baseman as there was in the sport, making phenomenally difficult plays look easy on a nightly basis. At that point, it was perfectly reasonable to wonder if he was destined for Cooperstown.

That, of course, didn’t happen, and health was a huge factor. Zimmerman first injured his right shoulder diving into home plate early in the 2012 season. He didn’t miss much time, but he only made it through that season thanks to several cortisone shots that didn’t hinder his performance but ultimately masked the serious condition causing all that pain. He had surgery that offseason, and by 2014 his arm simply didn’t allow him to throw the ball across the diamond with confidence anymore.

So the Nats moved Zimmerman to first base, where his quick reflexes and smooth glovework still allowed him to succeed while limiting his need to throw. There were other ailments along the way, though, some recurring and some isolated. After averaging 140 games played his first eight seasons, he averaged only 95 his last seven seasons.

There were still plenty of highlight moments through the end, though, a ton of them coming in the bottom of the ninth with the game on the line. He’s one of only 10 players in history with 11 or more walk-off homers, and all but Zim are either already in the Hall of Fame (Jim Thome, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, Babe Ruth, David Ortiz, Tony Perez) or are sure bets to be elected soon (Albert Pujols).

Zimmerman won’t join them in Cooperstown, and that’s the only reason he ranks second on this list. That distinction, however, does not detract in any way from his greatness on and off the field, nor his significance to the franchise he helped build over a decade and a half.

NO. 1 – MAX SCHERZER
Starting pitcher: 2015-21
Stats: 92-47, 2.80 ERA, 189 GS, 1229 IP, 902 H, 404 R, 382 ER, 149 HR, 280 BB, 1610 SO, 152 ERA+, 0.962 WHIP, 40.2 bWAR, 37.9 fWAR

The Nationals didn’t technically need Scherzer when they signed him. They already had the deepest rotation in baseball with Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio González, Doug Fister and Tanner Roark. Rizzo, though, always believed the best path to a championship included multiple aces, and he believed Scherzer was the right guy to lift the franchise to the next level, so he shocked everyone by giving him a then-record $215 million contract.

Postseason success wouldn’t come until Scherzer’s fifth season in D.C., but his regular season success was off the charts. Two no-hitters in 2015, one of them a Jose Tabata elbow lean shy of a perfect game. A 20-strikeout game as part of a 20-win season in 2016. Back-to-back Cy Young Awards. Three straight strikeout titles, including a rare 300-strikeout season in 2018. And then there were indelible singular moments like the gem he pitched against the Phillies with a broken nose and black eye.

From 2015-19, there was no better pitcher in baseball than Scherzer. And because he was also really good for a few years before and after his time in Washington, his Cooperstown case has already been solidified. When that day comes five years after he finally decides to retire, Scherzer almost certainly will go into the Hall of Fame with a curly W cap on his plaque. He’ll be the first National to do so.

And that’s why he’s No. 1 here. He didn’t play for the Nats as long as Zimmerman or Strasburg did, but nobody has ever played better for the Nats than Scherzer. His career has included plenty of stops, but it ultimately will have been defined by his seven years in D.C. in a way nobody else can top.