Rachel Levitin: Considering Ryan Zimmerman's legacy

When baseball moved back to Washington, D.C., a decade ago, I also moved to town right around the same time. My dad used to joke with me back then, saying, "Good thing D.C. got a baseball team! They must've known you'd be coming!" He was kidding, of course, but I liked to think that it was somewhat true. The 18-year-old kid headed off to college needed some comfort moving to a new city and knowing that there'd be baseball to watch across town was extremely helpful since I was struggling to find a way to constantly head back and forth between Baltimore to get my MLB fix (the younger me did not know about the MARC train.)

Since my first autumn spent in Washington, Ryan Zimmerman has been a fixture on the Nationals roster. Back then, it was at third base. Now he's at first. And I've got to say, it's been quite fun watching the transition. Fans, coaches and teammates alike have watched Zimmerman grow both as a ballplayer and man over the past 10 years and - after watching the outpouring of support in memory of Ernie Banks this offseason when Mr. Cub passed - it got me thinking.

Could Zimmerman be the equivalent of what Banks meant to the Cubs when we look back on modern Nats history?

It's one of those things that only time can tell, but Zimmerman has been the face of the franchise for years now. It only seems right that, down the line, Zimmerman would continue to support this team and franchise whether it's on the field, off the field or in the community at large.

Even though jersey and t-shirt sales will be the first to point out that Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg are the most notable members of the current Nationals squad, who's to say that's always going to be the case? Maybe for now, but when historians go back and document the first few decades of the modern Nationals, what players will have longstanding legacies viewed in conjunction with the franchise? I foresee Zimmerman being at least one of those players, and rightfully so.

It speaks a great deal to his character as an athlete and leader to make the transition to a new position. We saw glimmers of this during the 2014 season, as Zimmerman dabbled in the outfield as needed and started work at first base. He knows there's hard work in front of him, but that hasn't deterred him from his mission of being the best ball player he's capable of being at this stage of his life.

The grace in which he handled the initial transition and continues to handle that transition in real-time as the 2015 season begins is what demonstrates Zimmerman's devotion to this franchise, his playing career and to his teammates. I feel as if he'll prove to be a solid choice of a role model for the young talent filling out the current 25-man roster and starting nine if they haven't already latched onto the idea during spring training.

Therefore, no matter how long Zimmerman continues to take the field, his legacy will extend beyond his time as an active player. The 2015 season is the time in which Zimmerman will continue to mold himself into a first baseman and establish himself as a role model. And that's the transition I most look forward to watching as the season unfolds.

Rachel Levitin blogs about the Nationals for District Sports Page. Follow her on Twitter: @RHLevitin. She will be sharing her observations about baseball in the nation's capital as part of MASNsports.com's season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our little corner of cyberspace. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.