A lot can happen in 20 years. Two decades ago, the Nationals were scrambling to get RFK Stadium renovated and ready for the park’s first full-time baseball club in 33 years. A roster made up mostly of former Expos players was bolstered with a few affordable free agents. The general manager only had the job on an interim basis. The manager was a legitimate baseball legend finishing out his Hall of Fame career in a manner he never could have foreseen.
The Nationals of 2025 will look nothing like the Nationals of 2005. That’s true of the uniforms they now wear, the ballpark they now play in, the people in charge of the organization and the men who take the field for them. Only a couple of employees who embarked on this adventure from the outset remain.
The franchise was down for several years, then was up for several more, then was on top of the baseball world for a brief time, then came back down to earth and now hopes to climb that mountain again.
There’s a surprising amount of history packed into these 20 years of existence, enough to spur the organization to make the 2025 season a celebration of its history.
The Nationals announced plans this morning for a season-long anniversary celebration, dubbed “NATS20.” It will include a significant prize giveaway, planned appearances by team alumni and a revisiting of the most memorable moments of the last two decades.
