Today, I am going to build a Washington Nationals dream team. With the 20th anniversary of the team, it feels like a good time to look back at the greatest players to ever play for the team.
The catcher is Wilson Ramos. While catcher hasn’t been the strongest position for the Nats, Ramos was a solid player for a number of years in DC. The Buffalo came to DC in a trade that sent Matt Capps to Minnesota, one of Mike Rizzo’s best moves. He was the starter behind the plate from 2011-2016, where he hit .268 with a .743 OPS. His best year was his last, where he made the All-Star game, and hit .307 with an .850 OPS. Who knows what they could have done in that 2016 if Ramos didn’t tear his ACL in late September.
At first base, we are going with Mr. National himself Ryan Zimmerman. Ok, this one is kind of cheating given his best years were at third base, but there was no way I was going to leave Anthony Rendon off this. Zimmerman is the most iconic player in team history. The Z-man holds a plethora of franchise records, including games played, hits, and home runs. Zimmerman spent his whole career with the Nats and is a hero in the community. Winning the World Series in 2019 was the cherry on top for the Nats first ever draft pick, who was with the team through thick and thin. Number 11 is a Goliath in DC.
At second base, I am going with Daniel Murphy. Murph wasn’t in DC for a long time, but those 2.5 years were sure a good time. After coming in free agency, Murphy built on his playoff run with the Mets and took his game to new heights. Murphy went from a solid offense first second baseman to a legit MVP candidate. He hit .347 with a .985 OPS in 2016, finishing 2nd in MVP voting. Murphy was also phenomenal in 2017, with a .322 average and .928 OPS. He was a special hitter in DC, and due to a lack of other options, he is the choice at second base.
At shortstop, Trea Turner is the clear choice. While Ian Desmond had some great years and deserves a shoutout, Trea is the obvious choice here. Turner might be the greatest “player to be named later” of all time, coming over in a three team deal only months after he was drafted by the Padres. Trea played in center field in his breakout 2016 season, but settled in as the full time shortstop. From 2017-2019, he was consistently excellent, providing an exhilarating power/speed combination. In 2020 and 2021, Turner took his game to new heights, establishing himself as one of the best shortstops in the sport. With the Nats fading out of contention, they decided to trade Trea and Max Scherzer for what has turned out to be very underwhelming package.
At third base is Tony Two Bags himself, Anthony Rendon. While his career has gone off the rails in LA, Rendon was a phenomenal National. He was probably the best player on the 2019 World Series team. Rendon was ridiculously clutch in the playoffs in 2019, and was also a legit MVP candidate that year. He finished third in the voting, with a .319 average and 1.010 OPS that season. Rendon also played phenomenal defense at third base. His natural talent made the game look easy.
Left field was probably the hardest decision on the team. It came down to Alfonso Soriano and Jayson Werth. In the end, I chose Soriano because of his dominance, even if it was only for one season. After all, Werth only had two elite seasons in DC himself. For that reason, I am going with the Soriano’s historic 40/40 season. It was the only 40/40 season for over 15 years. I want to reward Soriano’s absurd dominance with a spot on this list.
Putting Bryce Harper in center field is a bit of a cop out, but he did play there for an extended period, especially early in his career. Bryce was a phenom, and he knew it. While his cocky demeanor rubbed some the wrong way, it also gave him great fanfare. He also did more than enough on the field to back up the talk. Harper made six all-star teams as a Nat, and won an MVP. His 2015 season is one of the best seasons of the 21st century. Bryce hit .330 with a 1.109 OPS to go along with 42 home runs. While he is public enemy number one in DC nowadays, it is also important to remember all the great memories Bryce brought us.
In right field, I am going with another former teenage sensation in Juan Soto. While Soto has also left for “greener pastures”, he is not hated like Harper due to him being traded and the fact he won a World Series. Soto was a massive part of that 2019 team at just 20 years of age. The youngster always had a supernatural ability to get on base. His .421 career OBP is simply ridiculous. The fact we had to trade a player of his caliber at 23 years old was truly gut wrenching. Soto is the best pure hitter to ever play for the Nats, and it is not close.
The first member of the starting rotation is Max Scherzer. Despite being called an overpay at the time, Scherzer became on of the greatest free agent signings of all time. Scherzer was top 5 in Cy Young voting in each of his first five seasons as a National, and won the award twice. In addition to his dominance, Scherzer was the greatest competitor I have ever seen in a Nats uniform. From gutting through game 7 days after not being able to get out of his bed, to pitching with a broken nose, Scherzer was the man. He is my favorite player.
Stephen Strasburg slots in as SP2 in the all-Nats team. While you can debate whether Strasburg lived up to his sky high expectations, his status as a Nats legend is not up for debate. He was a playoff legend, with a 1.46 ERA in 55.1 playoff innings. While his body did not cooperate with him for large chunks of his career, especially post-2019, he was very good when he was on the mound, with a career 3.24 ERA. Stras always stepped up when the Nationals needed him most. The ending may have been ugly, but that won’t stop me from recognizing Strasburg’s greatness.
SP3 is the first 20 game winner in Nats history, Gio Gonzalez. When the Nats traded for Gio prior to the 2012 season, it was a signal of intent. He rewarded their faith with a 20 win campaign, and a top 3 Cy Young finish. That was his best season, as Gio settled in as a good, but frustrating number 2 or 3 starter. He was consistently good, but always walked a few too many guys, and never went particularly deep into games. However, with a 3.62 ERA across 213 starts, with particularly good seasons in 2012 and 2017, Gonzalez was worth the price the Nats paid to get him, and then some.
SP4 is the ever reliable Jordan Zimmermann. J-Zimm was a pros pro, with beautiful pitching mechanics I tried to replicate growing up. From 2011-2015, Zimmermann was one of the best pitchers in baseball, but never got that type of recognition due to being overshadowed by guys like Strasburg. His moment in the limelight came on the last day of the 2014 season, when he threw the first no-hitter in team history. It was a moment of pure joy for Nationals fans. Despite all of his accomplishments, Mike Rizzo’s decision to let Zimmermann walk was one of the best of his career. By 2015, Zimmermann was still good, but not quite his dominant self. Rizzo let him go to Detroit, where his stuff further deteriorated.
The SP5 is a blast from the past in Livan Hernandez. The burly right hander was on the Expos when they moved to DC, and was excellent in 2005, making the all-star team. After being traded in 2006, Livan came back to DC for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He was a phenomenal veteran presence on those young Nats teams. He was the greatest Nat pitcher of the pre-2012 era. Livan deserves respect for being a good pitcher for a long time. He was also a highly likable personality.
The closer spot was a close battle between Chad Cordero and Sean Doolittle. In the end, I went with Doolittle due to his playoff contributions. The quirky southpaw was dominant in 2017 and 2018 as the Nats closer. He started off 2019 great as well, before overuse due to carrying an awful bullpen caught up to him. However, after an IL stint, he was rejuvenated. In that playoff run, Doolittle shared closing responsibilities with Daniel Hudson. He posted a 1.74 ERA in 9 appearances during the post-season. Like a number of players on that team, he was never the same after 2019, but he put it all on the line to get a ring. Doolittle now contributes to the organization, as a pitching strategist.
This was an awesome article to write, looking back at all the hero’s of yesteryear. Hopefully for the 25th or 30th anniversary series, guys like James Wood, Dylan Crews and Mackenzie Gore can take spots on this list.